Email marketing can be one of the most effective ways to promote your Internet business. It can be a little tricky though if you don’t know what you’re doing so it is very easy to make some common when you are first starting out. This can be very frustrating as it can cost you a lot of money while not generating any sales. Here’s a few common email marketing mistakes you should be aware of when starting your next campaign. Following these simple steps will make your marketing strategies much more effective.
Your readers always want to feel like they are a real person and not just a statistic to you. This is why it is important that you take the time to address each email you send personally. You will get a much better response if you avoid starting your emails with something like “Dear Customer”. Also, try not to use dollar signs in your emails. It can be a real turn off to your readers who might look at it as if you are only interested in getting their money.
Remember, you readers probably don’t have a lot of patience! Your email should jump out at them as soon as they open it. Put the most enticing information at the beginning with the rest of the details later on. They are much more likely to read your entire email message if you are able to get their attention right at the beginning. Also, each reader is going to be different. That includes their computer setup as well as the kind of email program that they are using. Don’t assume that every email send will be receive through the same email service you are using. You should test the receipt of your email on several popular email services to make sure it displays the way you want it to.
Confidentiality is also a very important issue to your readers. Always make sure that your email sign-up form contains a disclaimer that clearly states that you will not abuse their email address in any way. You will be amazed by how many people won’t sign up for an email promotion if this bit of information isn’t given to them. There are many rules and regulations out there regarding what can and can’t be done when it comes to email marketing. Make sure you are familiar with these rules before you start your next campaign. The often vary by country so if you are doing a global marketing campaign be sure to check the regulations for each area you are sending to. Failure to do this can lead to huge fines for your business.
Never make the mistake of thinking that you know what your readers want. If you really want to know then take the time to ask them. Be open to comments and suggestions that they give you. Letting them know that you are available to answer their questions or concerns is a great way to earn the loyalty of your readers. It is often very easy to sell something to someone but it is much harder to make them happy enough that they will come back and buy from you over and over again.
You don’t want a mailing list full of unhappy subscribers. The law requires you to provide a link where your readers can easily unsubscribe from your list. While you want to do everything possible to keep them reading your emails it is also important that you respect their wishes and remove them from your list if they choose to opt-out. They will become very frustrated if they keep receiving emails from you after they have asked to be removed from your list.
Email marketing can be extremely beneficial for your business if you remember to keep these common mistakes from becoming a part of your marketing plan.