You’ve spent hours crafting the perfect email campaign for your business. The design is flawless, the content is spot on, and you’re excited to see the results. You hit send, and all of that excitement is down the drain. You barely get any opens, a few clicks here and there and even worse, a handful of un-subscribers.

This is a scenario that so many businesses face. You put in all that effort, but the results just don’t match up. There are hidden pitfalls in email marketing that can make or break your campaigns. Let's explore them.

Poor Targeting and Segmentation

It’s not enough to just blast out a generic email to your entire list and hope for the best. Segmenting your email list is crucial because people are more likely to engage with content that’s relevant to them.

Let’s say you run an online clothing store. You wouldn’t want to send the same email to someone who’s bought men’s clothing before as you would to someone who’s only shown interest in women’s apparel, right? It only makes sense not to do that.

You can segment your audience based on factors like purchase history, browsing behaviour, and demographics. By doing this, you tailor your messages to meet their specific needs and increase the chances of conversion.

Overlooking the Subject line

The subject line is the first thing your recipient sees, and it often determines whether your email will be opened or sent straight to the trash. A good subject line should be concise, intriguing, and relevant. But there’s a balance to strike. Don’t make it too clickbaity, or you’ll lose trust.

Instead of a subject line that says, ‘Big Sale on Now!’, try something more specific like, ‘Exclusive 24-Hour Sale on Your Favourite Products!’

This not only adds urgency but also feels more personal and engaging.

Neglecting Mobile Users

Did you know that over 50% of emails are opened on mobile devices? If your emails aren’t optimised for mobile, you’re potentially losing half of your audience right off the bat.

Make sure your email design is responsive, meaning it looks good and is easy to navigate on both desktops and mobile devices. Use larger fonts, clear call-to-action buttons, and make sure your images load properly on smaller screens.

Sending Too Frequently or Infrequently

Sending too many emails can overwhelm your audience, leading to higher unsubscribe rates. On the other hand, sending emails too infrequently can cause your audience to forget about you.

It’s all about finding the balance in your sending frequency.

The key is to find a sweet spot that keeps your brand top-of-mind without being annoying. This could be once a week, bi-weekly, or even monthly, depending on your audience and the type of content you’re sharing.

Lack of Personalisation

Today’s consumers expect personalised experiences. A generic ‘Dear Customer’ just won’t cut it anymore.

Use your subscriber’s name, reference their past purchases, or suggest products they might like based on their browsing history. Personalisation makes your audience feel valued and understood, which increases the likelihood of them engaging with your content.

Not Testing Before Sending

Nothing is worse than sending an email to thousands of people only to find out that your links are broken, images don’t load, or there are typos.

Always send a test email to yourself and a colleague. Check that all the links work, the formatting is correct, and there are no spelling or grammar errors.

This extra step can save you from a lot of headaches.

If you’ve identified any of these as reasons why your email campaigns have not been doing so great, you might want to look into that and follow the tips shared. In no time, you’ll be on your way to running more effective and engaging email campaigns.