12 Email Marketing Mistakes in 2023 & How to Avoid Them

It’s June 2023 and email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to communicate with customers. In fact, the email marketing sector has seen growth and is projected to reach an estimated $17.9 billion by 2027, making it one of the most profitable and valuable industries with a current value standing at $10.89 billion in 2023!

Many companies are already using email marketing as their main form of communication with their audience. But it's not just about sending out emails to your customers—it's about knowing how to craft those messages so that they'll actually get opened! 

We've listed some common mistakes people make when sending out campaigns to help you create better emails in 2023.

Avoid These Email Marketing Mistakes In 2023

Email marketing remains a valuable way to boost sales and brand recognition for small businesses and big companies. Email makes it cost-effective to reach an expansive audience. With the right strategy, that could lead to increased sales without incurring high costs.

That said, being an accessible marketing channel doesn’t make email marketing any easier to navigate. So we've listed some common mistakes people make when sending out campaigns here below.

Avoiding these email marketing mistakes in 2023 is important for several reasons:

• You can avoid wasting time and money on something that doesn't work.
• You can improve your strategy, website, and business overall.
• It will help you get more customers, which means more revenue and profit.

Relying Too Heavily on Images

Images are great for creating a strong brand identity and gaining credibility in your niche, however, they may also slow down the loading time of your email content. Images also take up a lot of space and may not load properly on mobile devices if they're not optimized for responsive design. 

Additionally, many people use ad blockers these days (and more will continue using them), which means that even if you have an image-heavy subject line or newsletter body text--or both--it won't show up until after they've clicked through to read it!

This means that while images might be great for branding purposes, they aren't always effective when the time comes to convert readers into customers or subscribers.

Not Having a Clear Call to Action

The most important part of any email is your call to action. It's what you want your readers to do, and it should be clear before they even get into the body of your message. The best way to ensure that there's no confusion about what they should do is to put it at the top of your email in plain sight with a text that reads: "Click for more information," or something similar.

This isn't just good practice for optimizing clicks; it also makes sure that any time someone reads an email from you, they know exactly where they stand. This means less time spent on back-and-forths trying to figure out whether or not someone has seen your CTA when assessing your email marketing campaign.

Not Segmenting Your List

Campaign Monitor reports that marketing experts who divide their email lists can experience a remarkable 760% rise in email marketing returns!

A mistake many marketers make is not segmenting their lists. Segmentation is a way of dividing your audience into filtered groups, so you can send the right message to the right person at exactly the right time. This allows you to:

• Personalize your emails based on who they are and where they stand for your business 
• Deliver content that's more relevant for each group of customers

Irrelevant Content For Your Readers

If you're sending emails to your readers and they aren't interested in what you have to say, then it's time to change something. The best way to avoid sending irrelevant content is by doing market research and making sure your emails have well-written copy. 

Don't send emails with content that doesn't interest your audience because it may soon end up in their spam folder or be deleted altogether.

If your goal is to get more people reading and interacting with your emails, then make sure each one has something valuable for them--and don't just assume that everyone cares about what you think is valuable!

Going Crazy With Graphics and Stock Photos 

One of the easiest ways to make your emails look unprofessional is by using stock photos. Stock photos are great for websites and blog posts, but not so much for email marketing. While it's tempting to grab an image that depicts what you're selling and send it off, there are a few things you should keep in mind before doing so:

• Your message should be clear without any extra help from a picture. If someone reads your email and still doesn't know what product or service you're offering, then there's probably something wrong with your copy!
• Stock images can be expensive compared to taking them yourself (especially if they require rights). You may think this isn't important since most people won't notice anyway. But news flash: they will notice! And when someone sees an image that was chosen without much attention to finer details, they’ll automatically assume that everything else about this company has been created on autopilot too--and why would anyone want anything from such an amateurish operation?

Crafting A Boring Email

You may be wondering, "What does a boring email look like?"

If you're a marketer and your emails are not getting opened or clicked, then chances are that they might be boring. Here's how:

• Too salesy: Your email looks more like an advertisement than something interesting. You should make sure that your emails don't come across as being too pushy or promotional. This is especially important if your list has grown organically through word-of-mouth referrals rather than paid acquisition channels such as Facebook ads or Google AdWords campaigns. In other words, people who have subscribed because they are excited about what you have to say will probably not appreciate receiving hard-sell messages every time they open their inboxes!
• Too formal: If you're sending out automated emails based on certain triggers (e.g., someone clicks on an offer), make sure these automated messages sound friendly and conversational rather than overly formal or impersonal. Additionally, don’t make such messages too long by beating around the bush.

Clogging Inboxes With Attachments

Don't attach too many files to your emails. Attachments are a pain in the neck for recipients, as they have to download them before opening up your message (and sometimes even then). Plus, many email providers will automatically block messages with attachments if they suspect them of being spammy or dangerous.

We also recommend replacing images with links instead of embedding them in HTML code. That way, people can click on those images without having to download anything extra!

Skipping Welcome Emails

Welcome emails are one of the things that’s most likely to stick in audience’s minds if done right. Why? Well, they help you build trust and announce the beginning of a relationship with your subscribers! They can even be used as a tool to get more subscribers.

If you're not sending welcome emails, then you’re missing the chance to properly introduce yourself and your email channel.

Bad Timing

Avoid sending emails during the morning rush, afternoon slump, and late-night lull. Don't send them on weekends, either; people tend to relax and unwind then, so they may not want any extra distractions in their inboxes. The bottom line is: Don't send your emails when most people are working or sleeping, because they're likely to ignore them.

We also recommend choosing your email sending time based on your subscribers' time zones. If you have a global audience, this is especially important because people might be more likely to open emails if they're sent at their local times and not yours.

Holiday emails should be handled with just as much care. It's tempting to think that the holiday season is a great time for marketers because everyone will be thinking about gifts (and therefore shopping). However, there's no guarantee that your audience will actually be checking their email accounts during this time of year; or any time for that matter. Many simply ignore their inboxes altogether until after January 1st rolls around again!

Forgetting Your Mobile Users

Your mobile customers are more likely to open and click on links, purchase, and be engaged with your emails.

Mobile users are on their phones almost all the time, so it makes sense that they'd be more likely to receive emails there. But what about other forms of content? You might think that an email is too much of a commitment for someone who's just scrolling through their Facebook feed or Instagram Stories. 

However, the truth is, if you want someone's attention long enough for them to read your message or view an image or video, an email will do the job better than anything else.

Not using autoresponders

Did you know that according to statista, 65% of marketers globally use automated email marketing?

Autoresponders are a great way to automate your marketing campaigns. they allow you to send emails automatically when someone subscribes to your list, or at any other time you specify. You can use them to answer questions and offer discounts or promotions, or even just remind customers about upcoming events and product releases.

Not Personalizing At All

Personalization is important. It's how you can make your emails feel more like an actual conversation, and less like a cold, impersonal mass mailing. Here are a few ways you can personalize emails without breaching your audience’s privacy.

• Use the customer's name in the subject line. This gives them an instant sense of familiarity with your brand and makes them more likely to open the email.
• Include location information. If you know where someone is based (for example, if they've provided their city or state), include it in your subject line so that when they see it pop up in their inboxes, they'll think "Oh! They know where I live!" It helps build trust between you and them, and trust is key when trying to convince people to buy from you!
• Personalize based on purchase history. If someone has purchased something from you before (or even visited one of your web pages), there's no reason why this information shouldn't be used. Leverage users’ data when sending out promotional emails about new products/services or deals available only for returning customers at specific times throughout the year.

Craft Winning Email Campaigns With JM&Co

After learning of some of the typical pitfalls to avoid, let's now take a closer look at one of email marketers' biggest challenges: not asking for professional support or recommendation. 

At JM&Co, we design emails that look great on any device, ensuring that your message gets seen no matter where your subscribers are checking their email. Our team will work with you to create a schedule that's appropriate for your audience and your business goals, ensuring that you're sending the right message at the right time.

By partnering with JM&Co, you can avoid these and other common email marketing mistakes, ensuring that your campaigns are effective, engaging, and successful. Simply contact us and we’ll take responsibility for all your marketing needs.

Not Making Mistakes But Your Email Click-Through Rates Are Still Going Down?

If you aren't making any of these mistakes and your click-through rates are still going down, it's likely because you're making some of these mistakes.

• You're sending too many emails.
• Your content isn't engaging enough or relevant to your audience.
• Your subject line doesn't appeal to readers' interests or needs--or is just plain boring (like "Here's our newsletter" or "Buy this thing").

With a little bit of planning, you can avoid these mistakes and make sure your emails are getting opened and read. Here are some things to consider:

Sending Too Many Emails Is Bad

Sending too many emails wastes your time and the recipients’.

You can't just send an email to everyone, every day and expect them to open it and read it. In fact, if you do that, your readers will probably mark your email as spam and never open another message from you again. It's also important not to overdo it when sending out newsletters or other marketing messages--you should make sure they're relevant and valuable before sending them out again!

Email Recipients Have Ad-Blocking Software Installed

Email recipients could be using ad-blocking software to avoid receiving advertisements. This is a problem because it means that your emails will not be seen by the person you're sending them to.

Ad-blocking software is installed on computers and mobile devices, and it prevents certain ads from displaying in web browsers and apps. This has become more common over the years as people have grown tired of receiving spammy or irrelevant advertisements in their inboxes. If someone has this software installed, they won't see any of your emails unless you take action against it!

Mobile Devices Have Limited Space For Messages

Mobile devices are great for sending and receiving text messages, but they don't have a lot of space to store emails. If you've ever had an iPhone or Android device with limited storage, then you know what we mean! Mobile devices often come with just 8GB of storage space, which can fill up quickly.

This means that people who have a lot of emails to read and send may have trouble finding space for all of them. If you're not careful, your email could be deleted before it has even been opened!

Conclusion

If you're worried about your email being deleted, then there are a few things that you can do to prevent this from happening. For example, try sending emails in smaller chunks so that your friends and family won't have to delete them as often. You can also use an app like Gmail or Outlook to send messages instead of using the default messaging apps on your device.

Email marketing is an ever-evolving field, with new tools and technologies emerging all the time. The key to success is staying on top of these developments and keeping up with new trends in your industry so that you don't miss out on any opportunities for growth.

At JM&Co, we understand the importance of email marketing for businesses of all sizes. That's why we offer a range of email marketing services designed to help you connect with your audience, increase engagement, and drive sales.

Our services include everything from crafting compelling messages to designing eye-catching templates and using advanced analytics to track the success of your campaigns. Contact us and we'll work with you to understand your audience and your business goals, ensuring that your campaigns are tailored to your specific needs.