In the age of social media you might think that email marketing has lost its effectiveness, that it is too old school to include in your company’s marketing plan. Yet the numbers show a very different story. According to Entrepreneur Magazine, 72% of consumers say that they prefer brands to communicate with them by email, and 91% say that they would like to receive promotional emails from their favorite companies.
But before you jump on the email bandwagon it is important to be aware of some of the “don’ts” when it comes to email campaigns. It is tempting to just start sending without knowing all the “rules,” but doing so can lead to headaches at best and legal trouble at worst. So how do you make sure you are not making email mistakes that can get your brand in trouble? Here are three important tips to keep in mind:
Do Not Buy Lists
All sorts of companies sell email lists, and it might be tempting to buy one or two as a quick way to expand your marketing reach. Do not do it. Commercial email lists are generally bad quality, full of dead and scraped email addresses. The open rates and conversion rates from these lists are notoriously low. Sending to these lists can also damage your brand since you are sending to people who never asked to hear from you.
Do Not Break the Law
The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 regulates what you can and cannot put into your marketing emails. For example, you cannot include misleading or false information or use a deceptive subject line. You must include a valid physical postal address, and you must promptly honor opt-outs. The Act also spells out tough penalties, including up to $40,654 in fines for each separate email in violation of the law.
Do Not Forget to Test
Crafting an effective email message takes time. When you are finished, it is easy to just click on the Send button and move onto other things. But sending a test message is vital so that you know exactly how the email message looks on the recipients’ end. You also need to click on every link to makes sure each one works. Also check for typos and grammatical mistakes. Few things are more embarrassing to a brand than having to send a follow-up message apologizing for the first one because it was not properly tested.
Establishing and managing an effective, profitable email campaign for your business can be a full-time job. If you do not have that time, then please contact us. We are here to make your email marketing campaign the best it can be.