Data-driven 10X Digital Marketing
Breaking the email inbox barrier isn’t easy. Your message has to compete with meeting invites, product promotions, and family newsletters—but when you get it right, it’s a direct link to your consumer. There’s no silver bullet to securing an open, but there are guidelines that can set you up for success. Here are the common mistakes digital marketers make when designing their targeted email marketing campaigns and how to fix them:
Mistake #1: Sending to the Wrong Audience
Audience segmentation and persona research are key to any successful email marketing campaign. If you don’t know who you need to talk to (and what they’re interested in), you won’t know what to say. Audience segmentation will help you divide your audience into smaller groups, making it easier to send targeted messaging to each sub-group.
Mistake #2: Poor Visual Formatting
Design according to the message you’re trying to convey. For example, your audience will likely expect more intricate formatting, images, and button CTAs from a newsletter. In a sales email campaign, your designs should feel organic and mimic day-to-day email design.
Mistake #3: Ignoring Poor Email Reputation
Did you know that your emails may be left undelivered or sent to spam, just because of your online reputation? Spam triggers, low domain authority, failed authentication, low engagement, or off-target sends can all affect deliverability. Keep in mind that factors outside of the email you send can impact how it arrives.
Mistake #4: Using the Wrong Send Cadence
If you bombard your audience with too many emails, you’re bound to get blocked. The cadence at which you send emails can impact your likelihood of opening. In contrast, a single email without a follow-up might get buried in an inbox, even if the recipient had intentions of opening it. Your targeted email marketing campaign should balance regular communication and boundaries with your audience.
Mistake #5: Forgetting About Mobile
Based on research from eMailmonday, roughly 26 percent to 78 percent of all emails are opened on a mobile device, depending on the industry and behaviors of the target audience. If you forget to account for mobile design limitations, you may deter audiences from consuming your content.
Mistake #6: Putting Misguiding Sender Names
Many emails will be ignored or put into spam if the sender seems suspicious. Many digital marketers make the mistake of leaving a “DoNotReply” email as the sender or reply-to address. This deters your audience because they don’t have a sense of who they’re communicating with. If the message can’t come from a specific sender, consider using an email with a simple structure like “hello@companyname.com” or “newsletter@companyname.com” as a replacement.
Mistake #7: Forgetting the Metrics
It’s easy to want to click send and walk away, but if you’re not carefully watching your email metrics, you won’t have an opportunity to learn. Email data is helpful to digital marketers and content creators because it shows what messaging is resonating with their audience—and what needs to pivot.
Mistake #8: Sending Without Personalization
Some personalization is clear: an in-text tag in the subject line with the recipient’s name is common (and effective, too). There are other ways you can add personalization into your emails, and by adding targeted body copy or industry-specific imagery, you increase your chances of getting an open email.
Targeted Email Marketing Done Right
Do not get caught up in the small mistakes of email marketing. Focus on delivering high-quality content to the right audience in the right format. If you’re ready to build out a content marketing strategy with your email campaigns, the team at 10x digital is here to help.