7 Common Email Marketing Mistakes (and how to fix them)
In this post, we’re breaking down the 7 most common email marketing mistakes and, more importantly, how to fix them.
Many brands make the same mistakes over and over again, hurting their deliverability, engagement, and sales, which costs them dearly.
1. The Laziest of all email marketing mistakes: Neglecting Your Subject Line
The Mistake: Treating the subject line as an afterthought or using generic phrases like “Check this out” or “Great deals inside.”
The Fix: Write your subject line AFTER the email is finished, never before. Keep it simple, but not too generic that people’s eyes glaze over. Always have an A/B test running too.
2. Failing to Segment Your List
The Mistake: Sending the same email to your entire list, regardless of subscriber behavior, preferences, or past purchases.
The Fix: Segment your audience based on demographics, purchase history, or engagement level. Tailor messages to each segment to make your emails feel more personalized and relevant. This is paramount to survive the iOS18 update. Learn more about that here.
3. Too Many CTA’s = Nothing Gets Done
The Mistake: Bombarding your subscribers with multiple calls-to-action (CTAs) in a single email, leaving them confused about what to do next.
The Fix: Stick to one primary CTA per email. Make it clear, concise, and easy to act on. If you must include multiple links, ensure they all lead to the same action or related content to avoid confusion. Don’t ask people to buy from you, follow your Instagram and wish you a happy birthday all in the same email.
4. Neglecting Mobile Optimization
The Mistake: Designing emails that look great on desktop but fall apart on mobile devices.
The Fix: Create desktop AND mobile versions of any emails you create. Over half of all emails are opened on mobile, so the extra work is worth it.
5. Lack of Personalization
The Mistake: Using generic content that could apply to anyone, anywhere.
The Fix: Personalization goes beyond just using the subscriber’s name. Use data like past purchases, browsing behavior, and preferences to tailor your emails. That way your subscribers know to never expect generic spam from your business.
6. Neglecting to Clean Your List
The Mistake: Continually sending emails to unengaged or inactive subscribers can hurt your sender reputation and deliverability.
The Fix: Regularly clean your email list by removing inactive subscribers or running re-engagement campaigns to win them back. A smaller, engaged list is far more valuable than a large, unresponsive one.
7. The Worst of All Email Marketing Mistakes: Overusing Discounts
The Mistake: Relying too heavily on discounts to drive sales, which can devalue your brand and train customers to wait for a sale.
The Fix: Use discounts sparingly and focus on providing value through content, product launches, and exclusive offers. Build a relationship with your audience that goes beyond just offering the lowest price.