7 Email Marketing Myths Debunked

Is it an email marketing myth, legend or truth?

Is it an email marketing myth, legend or truth?

When it comes to email marketing, there are several myths out there that can really restrict or obstruct you from using the communication channel for marketing. We thought we would debunk those myths straight away and give you the real lowdown on what you need to know.

So here are the top seven myths and the truth behind them.

1. Consumers Are Overloaded With Emails From Trusted Brands

In reality this is far from the truth. Once you’ve removed the spam emails and messages from friends, families and co-workers, most people receive very few emails. Research has shown that 60% of consumers receive 6 or less emails per day from trusted brands, while 40% receive 3 or less per day. Bearing in mind that 78% of consumers prefer to receive news of offers via email, this isn’t such a high number.

Therefore, you shouldn’t be worried about starting email marketing. If your audiences trust you then they will want to receive your messages.

2. Purchases Happen Immediately

This is again completely wrong. Email marketing has a very high ROI and is the best for digital marketing. However, not all sales are immediate. While 85% of all emails are opened within 48 hours of the email being sent, only 21% of the purchases are made within this time. Instead, 32% of consumers make a purchase two weeks after the email was sent.

This does mean that you have to be patient to see the results of email marketing campaigns. Don’t instantly think it is going to be a flop just because no-one has bitten yet. Instead wait two or three weeks to assess the true impact.

3. Shorter Subject Lines Work Better

There are many who believe that the shorter the subject line, the better the response will be. This isn’t always true. While there is evidence to suggest that shorter subject lines, those with less than 60 characters increase open rates, there is also evidence to demonstrate that subject lines over 70 characters increase the click through rate.

So consider what is more important to each campaign. Is it that people read it or that they click through to make a purchase? Then use that goal to determine how long the subject line should be.

4. Personalisation Has No Effect

There is a lot of information out there to support that personalisation has a massive impact on the reaction of the audience. Just by mail merging the name into the subject line and within the content you make the reader think the message is personal to them.

At the same time, you can segregate your email marketing campaigns so that only the most relevant people receive the content. This can prevent subscribers from leaving your list because you’ve sent them something they don’t need.

5. List Maintenance Is Just About Clearing Bad Data

There are people who become inactive on your list. But not everyone who is inactive is going to be uninterested in your services for a long time. Approximately 20% of your openers may not have opened another message in the past six months. Also, some software doesn’t pick up a read if the recipient doesn’t download any images in your email. Therefore, list maintenance needs to include re-engagement campaigns as well as removing the ‘dead wood’.

6. There Is A Solid Best Time For Email Marketing

This is complete rubbish. There are times that are best for sending out content to your list, but it is clearly dependent on your list and the audience. In fact, there might be two best times to send emails to your list if you have two very specific demographics that you market to. An example of this would be job boards who have to market to employers and job searchers. Both groups are likely to have different prime times for sending emails.

Determine when the best time is for your business through solid A/B testing.

7. The More Emails You Send, The Higher The Subscriber Rate

There is no evidence to suggest that the more emails you send, the higher the unsubscribe rate will be. In fact, the opposite has been found. When you send more than four emails a month you can expect that there will be double the number of opens. Therefore, you have been given double the chance to sell your products and create more revenue.

Conclusion

There are many email marketing myths. Don’t believe them all. Instead do your research and find the true statistics, see the benefits of email marketing and find what works with your audience. Then you can see the true power of email marketing and what it can do for your business.

What other email marketing myths have you heard? Do you believe them?

Let us know in the comments below.

Tagged in: , ,


Post a Comment

What is Fluttermail?

Fluttermail is Email Marketing for small businesses. We are the fastest and easiest way to send beautiful emails and profit from the results.

Create a $1 Trial Account