Stop These Five Bad Habits in Email Marketing to Get Better Results

Email marketing is still the most effective digital marketing channel as it delivers good ROI in online marketing. If your ROI or conversion rates are low, then there's a good chance you have a bad habit hurting your attempts. Here are the five mistakes you should avoid in order to increase your open rates, click-through rates, and conversions:

1. Messaging People Who Never Subscribed

One of the worst mistakes you could make is messaging people who never subscribed to your list. This can get you into trouble with anti-spam laws as well as turn away those who never subscribed but could be potential customers. People who are approached in their inboxes by companies they didn't subscribe to usually don't become customers because it gives them a negative view of the business.

2. Sending Each Email to Everyone on Your List

Although all your subscribers share some things in common, such as having an interest in hearing more from your business, they still have different needs. You should segment your subscribers into different lists to send more targeted content to them. Segmentation increases your subscribers' engagement with your content. According to the Direct Marketing Association, revenue from this type of marketing increases by 760% when lists are segmented.

3. Contacting People Too Often

Another major mistake some marketers make is contacting subscribers too frequently. How many times per week you message your list depends on your niche and your target audience. With tracking tools and data analysis, you can easily figure out how often you should contact subscribers. Contacting them too often causes your unsubscribe rate to increase.

4. Using Words That the ISP Recognizes as Spam

Poor subject lines not only deter subscribers from opening the email but could land your email in the junk/spam folder, too. Examples of phrases and words that an ISP usually interprets as spam include as seen on, requires initial investment, $$$, earn $, buy direct, and money back guarantee.

5. Lack of a Clear Call to Action

Each time you contact subscribers, you should include a call to action. Subscribers are less likely to take the next step when you don't let them know what it is. If you want them to download your free ebook, then create a CTA for it. Want them to leave comments on your latest blog post? Ask for that, too. Just remember to limit yourself to one call to action whenever possible. Emails should be concise and focused with one goal in mind.

When you stop these five bad habits in contacting subscribers, you'll notice your results improve. Remember to include a call to action, segment your list, avoid messaging subscribers too frequently, create good subject lines, and only contact those who have subscribed.

Sources:

Do you have any of these email marketing bad habits? marketingtechnews.net

Email Marketing Stats All Marketers Must Know for 2016, customerinsightgroup.com