Email Marketing – Pitfalls and Positives

Starting your own business can be a daunting experience for some, with lots to consider even before you are ready to start trading. From locating the right premises to hiring the right personnel, the modern day business owner has to consider every facet of their business to ensure success. Central to any successful business is the methods that are employed to market their products and services.

With that being said, the focus of today’s blog is on the use of email marketing and the common mistakes most businesses make when trying to incorporate it within their marketing activities. Email marketing can be done to either lists that you can purchase from the likes of Thomson Local or using a current customer database that the client has built up over time.

However, all too often, many businesses make fundamental mistakes when using email marketing such as:

• Sending emails with an ambiguous “from” address – the modern day person receives dozens of emails every day, with the vast majority being “junk”. Maximise your chance of having your email opened by using a recognisable name and email address in the “from” field.

• Too long subject line – this should be relevant, short and welcoming.

• Too many calls to action (CTA) – limit your CTA to just one, allowing your customers to easily understand the message you are conveying within your email.

• Neglecting mobile readers – with mobile online traffic increasing at a phenomenal rate, do not ignore this key demographic. Make sure your emails are suitable for all possible devices by using a responsive design for instance.

• Ignoring opt-outs – find out why people are unsubscribing to your marketing activities. Was it the content? Maybe it was the frequency? Use a double opt-out to gather insights and improve your email marketing activities.

Having said that, many businesses can benefit from email marketing by following some of these key principles:

• Make your email look as aesthetically pleasing as you can
• Make it relevant to the target audience
• Make your message as obvious as possible
• Make it easy for people to respond or find out more
• Tell your audience something that they did not know

By following some of these principles, you should maximise the effectiveness of your email marketing activities. It is also good to remember that email marketing alone, will not ensure success. As a business owner, you should aim to engage with customers on as may levels as possible. From a quick phone call to a personalised letter through the post, each customer wants to feel unique and valued.

To find out how you can help businesses market to their customers on a mobile level, contact Eazi-Apps today.