Email, even to this day, continues to be our primary means of communicating with our audience. Because of this, it is more important than ever to make certain your brand is reflected in every email that is sent.
Unfortunately, we (marketers as a whole) seem to be getting worse rather than better when it comes to email etiquette.
Each day, over 200 billion emails are sent and received around the world. Those of us residing in the US spend an average of 6.3 hours on email a day. That’s the majority of an 8 hour work day. This coupled with the constant flow of content from other sources, such as social media, it’s no wonder that we have become email fatigued and lazy.
To help drive the point home a little more, here are a few common email mistakes that should be avoided.
- Vague Subject Lines: We all typically scan our inbox by first looking to the sender then to the subject line. From there we make our choice to open the email or trash it. This makes your subject line a critical piece of your email correspondence. You should clearly describe the purpose of your email, giving them ample reason to want to click the “open” button.
- Lacking Introductions. Very likely the recipient receives countless emails each and everyday, and may very well not remember who you or your brand are. With that being said, they are very unlikely to go search out who you are either and simply trash your email. This can be avoided if you provide a brief introduction of yourself and brand.
This goes doubly for your message body. Make certain the recipient is clear on the course of action you are desiring them to take.
- Crying Wolf Too Often. Avoid using words of “urgency” on each and every email that leaves your console. The only topics that qualify as urgent are quickly approaching deadlines, such as the end of a promotion.
- Sketchy Links. With the growing awareness of cyber security challenges, hyperlinks, unknown website links and shortened URLs can create an uncomfortable feeling for your readers. Be straight up and include the full link for them to consider, and never include links to improper or compromised websites.
- Ignoring proper grammar. Emails are a reflection of you and your brand, so failing to proofread and do a simple spell check for every email that you send will likely tank your brand’s name. Take the 2 minutes and spellcheck and proofread every single email that leaves your console.
Email is certainly not dying or dropping out of toolbag anytime soon, which means we need to continue to stay on our toes. Practice a few good habits and adhere to common sense mail etiquette to avoid being filtered into your reader’s junk bin. Or worse yet unsubscribed all together
