|
|
Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
As a beginner, you have much information at your disposal. You can assess various reports, read testimonials, observe the challenges many people face and plan your strategy. You do not have to repeat the mistakes of others. You will be knowledgeable on what you should avoid so that when you start your campaign you dominate the market.
The best time to climb your mountaintop is now. Let us examine the various factors that can hinder your growth. Therefore ensure that you pay keen attention to these details.
Ensure your subject line is reflective of the content
There is nothing wrong with getting excited. You would like subscribers to open your emails in anticipation. You would like them to click your links that will lead them to your website. However, with all your frenzied anticipation you should maintain your integrity and not disappoint your subscribers.
You may wonder, “In what way can I possibly disappoint my subscribers in my subject line?” Have you ever eaten at a restaurant and the waiter tells you about a mouth-watering entrée that customers have given rave reviews. You abandon what you had planned to order in anticipation for the recommended cuisine. When you finally taste it, you think that they have surely given you the wrong meal. You’re not sure if to argue or to immediately leave.
Similarly, you disappoint your subscribers when your subject line lures your subscribers to open your email, but the content is completely different. Your subject lines may inform them of a topic that is so thrilling and something they want to know so much more about, yet when they open the email, the topic is not mentioned again. Or if it is, it is a watered down version of what you said. Your subscribers are no longer optimistic. Instead, they are deflated and quite frankly they feel like you set them up, you’ve misled them. Guess what, next time you send an email they will be very suspicious about opening it. It may even be deleted forthwith.
You may trick them temporarily but the long-term impact is much more detrimental as your subscribers will grow to mistrust you. Therefore, if you mention something in the subject field, ensure that you elaborate about the topic more in your content.
Preheader
Another mistake is that the preheader is ignored. Next to the subject line, the text that can be seen is referred to as the pre-header. These are the few words that make up the first line in your email. Some platforms vary.
The body of the email is important and the subject line, but the preheader should not be overlooked as it is an opportunity to allow your personality to shine through.
The reply to is unknown
Has someone ever left a message for you and on reading the note, the message is very important. This correspondence is so urgent that you need to contact the sender, only to have the individual who gave you the note inform you that she didn’t write down the person’s name. She forgot to write down that vital piece of information. You wish and hope that the person would fax, email, call or visit you in person. To your disappointment, days pass and the person is still not identified.
It is the same way, when you send emails and the subscriber looks to reply for whatever reason, he sees “no reply”. It can be very off-putting. In the example above, the person was not able to be contacted because the person who received the message forgot to write the name down. In this example however, by using “no reply” you do not wish to be contacted.
Or even if you have a reply address, but you do not check that email address, it is like the address doesn’t exist either. It is like every time someone calls you, your answering machine cuts in and no matter how many messages are left, you still do not return the call.
The purpose of emails is to stay in touch with your subscribers and engage with them. Do not send the wrong signals that you do not wish to communicate with them or if you do, it is only on your terms.
Do not send dull and unfriendly emails
Sometimes marketers send emails that have nothing of use or significance to the subscriber. It is not only about sending emails with the words in caps: BUY NOW! You know the value of your product and service. Yes you want many people to purchase what you have to offer but the foundation must be set that your subscribers know that when they open your email, it entails something that has merit.
Do not judge the value of your email just on how quickly someone pays for your product or service. Once you have something that is worthy, you will eventually see the dollars. It is all about building a valuable relationship over a period of time. Your subscribers will eventually tell others about your brand.
Focus more on how your service or product can serve your subscribers more than focus on your product or service only. You have to make the connection and let them know how they will benefit from using it.
There are too many calls to action
A call to action (CTA) is a directive that you give to your subscribers to elicit an instant response. You can have a button on your website that says: “Request a Demo” or “Click for a Free Trial”.
Netflix for example instructs subscribers to, “Join Free for a Month” as well as the promise that you can “Cancel Anytime”.
An email is not like a job application. In a job application, you list all your top attributes and credentials and everything you wish to influence a company to call you for an interview and ultimately hire you. You do not have a chance to send a follow-up job application where you highlight other things you did not include in the first job application.
With an email, you can send more than one and give information accordingly. Therefore, do not add too many calls to action. Let’s imagine for a moment if you receive an email and on opening it, there are 12 calls to action buttons with different neon colors, all conveying a different directive. Won’t you feel overwhelmed?
To avoid this, focus on what you wish to communicate with your readers in that specific email and then design your email accordingly with the appropriate buttons, links or forms for them to visit your page.
Failure to provide a link
Place a link where it is visible to your subscribers without them having to scroll down. The terminology is referred to as place a link “above the fold.” Also, place a link “below the fold” which means that you will have to scroll down to view it.
Lengthy Emails
For some marketers, there is the notion that long emails mean that you are giving your subscribers more value. Thus emails are filled with various topics and news. However, it takes the subscriber a very long time to read them and digest what you wish to convey.
You can send several shorter emails or use bullet points to condense your message.
Know how to use images
Images should enhance your emails, not be used only as the content of your email. Remember that some subscribers check their emails from their phones. If images do not load properly on their mobile phones they will not be aware of what your wish to communicate in your email.
Additionally, some subscribers have their setting adjusted that images are blocked.
Also, you can use at least an image in your email. Ensure that the option of using plain text is utilized also.
Be consistent with your emails
Your subscribers expect to hear from you. Do not have a steady flow of emails and then cease to email for a couple of months and then start again. There must be the right balance. Do not get too enthusiastic and send too many emails for this can be as annoying as someone who calls your phone too many times.
Have a regular schedule. You can start by sending one every two weeks. If you are not sure how many emails to send out, you can have an option that allows subscribers to select how frequently they wish to receive emails. Thereafter you can segment your subscribers and send emails according to their preferences.
Failure to send emails
When you have collected emails, you do not need to wait until you have something major to share with your audience to send emails. You can nurture your subscribers in the meantime. This doesn’t mean that you should send pointless and baseless emails just for the sake of keeping in touch. If you have a major event four months away, you can send nurturing emails, even if it is a minimum of once per month. That way when you do send emails about your huge event, you have already nurtured them and created a foundational framework with which to share your major event. Your subscribers will forget who you are and may wonder, “Who is this again? Why am I receiving messages?” Stay in touch.
Manage your email list
You need to monitor which subscribers do not open your emails. Constantly emailing these non-responsive subscribers can cause your emails to end up in the spam folder on the presumption that it is junk email you are sending.
Monitor and once you have identified your subscribers who do not open your emails at all over a long period of time, stop sending emails to them.
Segment your Email List
Depending on what you offer, it is very important to assess and segment your list. For example, let us say that you offer courses on your website, and you have beginners and advanced subscribers, you won’t send the same information that you send to your beginners to your advanced users.
You can also do surveys to get to know your subscribers better and ascertain what other information you can also impart to them. This adds a personable touch.
The Importance of Tracking and Segmentation
Tracking
Technology has developed to such an extent that gone are the days when an email is sent and we remain hopeful that it was delivered and opened by the receiver.
Today, there is software that enables us to know when a person opens our emails, click on the links provided and view the attachments. There is no interruption to our busy lives as everything is done in the background.
An image pixel that is invisible, is placed in your emails that inform about the date, the time the email was opened and the device used by the recipient. There is no invasion of anyone’s privacy. The software informs you about the data relating to your particular email, not about what is happening in your subscriber’s inbox.
Tracking enables you to use your time more efficiently. You can assess when your emails were opened rather than sending out emails again inquiring, “Did anyone receive my emails?” Or sending them out a second time. If you also note that a section of your audience opened their mail at a specific time, it gives you an idea of when to send the other emails.
Moreover, if you wish to follow up with a phone call to one of your business contacts or subscriber you will know when it is the best time to call.
Assessing your data can also highlight other things, such as unsubscribes and bounced email rate. Bounced emails is a marketing term to describe when your emails could not be delivered. There are hard and soft bounces. Hard bounces mean that the addresses were denied. Possible reasons for this is that the address is no longer active or the domain name does not exist. Soft bounces refer to addresses that have a temporary issue. It could be that your recipient’s inbox is full or the server may be temporarily inoperative.
Some marketing systems cannot track plain text emails and some do. So be mindful of this when choosing an email service provider. Email tracking also allows you obtain other information about your subscribers such as their social profile.
Segmentation
One very important marketing strategy that is ignored is segmentation. It means to divide your email lists so that you send your subscribers and customers the correct email at the right time. For example, if you sell men and ladies footwear, you should not send certain information pertaining to female shoes to your male audience.
Firstly, you should differentiate your emails. When individuals sign up, you can have the gender on your forms so they can select accordingly. You can also differentiate as to location or age group. What is your business about? What do you do? Think of the various headings where segmenting your list can benefit you.
Keep your goal in mind and develop a strategy to meet that goal. For example, you may want more people to know how valuable your products are. When you sell your products, you can ask your purchasers to review it. That way more people will know what other people have to say. Segmentation allows you to know your subscribers much better.
To recap, these are what you should observe.
Pay attention to the subject line and your preheader. Have a reply to address. Do not have a noreply@xcompany.com. Take cognizant of the fact that you are not meeting your subscribers face to face. It is not a business meeting or luncheon where you and your subscribers have time to know more about each other’s character and personality. Therefore your email must convey all that you would like them to know about you. You are not a robot, devoid of human personality. You can still maintain your professionalism and be relaxed and engaging. Your subscribers want to know more about you and the advantages of purchasing your product or service so do so in an engaging tone.
Moreover, make your call to action or calls to action well defined and specific. Do not place too many in an email. Place links appropriately. Your emails should be short, informative and engaging.
Always ensure that you have text in your emails and be consistent with keeping in touch. Segment and manage your list by frequently assessing your data.
Email Service Providers
Perhaps you are feeling overwhelmed and you are a bit baffled by the specifics of tracking emails. You may have seen the letters ESP and may have wondered what it means. In the world of email marketing, ESP does not refer to extrasensory perception. You do not have to be telepathic to be a great marketer. ESP is the abbreviation for Email Service Provider.
I have assisted you by listing some of the leaders in the industry. There are many more service providers and they are just as reputable. However, I have listed the popular ones so you can compare the others to them and make your choice. Your Email Service Provider will have the necessary resources for you to become more effective as an email marketer.
Note that I have highlighted only some of the benefits and limitations. The topics are highlighted for you to make the observation and not overlook certain issues.
iContact
The company was founded in 2003 and it is located in North Carolina, USA. The website is www.icontact.com.
iContact in its guide, outlines some features that customers will obtain without having to pay extra for it. This includes uncomplicated sign-up forms and autoresponders; email deliverability; great templates, data that allows you to know more about your customers; technical support; a platform that combines social network with email campaigns and analytical reporting. The company constantly updates its tools and resources to keep ahead of its competitors. In addition, the company allows subscribers to a free 30-day trial. If you like iContact’s service, you can then pay monthly.
You do not have to be knowledgeable about HTML coding to use them. Since 2008, iContact has received many awards. In 2010 they were the awarded the #1 spot as the Email Marketing Provider in a pool of 50 companies by website magazine. Top Ten Reviews ranked them as #1 in their 2015 and 2016 compilation. The company is included in Capterra’s Top 20 and G2 Crowd highly ranked the company Best of Breed Leader for Summer 2015 and Winter 2016.
The basic plan ranges from US$14 to US$117 depending on a number of your subscribers. The Pro Pricing ranges from US$99 to US$249. The Pro Package functions with Google Analytics, has advanced options and you will be assigned an advisor. There is also a Premier Package.
Benefits
✓ iContact is one of the leading email service provider.
✓ The company provides uncomplicated tools and a range of features and reports.
Limitations
✓ You will not be supplied with Google Analytics in your basic plan. Note however that the company has an excellent reporting so you will still be able to track your data. There is an iContact App which allows you to track your data, add contacts and preview emails for example.
✓ There is a limited autoresponder.
✓ Your image storage is only 5 MB. To counter this, you can buy more storage space
✓ Live chat and telephone support are not available on weekends. To counter this, the website provides customers with tutorials, webinars, a blog, and guides.
✓ Some former customers have expressed that they encountered some hassles while trying to cancel their account.
Benchmark
Benchmark is located in California and was founded in 2004. The website is www.benchmarkemail.com.
The metrics are simple and will be good for new marketers learning the industry. As you get more advanced, you should note how this may affect you. There are free plans where you do not have to give your credit card information. Note however that on your emails will be the company’s logo for the free plan.
There is a 30-day trial that ends after the time or if you send a low quota of emails. There are the company’s forms you can use for free signup on your website or Facebook page.
For the basic plan, there are three various pricing. You can purchase storage if you need more space. You can import a list if you have one. The company has a quick reporting system compared to others. You can track your open rates and unsubscribes pretty easily. There is the ability to export the data.
Benefits
✓ Email, Telephone and Live Chat Support are available. On Saturdays, for a few hours, you will obtain email and live support. This is a plus as most companies do not offer support on weekends.
Limitations
✓ It relies on Google Analytics for conversion tracking. It is ideal for a new marketer but as you advance you may need more data than the company provides.
✓ Information is sometimes hard to locate. For example, information about the free for life branding on your email was found in the Frequently Asked Questions page and not on the Free For Life page. Therefore, you have to read many articles to get a gist of what you will obtain as it is not as organized as many customers would have liked. Also, it is best to confirm with the support department that what you have read, is accurate as some of the Frequently Asked Questions information may not be current. There are videos, manuals, articles and tutorials available to guide you.
Pinpointe
The company was founded in 2008 and it is located in California. The website is www.pinpointe.com.
The price ranges from $49 per month to $898 depending on your number of subscribers. Subscribers range from 5000 contacts to over 200 000. You also have the option to pay-as-you-go where you pay per email that is sent with an unlimited number of contacts. The price for pay-as-you-go ranges from 25 000 emails at $245 to 1 million emails for $2850 If you only have a few contacts and will send out an occasional newsletter, it is best to use another ESP. Pinpointe is designed to handle heavy traffic. There is a 15-day free trial.
Benefits
✓ Interface is easy to use.
✓ You can use Google Analytics.
✓ The company gives suggestions on how to fix your emails to ensure that they will be viewed properly.
✓ Autoresponders and surveys are available.
✓ Tracking and Reporting are available.
✓ Marketers express that the customer support is very good. They have telephone chat, live chat, and email support.
Limitations
✓ You may spend more time learning Pinpointe than some of the other ESPs.
✓ As with many other providers, technical support not available on weekends. You can counter this by viewing the videos that are available on the site and YouTube.
✓ Customers have conveyed that there is a limited range of templates.
GetResponse
This company was established in 1999 in Poland and operated exclusively in Europe. Today it has offices also in the USA and Canada with users in almost 200 countries. The website is www.getresponse.com. The company has received many awards and in 2013 was given a Blue Ribbon Award by the USA Chamber of Commerce. The company has also received bronze, gold and silver awards for customer service training and video tutorials.
There is a 30 day free trial for up to 250 subscribers. The basic plan is $15 monthly for up to 1000 subscribers and up to $450 per month for up to 100 000 subscribers. There are Pro and Max packages which give you admission to the company’s webinars.
Benefits
✓ There is a 1 GB image storage. Users have access to over 1000 images in the company’s library.
✓ There is great reporting, from basic to advanced reports.
✓ Chat support is available all the time, which is an added bonus if you have challenges, especially on weekends. You can also contact support through an online form and there is a phone support on weekdays.
✓ There are many video tutorials, materials, articles and blogs which can be downloaded and you can have access to live webinars.
Limitations
✓ Advanced email marketing tools may cause you to feel overwhelmed as a new timer. However, you can contact their support teams to assist you.
✓ There are organized templates which are arranged in categories.
Constant Contact
The company officially started operation in 1998 in Massachusetts. Its origins can be traced to 1995. The website is www.constantcontact.com. Since 2008, the company has been listed on Deloitte’s technology Fast 500 list.
There are 3 plans. For up to 500 contacts, there is a plan that has a free 60-day trial. The Basic Plan Price can range from $20 per month to $295 a month, depending on the number of contacts. The Email Plus plan ranges from $45 to $295. The other plan ranges from $195 to $595.
In each category, the maximum number may increase depending on your volume of subscribers. For example in the Personal Marketer Plan, up to 50 000 subscribers cost $595 per month. If you have more subscribers, you will have to contact them for pricing. Depending on which plan you have, you will have various image storage. They offer webinars, and there are community forums, blogs, and articles to assist you.
Limitations
✓ It is more costly than other ESPs.
✓ Reports are basic and not as advanced and extensive as other ESPs. However if you are starting out this will be satisfactory.
✓ There is an additional fee for preparing and emailing surveys.
Benefits
✓ The company’s email support and telephone support are available for longer hours than other ESP on weekdays and they are available on weekends too. Live chat is available on weekdays.
AWeber
This company was established in 1998 and it is ideal for companies with smaller email lists who prefer to send many follow-up emails. The website is www.aweber.com and it is located in Pennsylvania.
There is a 30-day trial for lists with up to 500. Pricing plans range from $19 for up to 500 subscribers to $149 per month for up to 25 000 subscribers. Technical support is available by email, phone, and live chat.
Benefits
✓ The interface is easy to use.
✓ Follow-up autoresponders are available.
✓ They provide segmentation lists
✓ There is unlimited image hosting with access to over 6000 images.
✓ They provide good reporting.
✓ Chat support is available on weekends.
✓ There are informative articles, tutorials, live webinars and guides available.
Limitations
✓ More costly than others if you are on a budget.
Vertical Response
This company was established in 2001 and is located in California. The website is www.verticalresponse.com. They have received many awards throughout the years and was on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest growing companies for 8 years.
There are free plans. If you wish to pay as you go, you can pay according to the number of emails you send. Therefore if you only will send emails occasionally this is a better option for you. For example up to 500 000 emails cost 0.75 cents each. If you have less emails to send, there are various price ranges.
On the other plans, you can pay $11 monthly and up to $250 monthly depending on the number of subscribers. On the Pro Plan, you pay $16 monthly and up to $363 monthly. There are introductory price discounts available.
Benefits
✓ Reporting is good.
✓ Technical support is reliable and options include phone, email, and live chat. You can obtain email and live chat support on weekends.
✓ Video tutorials, articles, information on blogs and live webinars are available.
Limitations
✓ Depending on which platform you use there may be limits. VR2 one of its platforms does not have a media library. However, the Classic Plan gives you 25 MB storage and access to thousands of royalty-free images.
✓ Minimal features. For example, you won’t be able to wrap text around an image or use spell check. If you want more advanced features, use another ESP.
✓ No Spam Checker is available.
✓ No advanced segmentation lists is available.
✓ There are limited customization templates.
MailChimp
It is located in Georgia and was established in 2001. The website is www.mailchimp.com. There is a fee plan and two basic paid plans. For the free plan, you are allowed up to 2000 subscribers and can send up to 12, 000 emails per month. On the free plan there are no autoresponders, spam filter tools, or email testing. You will also have the MailChimp brand on your email.
The other plans are pay-as-you-go and monthly plans. You can pay from $0.005 - $0.03 per email, depending on the number of subscribers. The company offers additional services such as Social Pro a resource tool that can collect public data about your subscribers such as social sites, age and gender.
Benefits
✓ Unlimited image storage is free with every plan.
✓ It is simple to understand.
✓ There are many themes to choose from.
✓ Strong reporting is provided.
✓ The free plan is very popular.
✓ There is great segmentation on your paid plans and you can deliver emails by time zone.
✓ There are great add-ons and integration.
Limitations
✓ No telephone support is available. Other forms of technical support are available and also inquiries on their Twitter and Facebook page are answered quickly.
✓ If you are transferring lists there is a re-opt-in process in certain situations.
Company Checklist
Email Marketing Best Training Programs
Now that you are more knowledgeable about what is involved, you may consider marketing training. These listed will offer you a practical and enjoyable learning experience.
Online Marketing Institute
The website is www.onlinemarketinginstitute.org. You will learn the essentials of email marketing while learning about the latest trends.
Email Success Summit
Email Success Summit is a course that offers 7 phases of email marketing. Topics include developing your lists, traffic & lead magnets, copywriting, building relationships, campaigns, deliverability and profiting among other topics. You will obtain a free marketing pack and starter guide after which you can pay for the course. The website is www.emailsuccesssummit.com.
Lynda
The website is www.lynda.com. There are many email marketing courses with over 300 video tutorials.
Market Motive
The website is www.marketmotive.com and the course is designed to make you a proficient email marketer. Topics include email as a conversation, metrics, marketing automation, mailing lists and landing pages and working with an ESP.
Hubspot Academy
The website is academy.hubspot.com. After gaining knowledge from your training, you can become certified. There are various levels of certification.
MarketingProfs
The website is www.marketingprofs.com. It is established by a marketing professor and other professors share ideas and resources. They provide practical and hands-on experience.
Founder, CEO and Marketing Professor Allan Weiss, established it in 2000. He is a professor at the University of Southern California. He also taught previously at Stanford University.
Summary
When making your options consider whether the program is tailored to your needs. Some programs cater to small business owners whereas for others they cater for large companies. If you wish to track your success, find out what measurement the various companies use. Some training programs offer certification. You also have to factor in the cost of your program.