The top 3 biggest email marketing mistakes and how to avoid them

For most email marketers, email marketing itself is the cornerstone of business promotion. However, the very same email marketers fall into serious traps when it comes to frequency and opt-in permission, often ruining their sender reputation forever. So, how does an ambitious email marketer succeed in such a crowded field? By avoiding the following email marketing mistakes:

If you have a list of customers that you send email or HTML newsletter campaigns to on a regular basis, one of the worst mistakes you can make is falling behind and failing to send to them for a significant stretch of time. Suppose you email your customers every single month, on schedule, and you are suddenly unable to email them for two or three months. Though most of your customers will remember that they’re on your opt-in email list, some will definitely forget, treat your email like an unwelcome stranger, and hit the spam button. Most email marketers wish that each email recipient had the memory of an elephant. But unfortunately, since this is not true, and a simple slip up can make your abuse rates go way up and ruin your email marketing reputation.

Let’s face it: most companies get their email lists from a variety of sources, from walk-in customers to contest sign-up cards. The real trouble comes from assumed permission, the gray area that says that if customer buys a product or visits your Website, they must automatically want you to send them emails. A better tack is to not only keep detailed records on where each email address came from, but to unify your email list gathering technique on all fronts. If a customer registers for your Website or makes an online purchase, make sure you include a box they can check if they want to receive your newsletter or email campaigns. If this box is not checked, do not put them on your list. On the other hand, if a customer gives you their email address over the phone, tell them you’re going to send them an email asking them to confirm their subscription to your list. That way you at least have traceable confirmation that the customer signed up for your email or newsletter.

What’s just as bad as not sending your email campaigns frequently enough? Breaking your promise and emailing customers too often. Many email marketers feel that customers won’t notice if they slip in an extra email every now and then. This may be true, but some customers definitely will notice and become irritated that you’re spamming their inbox. What’s the worst that can happen? The customer can hit the abuse button, leaving it up to you to prove to your email service provider that you have fulfilled your end of the bargain. Sending frequent email marketing campaigns to customers can be extremely tempting, especially during the holidays.

But if you practice restraint and stick to your original bargain, you’re giving your customers no reason to hit the spam button.