We all make mistakes, but when silly, careless or unintentional email marketing mistakes occur, the end result is usually fewer sales and an increase in opt-out requests. The good news is that you can easily avoid the following mistakes to launch a successful email campaign.
Poorly Written Text
Messages filled with misspellings, grammar and obvious punctuation errors make you appear unprofessional and careless. As a result, subscribers will not take what you send to them seriously (and will probably avoid buying from you as well).
And even though we live in a world of shortened or abbreviated words and phrases, and overused punctuation (ie: OMG!!!!!), this does not excuse you from sending poorly written email messages.
No, you don't need to be a trained writer, but you should have a basic understanding of sentence structure, grammar and punctuation rules. To help you send polished messages, keep the following items handy:
- Online or print dictionary and thesaurus
- "The Elements of Style" by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White (thin little book with very concise rules of punctuation)
- Spell check program (MS Word spell check can help you catch minor spelling mistakes)
Armed with these items, write your text and then reread it when you're done to catch any glaring errors. Ask two or three other people to read the text just to make sure it's correct.
Sending Email from Multiple Addresses
Use one email address to send bulk emails to avoid being blocked by subscribers. Some subscribers will add the address of your welcome message to their contact list - this is great, but if you send messages from various addresses, some of these messages may end up in the trash. Also, if a subscriber doesn't recognize your address, they may delete the message.
Sending email from a dedicated address also creates an air of professionalism and helps you stay organized.
Failure to Respect and Obey Internet Rules
Over the years, many countries have adopted rules pertaining to the sending of mass email. In the U.S., for example, The Can-Spam Act requires marketers to include the physical address of their business in the email, an opt-out button so subscribers can remove their names from your mailing list, and prohibits the use of false or misleading information in subject lines.
It is best to review all national and international Internet rules pertaining to sending email messages so your email address is not blocked by your ISP or so you don't end up paying fines or becoming entangled in a lawsuit. ISP provider, local or national government websites can provide you with this information.