The Top 3 Most Dangerous Email Marketing Myths, Busted!

At one time or another, we’ve all fallen prey to a bit of attractive misinformation. Whether passed along by a well-meaning friend or a misguided blogger, myths often originate from our most trusted sources. However, while some myths are completely harmless (aside from the nights you lost sleep after hearing alligators live in your city’s sewer), email marketing myths could cost you thousands in marketing dollars, decrease conversion and hurt your sender reputation.

Luckily we’re here to dispel a few of the most common myths so you can ensure you’re exercising the best email marketing practices.

MYTH #1: You Should Never Email Customers More than Once a Week

FACT: When it comes to managing email frequency, the amount of email you send depends on five key factors:

• Your company
• Your industry
• Your product
• Your subscribers’ level of engagement
• The types of emails you send

For example, a clothing retailer may find high levels of engagement from daily emails while a manufacturing company may enjoy healthier numbers from monthly newsletters. A service-based B2B company, on the other hand, may find it works best to send an email every time it publishes a new blog post and releases a new offer. To find your frequency sweet spot, experiment, review your data and, most importantly, give your customers control.

MYTH #2: List Cleaning Means Removing Inactive Email Addresses

FACT: While removing inactives is part of good email hygiene, there is much more to a fully cleaned database. For example, you need to identify whether an email address is truly inactive. Keep in mind that just because a subscriber hasn’t responded, it doesn’t mean his account is inactive. In some cases, he could be highly engaged-just not with your messages.

In this case, you should make an effort to re-activate him with a more engaging offer. Use your first party data and additional third party data to better match your content and offer to your customer’s lifestyle and interests. By personalizing the subject line, images, offer and even the tone of the email, you can successfully pique the interest of a previously inactive customer.

MYTH #3: If Your Emails Aren’t Responsive, You’ll Lose Your Mobile Audience

FACT: Considering your mobile customers is more important than ever. Regardless of your industry, a significant portion of your audience is reading your emails on a mobile device. Investing in responsive design is a smart way to ensure your subscribers can engage with your messages regardless of how they read their email.

But, it’s not the only option. For some businesses, especially those without their own team of in-house developers and designers, switching to a responsive platform may not be within the constraints of their budget. In this case, companies should focus on creating a more mobile-friendly experience by all means available.

As we’ve discussed previously, a more mobile friendly experience includes single-column designs, easy-to-tap buttons and clearer CTAs. These small changes will make a big difference to your mobile audience without sacrificing your desktop viewers.

These are just a few of the most common email marketing myths, but our friends and partners at Email Monks have a great infographic to clear the air on 15 more email myths. Be sure to check it out!