A cautionary tale to help you avoid these mistakes in your email marketing. We’ve redacted the personal details as this isn’t about embarassing anyone, simply a heads up on some of the most common errors we see in marketing emails that we receive.
The body of the email being made up of one large image or only multiple small images
Most corporate email systems are set to block images by default and usually only load images from known or trusted senders, otherwise you see the familiar ‘missing image’ box-with-a-red-cross-inside. So, if your email is made up of one large image or multiple small images, the recipient will see nothing unless they actively download the images. Plus, a single large image is a red flag for spam filters. Always make sure your key message text is visible at the top of the email and your images complement that text.
Dear Generic
Mostly this happens when you’ve been added to a mailing list without your explicit consent and the first name field is required, so they just write ‘Generic’ to satisfy the system. Your email marketing is only as good as the data you’re sending your emails to. Love your data! Pay it lots of attention!
Insert your own company name here, we’ve really done our research
Taking “Dear Generic” one step further, this company claimed to have researched the recipient.
Just use a template
Did you press ‘send’ too soon by accident?
The irony of a stretched image
Always set both the width and height of your images in emails and account for the way in which Outlook handles formating differently than a browser.
Sandstar Communications manages email marketing projects for a number of clients, ranging from regular e-newsletters for opted-in audiences to lead generation and outreach campaigns using third-party rented lists. We understand the requirements of GDPR and best practices for deliverability. Our campaigns regularly achieve open and click rates above industry averages. Get in touch if you’d like to talk about email marketing for your business or organisation.