Five Email Marketing Mistakes You’re Probably Making Right Now
I’m guessing you’ve already heard why email is such a great marketing tool, but if you haven’t, let me give you the quick summary: in the words of the great Pat Flynn, “Email lists and websites are the only two things you can own on the internet. The rest is just rented.”
Social media algorithms are always changing, and we’re finding ourselves having to pay more and more to reach our desired audiences. Email is the way to be sure that you can contact your supporters directly, in a personal way, no matter what happens in the great wide world of Facebook and Instagram.
Email is a powerful tool, but unfortunately, I see a lot of organizations not using it to its full potential. Here are the top five mistakes I see many great people making with their email strategies, and my solutions for how to avoid them.
Mistake #1: Your newsletter sign-up option says, “Sign up for our newsletter.”
NOBODY wakes up in the morning thinking that today, the thing they really want is more emails in their inbox! Offer your supporters something of value. This is about them, not you. Invite them to join the movement, change the world, get a 10% discount, be a part of this community, etc. Here are three of my favorites.
If you sell something, offer a discount in exchange for an email address. From Plonk.com.
Political campaigns and grassroots organizations are some of the best at doing this! Invite people to be a part of something larger than themselves with inspiring language. From SierraClub.org.
Offer something of value, for free, in exchange for your supporters’ emails. From NetworkForGood.com.
Mistake #2: After I sign up for your email newsletter, I’m greeted with silence.
You convinced me, I want to join the movement! I’m in! I’m stoked about you right now! And in response, you….don’t seem to care? This is the best time to capitalize on my energy and enthusiasm for you. Send me a series of emails expressing your own enthusiasm to match mine. Warmly welcome me to the community, validate my decision, ask me about myself, draw me into your story, and, most importantly, keep offering me things of value. Send me a blog post you think I might like. Invite me to your next event. Give me another free resource.
You can completely automate these “welcome journeys,” and they’ll go a very long way in creating loyal supporters. You should especially do this for sales and donations; if I just gave you money, can you imagine how much love I’m feeling for you right now??
One of my favorites, from ChowNow:
And if I can let you in on a little-known fact: barely anyone is doing this right now. This will set you apart from everyone else. It’s your opportunity to shine!
Mistake #3: Your emails are trying to do evvvvverything.
If you are trying to give me 52 pieces of information at once, I will likely be overwhelmed and absorb none of it. Do I need to know that you have nine upcoming events and there’s a sale on your products right now and your CEO has a message for me and you were recently featured in a magazine? Nope. No I do not.
Stick with three pieces of information, maximum. Four if you must. Keep the layout clean. Remember that the average click through rate for emails is 1.5%. Meaning 98.5% of the people who read your email are not going to click on a single thing in it. The most you’ll get is a glance, so keep it simple!
Hipcamp.com is one of the best at this:
Mistake #4: You’re talking about you, not me.
You recently completed a project, you hired a new staff member, you had a meeting, etc. Why is this relevant to ME? Why should I care? Your email should not be a dry, dull report of what your organization has been doing. Make it relevant to your supporters. Add value for them. You didn’t accomplish anything, your supporters did. The most important word you can use in any email is the word “YOU.” If it doesn’t appear several times, your emails need to be rewritten.
One of the very best examples is from the Washington Post:
Mistake #5: Your email isn’t from a person.
We’re craving authentic human connection right now, absolutely starving for it. Send your email from an actual person on your team, and sign their name at the bottom. Even better: include their photo. Position your organization as approachable and composed of real people.
Also, note that your first battle with any email communication is convincing people to open it. People have just two pieces of information to consider when deciding whether or not to read an email: who it’s from, and what the subject line is. Using people’s actual names as opposed to business names can help boost those open rates!
An example I love from HubSpot (you’re so approachable, Jordan! Maybe I will email you my question):
Do you have questions about how to put this in action for your organization? Let’s talk! Pick a time to sit down with our digital marketing experts for an hour, free: https://www.the-purpose-collective.com/free-office-hours.
Which companies do you love to receive emails from? Why? Tell me in the comments!
