As many small businesses turn to e-mail marketing to play an important role in their overall marketing efforts, it is crucial to roll out such a campaign fully aware of the potential pitfalls to avoid. A lot of businesses engage in e-mail marketing without the proper knowledge and, more often than not, end up alienating consumers without their knowledge. As one looking to make the most of e-mail, the following are three mistakes you should be on the lookout for, as well as what you can do to remedy them.
Bad subject lines
The subject line is the first attempt you have at convincing your subscribers to open the e-mail. Have a great subject line and you can be sure readers will click on the e-mail. A bad one, or one that oversells, will immediately prompt a delete action.
You want your subject line to be clear, concise and offer a glimpse into what readers can expect once they click on the main message. Let the subject be in line with the message, like “Announcing our holiday discount period,” with the main message in the e-mail being the various discount offers your business is giving for the holiday.
Keep the sales pitch away from the subject line (buy from me now). It paints a negative picture and may discourage the recipient from reading it because they feel the whole e-mail will be laden with sales copy.
Failing to include a call to action
At the end of your e-mail you want readers to go ahead and do something, right? So why tell them clearly what you want them to do? Do you want them to visit your website for more details? Register for more updates?
A clear call to action message (or clickable button) is important to enable readers to take the step you wish them to. Also, put the call to action in a location where it is easily seen. A call to action at the bottom of the e-mail is the traditional way to do it, and works where your message is simple, short, and to the point.
Not adapting the e-mail to mobile users
Many e-mail marketers fail to include mobile users in their campaigns and, as a result, miss out on the large number of consumers who make use of mobile devices (about 47 percent according to Litmus, a global e-mail marketing research company). Such huge numbers shouldn’t be left out at any cost, and it falls on you to craft e-mails that read well on Smartphones and tablets.
Now, there’s a lot to include if your e-mail is going to read perfectly on a mobile device, and we’ll leave the experts to show you how to do it. This infographic from Column Five Media, aptly titled the Anatomy of the Perfect Mobile E-mail, shows you how to go about crafting your mobile e-mail, and what aspects to consider, especially with evolving mobile technology.
With a clear message, a direct subject line (and call to action), and content that caters to mobile users, you can be sure readers will view your message and follow your calls to action.
Post from: SiteProNews: Webmaster News & Resources
Three Mistakes You’re Making in Your E-Mail Marketing
Maria Elena Duron (a.k.a. Maria Duron) helps entrepreneurs and businesses to create conversation, community, connection and commerce around their brand through direct services, workshops and webinars. Maria Elena Duron is creator and moderator of #brandchat; editor-in-chief of the Personal Branding Blog and is a constant contact workshop leader. Maria Elena Duron is chief engagement officer with buzz2bucks — a word of mouth firm. Follow her at @mariaduron.
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