We see people follow bad email practices all the time. And you know what? Doing the stuff we're going to talk about here holds you back from doing better and more effective email marketing and getting the results you want in your business. So are you ready to find out what the top email marketing mistakes you're making (and stop doing these things... yesterday?!)
SOME EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
(3:10) Our incredible Keap offer!
(6:16) Stop worrying about open rates.
(7:07) Why open rates are wrong.
(8:37) Stop using RE: or FW: in your subject lines.
(12:42) Stop making it difficult for people to unsubscribe from your list.
(14:16) Stop letting your subscribers down.
(16:00) Stop using misleading subject lines.
(17:13) Stop adding so many images to your emails.
(19:33) Why emails with lots of images have worse delivery.
(21:21) Subject line of the week.
Stop worrying about open rates
The first of the email marketing mistakes that a lot of people make is paying too much attention to open rates. Sure, this is a metric that all email marketing platforms share with you, and it's an obvious one to check.
But that number is wrong.
First of all, you probably assume that your open rate should be higher than it is. You see 34% and think it's rubbish, but actually, that's a really respectable open rate. So it's important to be realistic here.
But most importantly, open rates cannot be tracked properly, so they're just plain wrong! Some Android devices are already blocking the ability to track open rates, which means your emails are showing us unopened when they probably aren't. And on Apple, they’re being shown as open even if they aren't.
As more and more platforms like Apple iPhone release privacy updates that block that tracking even more strictly, the open rate metric you're looking at gets less reliable by the day. And you can't be improving a wrong number!
So let's go with this - open rates don't matter. Because you can't track them and you can't measure them, you can't work on growing them! It's like trying to follow a map with a blindfold on - you can't see the map or your feet! So pleeeeease stop obsessing over open rates.
(Oh, and by the way, yes you do want people to open your emails, read them, click on the link, and buy. So stick to the best practices that can help you improve your open rates. But forget about the number!)
Stop using RE: or FW: in your subject lines
Okay, everyone needs to stop adding a fake RE: or FW: in subject lines to make it look like the email was a reply or it was forwarded when it clearly wasn't. These things are dodgy, scummy, and dishonest. And by far this is one of the biggest and more damaging email marketing mistakes we see people make.
You see, stuff like this might trick people into opening your emails, but please can we all stick to doing things that are effective and ethical?
Let's remember that you want people to open your emails because they see your name popping into their inbox, they know who you are and are excited to read what you have to say. When our subscribers see emails coming from Rob//Email Marketing Heroes they know it’s going to be a funny, interesting story with a valuable lesson (and an offer) in it.
So let's stop trying to build relationships with people based on bullshit. We want to get people excited, show value, and make sales. But we don't want to lie to them and make them feel ripped off. Because trying to trick your audience into thinking they're already in a conversation with you by mimicking a real, transactional email is the kind of stuff that creates resistance around buying stuff online - and...
