Email Marketing 101: Top Ten Reasons Why Your Email Marketing Sucks

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email marketing 101

When it comes to email marketing 101, you could probably find opinions on how to “do it right” all over the internet.

So I’m not saying this is the “Golden Key” and ignore everything else.

What I AM saying is these are what I personally believe to be super important…

And because I’m constantly training my coaching clients to be ultra different than everyone else so they stand out, you’ll see how all of these relate.

So, IF you’re not getting engagement (read: clicks, responses, etc) from people…I’m gonna bet there’s something in this email marketing 101 list that will help you:

Email Marketing 101 Top 10 Reasons:

#1 – you’re not talking to the right audience.

Ahem.  If you build a list of “names” to email, are they the right FIT for your business?  Source of prospects are super important.  It doesn’t matter how big or small your list.

What matters are the PEOPLE on that list.

What matters is the RELATIONSHIP with those people.

What matter is the RELEVANCY they have to what you offer.

#2 You’re BROADCASTING most of the time.

This means you’re just blasting your entire list of people with stuff (and “email blasting” as a verb is still used today).

So you might be asking me (yes, I can hear you 😉 ) why NOT broadcast?

That’s not what I’m saying.

What I AM saying is to broadcast to specific segments of your list about specific stuff.

There IS a place to broadcast to the ENTIRE list…but that’s when you’re giving valuable content and / or you want to have them segment themselves out by clicking on a link or something.

#3 You’re using a TEMPLATE

In other words, you’re boring.  They’ve seen it before.  You don’t have individuality.  This is especially true in industries like Real Estate.

Agents are sending out the same “newsletter” as the next agent.

No individuality.

copy – paste.

You wouldn’t take someone’s billboard and just swap out the contact info right?

#4 You’re boring

OK, so it’s kinda like #3, but I want to take this a bit further.

If you’re messages are always about “sell, sell, sell”…or they are just plain boring without any spice to ‘em, nobody’s gonna want to engage.

What’s spice?

How about some open loops?

Such as “Hey Joey, hope you like these 5 tips on keeping your carpets clean…

Tomorrow I’ll send you my favorite tip on how to remove the nastiest stains using a simple household fruit…”

Of course, for the sake of space, that was just a quick example, I’m sure you get the idea and can leave some open loops from time to time. (and by the way, I don’t know if you CAN remove  a nasty stain with a household fruit LOL)

#5 You’re ONLY SELLING

This one should probably be #1 on this email marketing 101 list…  But I didn’t promise these would be in order….did I?  (uh-oh)

Anyhoo…if ALL you’re doing is sending out emails that SELL, SELL, SELL…without giving pure value that is relevant to your customers…you’re not going to have engagement for very long.

#6 You’re not telling stories

Yea.  People love stories.

Stories will influence people to buy eventually.

Stories bring us together as a community

Stories ‘humanize’ you and your business.  People do business with people – not brick and mortar

Tell your customers / prospects about challenges, struggles and  resolutions you’ve discovered.

#7 You treat your customers as a commodity

Your email list have PEOPLE on it.

Not 10,000 names and IDS.

You have REAL people with REAL problems and challenges.

Identify with them – CARE for them enough to SOLVE their problems first and the money comes naturally.

Remember:  “people don’t care how much you know (or offer) until they know how much you care”  – John C. Maxwell

#8 Asking for too many actions

I see this A LOT.

Emails with TONS of information, links, pics, ads, directions, offers and so on.

If you're following along with my email marketing 101 tips, then each email should be about ONE thing you want them to do.

You can insert a few links in the email, but they all relate to the ONE thing you want them to do.

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#9 No SOS automation

SOS stands for Soap Opera Series (learned it from my boy Andre Chapron)

This is where open loops really come in handy.

You want to have some sort of automation built that keeps people engaged.

SOS is about delivering some really cool stuff over a few emails.

Those emails might last a few days…even a few weeks.

You can use them to have people engage and lead them up to a sale, or launch….

Or, you can have the SOS set up as a simple goodwill content campaign.

Sending out manual emails week to week is important…

But there’s usually not connection from email to the other.

And even though there’s a place for the manual “current event’s” email, SOS is equally important.

#10 They have a corporate ‘feel’.

Ever get an email that starts… Dear Joey / To Whom It May Concern…

That screams corporate all the way.

you’re not talking to your audience like a friend, or even human  being when you’re starting your emails with “DEAR”.

Who talks like that?

NO-ONE.

So “friend-up” :  “Hey Joey”  or even “HI Joey” is better than “DEAR Joey”.

Avoid being “buttoned up” in your communications because when you’re using corporate speak like Dear, Best Regards and so on, you’re unique voice is missing.

End your emails like you would end a live conversation.

“Talk to later”, “See you soon”, “Take it easy”  whatever it is you feel comfortable.

Of course, if you’re reading these email marketing 101 tips thinking “there’s NO way my boss, corp etc will let me write like this – I get it.  You’re already stuck in the “buttoned-up” world in my opinion…

And that sucks – because there are real people in those organizations.

I suppose this post is for the entrepreneurs, small business owners, marketers and free spirits who want to break free and really communicate with their prospects and customers.

Hope you liked it!

Let’s get a conversation going below on your thoughts about my email marketing 101 tips…

About the author 

Joey Ragona

Giving heart-centered entrepreneurs, experts, and coaches clear direction & simple next steps to market and grow your business and advance your mission.

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