When it comes to email marketing, personalisation has become an expectation. But while customised email campaigns can dramatically improve engagement and conversion rates, there are numerous mistakes brands make that end up stunting their success.
At VerriBerri, we’ve worked with countless brands who came to us after struggling with underperforming campaigns. In this blog, we’re diving into five of the most common errors brands make when customising their emails and, more importantly, how you can avoid falling into the same traps.
5 Common Mistakes
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Using Outdated Data
The most important thing any brand can master with their email marketing strategy is building a list of engaged readers. Buying or using outdated data is not only unethical, but it’ll also mean time is wasted targeting the wrong people. Moreover, it breaks trust, increases your unsubscribe rate, and can land you in the spam folder.
How to avoid it:
- Avoid purchasing third party lists and focus on building your own. This can be done by adding a ‘join our mailing list’ feature to your website.
- Add an incentive for joining your newsletter to increase sign ups, such as ‘save 10% on your first order by signing up!’
- Regularly clean out your mailing list and remove any inactive contacts.
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Over-Personalising Your Emails
Ok so we know this is a blog about customised email campaigns but believe it or not, there is such a thing as ‘over-personalisation’. Adding too many details such as ‘We saw you clicked our red dress at 9:03 PM last night’ can make recipients feel uncomfortable. It’s invasive and may bring you under scrutiny around the rising data privacy concerns.
How to avoid it:
- Stick to relevant personalisation details, such as first names and past purchase categories.
- Focus on helpful customisation but nothing too specific.
- Be transparent about how data is collected and stored, providing peace of mind for your recipients.
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Focussing on One-Size-Fits-All Campaigns
Sending everyone the same message and hoping somebody listens is not only a waste of time, but it can also hurt your reputation. People only engage and stay subscribed to mailing lists that add value. By taking a blanket approach, engagement will plummet.
How to avoid it:
- Create segmented lists, separating groups based on their behaviour, demographics, and/or purchase history.
- Tailor your offers and subject lines to each group.
- Hire a specialist content marketing agency to help you understand your audience better.
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Neglecting Mobile Optimisation
Just because your customised email campaigns look great on desktop doesn’t mean they look the same on mobile. Over 60% of emails are opened on mobile devices and poor formatting can lead to instant deletion and unsubscribes.
How to avoid it:
- Use responsive design.
- Test across devices before launching a campaign.
- Work with a creative design agency to create templates that work for both mobile and desktop.
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Measuring the Wrong Metrics
Open rates and reach are important, but they certainly aren’t the only metrics you should be tracking. By focussing on these stats alone, you might think a campaign is working when it’s not actually driving conversions. Instead, make sure you’re also paying attention to email engagement.
How to avoid it:
- Track conversions and bounce rate. If your BR is high, your content isn’t resonating.
- Use A/B testing to experiment and learn more about your audience.
- Align KPI’s with your campaign goals.
Why You Should Work with an Agency
When you work with a full-service marketing agency like VerriBerri, you gain a strategic partner. Here’s what sets agency-led, customised email campaigns apart:
End-to-End Strategy
From initial audience research and segmentation to design, testing, and performance analysis, everything is aligned to meet your business goals.
A Design That Converts
Our in-house designers and copywriters craft custom templates and content that not only look great but are optimised for clicks and conversions. Every message is tailored to reflect your brand voice and resonate with your audience.
Data-Led Decisions
We track more than just open rates. We focus on meaningful metrics like bounce rates, CTR, and conversions so that we can continually refine your strategy for better results.
Ongoing Optimisation
We A/B test, monitor performance, and tweak your campaigns over time to ensure they evolve with your audience and the market.
Time & Resource Savings
Managing customised campaigns in-house can be time-consuming. We take the weight off your shoulders, allowing you to focus on running your business while we handle the execution and analysis.
Get In Touch Today
Want to see how our team can help you make some noise with customised email campaigns? For more information, get in touch with our team by clicking here and filling in our contact form. We can’t wait to hear from you!
01376 386 850 / [email protected] / www.verriberri.co.uk