Email marketing is one of the most reliably effective marketing channels there is—but that doesn’t mean it’s foolproof. Many small businesses invest in email and are unsatisfied with the return they get. This isn’t because email marketing is deficient; it’s because it requires a certain level of strategy in order for it to get results.

If your email marketing efforts aren’t working, that’s no reason to throw in the towel. Rather, it’s simply an indication that you need some fine-tuning to your approach. Here are a few potential reasons why your email marketing may not be working, and some recommended fixes.

Your Subject Lines Are Lackluster

The subject line is arguably the most important part of any email you send. It creates the first impression, and determines whether or not the rest of the message is opened. A bad subject line means your message falls on deaf ears, so here’s how to write a good one:

Be brief—seven words or less
Focus on value—what’s in it for your readers?
Avoid spammy-sounding words, like sale, free, percent off, etc.

You Haven’t Segmented Your Email List

Good marketing messages feel personalized. That’s hard to achieve when you’re sending a general e-blast to a massive, unsegmented email list. Instead, what we recommend is breaking your list of contacts into different groups, allowing you to find-tune your messaging to reach different members of your audience base. Use buyer personas to help determine how best you can break down your audience and individualize your messaging.

You Aren’t Offering Value

When considering a marketing email, always ask yourself this question: What value are you offering your readers? There should be some takeaway in each message—some benefit the reader gets just from opening the email. Discounts and sales promos can work, but so can actionable tips and insights. Just avoid sending emails that are entirely fluff.

Your Email Messages Are Too Long

Imagine that you received a 1,000-word email in your inbox—just a big, rambling block of text. Would you read it? Unless it was from a friend or family member, probably not. People just don’t have time for epic emails, so keep yours succinct and readable. A few short sentences, formatted with plenty of white space, is usually the way to go. Sometimes, 100 words or less will suffice.

You’re Selling Too Much

People don’t like to feel like they are being advertised to all the time. They don’t like to constantly be on the receiving end of a sales pitch. Your emails can sometimes be salesy in their nature, but you should also send emails that are simply informative or educational. Let your readers know what’s going on with your company or with your industry.

Your Goals Are Poorly Defined

Here’s a big one: You won’t achieve email marketing success if you don’t first define what success looks like. Are you trying to sell products directly? Generate website traffic? Or simply build customer loyalty? Make sure you know what you’re tying to do with your email marketing, and which metrics you’ll use to measure and quantify your success.

Take the Next Step with Email Marketing

As you endeavor to get better results from your email marketing, don’t hesitate to enlist a professional guide. That’s where Driven2020 comes into play. We know how important email can be, and also how to integrate it into the big picture of digital marketing. We’d love to help you develop an action plan for your brand. Reach out to Driven2020 today to learn about our growth-focused marketing services!

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What’s Wrong with Your Email Marketing?