Identify and Fix Email Marketing Problems
Email marketing problems can be challenging, especially when you're new to the whole idea.
Hopefully, I can help you identify and fix the most common problems.
First, let's identify the most widely experienced email marketing problems:
1) Low Delivery Rate - If your message isn't getting through, you're dead in the water.
2) Low Open Rate - If they don't open it, they can't read it. Dead in the water, again.
3) Low Click Rate - Once they open it, if they don't take action ... you know the drill.
4) High Unsubscribe Rate - This could be the sign of another bad issue we'll go over.
Fortunately, each of these problems has a fairly simple solution.
Low Delivery Rate: The solution here is to make sure you are only sending your email to people that actually want it. Use a double opt-in system to confirm that subscribers actually want to be on your list is a great way to build a clean list. Your subscribers asked to be on the list and confirmed their interest. That's a targeted and responsive lead.
Low Open Rate: Now that you have subscribers on your list, the next thing to track is your open rate. How many people are actually opening the email you send? This one requires a little bit of art and science to get it right. Let's start with the science. Track your open rates. If you've got a good open rate, you're set. But you probably want to pull in a bit of the "art". Personalize your subject lines. Make sure the subject line is relevant to the offer AND creates more interest. Then ... back to science: Track the open rate with the changes in place.
This process will go on throughout the life of your campaigns. Keeping that open rate high is critical to your success.
Low Click Rate: Your message is getting delivered. It's being opened. Next, we need to track the click rate. In other words, do your readers click through to your actual offers? The click-through rate may be a matter of placement, your call to action, layout, etc... The idea is to put yourself in the place of your email readers. The role of our content and call to action is to get the reader to click through from that email to your offer. There have seen cases where a single word change in your call to action can have a dramatic impact.
High Unsubscribe Rates: If you are seeing a lot of readers unsubscribe from your emails, you will want to check a few things. Is the content you are sending on target? Is the reader getting the information they expected from you? Is your content adding value or just pummeling readers with sales pitch content and hype?
You want to be sure you are actually building a relationship with your readers. They are more likely to buy from you once they feel they know, like, and trust you.
Consider segmenting your list based on actions, interests, tags, etc.. This helps make sure your content is relevant to your readers.
The Good News Is: Each Of These Email Marketing Problems Is Fixable
Email Marketing isn't perfect. But if you identify your email marketing problems, know the solutions to fix them, and are ready to test those fixes, all you have to do is get started and follow through.
Commit to the principle of ABT: Always. Be. Testing. Your results will be reflected in how well you use this strategy.
Hopefully, I can help you identify and fix the most common problems.
First, let's identify the most widely experienced email marketing problems:
1) Low Delivery Rate - If your message isn't getting through, you're dead in the water.
2) Low Open Rate - If they don't open it, they can't read it. Dead in the water, again.
3) Low Click Rate - Once they open it, if they don't take action ... you know the drill.
4) High Unsubscribe Rate - This could be the sign of another bad issue we'll go over.
Fortunately, each of these problems has a fairly simple solution.
Low Delivery Rate: The solution here is to make sure you are only sending your email to people that actually want it. Use a double opt-in system to confirm that subscribers actually want to be on your list is a great way to build a clean list. Your subscribers asked to be on the list and confirmed their interest. That's a targeted and responsive lead.
Low Open Rate: Now that you have subscribers on your list, the next thing to track is your open rate. How many people are actually opening the email you send? This one requires a little bit of art and science to get it right. Let's start with the science. Track your open rates. If you've got a good open rate, you're set. But you probably want to pull in a bit of the "art". Personalize your subject lines. Make sure the subject line is relevant to the offer AND creates more interest. Then ... back to science: Track the open rate with the changes in place.
This process will go on throughout the life of your campaigns. Keeping that open rate high is critical to your success.
Low Click Rate: Your message is getting delivered. It's being opened. Next, we need to track the click rate. In other words, do your readers click through to your actual offers? The click-through rate may be a matter of placement, your call to action, layout, etc... The idea is to put yourself in the place of your email readers. The role of our content and call to action is to get the reader to click through from that email to your offer. There have seen cases where a single word change in your call to action can have a dramatic impact.
High Unsubscribe Rates: If you are seeing a lot of readers unsubscribe from your emails, you will want to check a few things. Is the content you are sending on target? Is the reader getting the information they expected from you? Is your content adding value or just pummeling readers with sales pitch content and hype?
You want to be sure you are actually building a relationship with your readers. They are more likely to buy from you once they feel they know, like, and trust you.
Consider segmenting your list based on actions, interests, tags, etc.. This helps make sure your content is relevant to your readers.
The Good News Is: Each Of These Email Marketing Problems Is Fixable
Email Marketing isn't perfect. But if you identify your email marketing problems, know the solutions to fix them, and are ready to test those fixes, all you have to do is get started and follow through.
Commit to the principle of ABT: Always. Be. Testing. Your results will be reflected in how well you use this strategy.
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Brian Rooney, CEO
TrafficWave.net Email Marketing AutoResponders
Email Marketing Blog