Help! No One Reads my Emails!
We likely don't need to explain the value of email marketing - at its most effective, it can drive traffic to your website, spread awareness about products and events, and help foster a bond between your brand and your followers. But what happens if you are sinking valuable time into writing emails but seeing low or no engagement? It can feel like shouting into the void. Let's take a look at the top 5 pitfalls of email marketing!
1. It's too long
Being longwinded in a marketing email is sort of like talking about yourself too much at a party. Have some tact and get to the point! If people want to know
more, they will ask and follow your call to action. From the subject line to the actual body of the email, short and sweet is best:
• Studies show that the body of an email should be no longer than 50-125 words.
• Subject lines shouldn't exceed about 9 words. Keep it clear and inviting.
2. It's too frequent
The absolute number 1 reason people unsubscribe is when they feel spammed. According to a Technology Advice study, 43% of subscribers wish businesses emailed them less often! Oversharing not only leads to disengagement, but also frustration - people are more likely to reach for the spam button and refrain from other kinds of engagement with your company, like following you on social media. Unless you offer a specific signup for frequent emails, start with once or twice a month and gradually grow from there.
3. You forgot why people signed up in the first place
Did you ask your followers to sign up for a quarterly newsletter, and then began emailing them weekly specials? Did you promise education or special features, but instead started pushing flash sales? Keep your brand promises to inspire trust and loyalty in your subscribers.
4. The formatting isn't inviting
Slogging through a wall of text in an email feels like a chore, even if we are excited about the business emailing us. Pay attention to the marketing emails you open in your own inbox-odds are it's neat, visually appealing, and thoughtfully formatted. You can use lines, font sizes and styles, images, and graphics to break up your text in a way that doesn't fatigue readers' eyes.
5. You don't hit the data
There are exceptions to every rule; some newsletters are in-depth essays whose length far exceeds 125 words, and others like photography newsletters have almost nonexistent copy and gorgeous images. The great news is, you can already look at what's working for your specific brand and learn from it. Whether you use MailChimp, Constant Contact, ConvertKit, Active Campaign, or any other service, take a look at which emails perform best. Which subject lines resulted in the most emails being opened in the first place? Which calls to action resulted in clicks, and which didn't? Find out what works, then expand on it and try again.
If you clicked on this article, chances are your current email marketing efforts aren't delivering the way you want them to. Sometimes it helps to get a fresh perspective! Visit our Contact page to request an audit of your email, social media, and other marketing channels. We're here to help!
