7 deadly sins of email marketing that can backfire your campaign

This guide will cover the 7 deadly sins of email marketing and how you can make sure they don’t ruin your campaigns. So let’s get started!

Sending too many emails

If there is one thing that will get your emails flagged as spam, it’s sending too many messages. Spam filters are designed to detect bulk emails and send them straight to the junk folder—and unfortunately, it doesn’t take much to trigger them. Implementing a strong DMARC policy increases protection
against potential email-related issues.

Even if you do manage to get your emails delivered, too many in a short period of time can be very off-putting for recipients. So make sure to keep an eye on your send frequency and adjust it accordingly.

For those of you that tend to be email-happy, try setting up an automated drip campaign. This way, you’ll be able to ensure that your emails are sent at regular intervals, without overwhelming your contacts.

Not personalizing emails

Another deadly sin of email marketing is neglecting to personalize your messages. That’s because your customers want to feel like you are talking directly to them—so make sure to use their name, mention past purchases or interests, and provide relevant content in the body of the email.

In fact, an Experian study found that personalized emails had a 29% higher open rate and 41% increased click-through rates than non-personalized emails. Personalizing your emails is a must if you want to get the most out of your campaigns.

The good news is, most email marketing platforms make it easy to incorporate personalization into your emails. So take the time to do some research and find out how you can make your messages more tailored to each recipient.

Not including a professional signature

Including a business email signature is essential to any professional email. Your signature should contain your name, job title, company logo, and contact information. Not only will it look more professional, but it will also give your customers an easy way to contact you directly.

Failing to include even the most basic of email signatures can make your emails look sloppy and unprofessional—which is the last thing you want when trying to convince customers to buy from you.

Failing to follow up

In email marketing, failing to follow up is a huge mistake. These days, the competition for customer attention is fierce, so it’s important to remind them of your brand and give them a reason to keep coming back.

One way to do this is by setting up an automated follow-up sequence. This can be a series of emails sent at predetermined intervals, like a few days after someone makes a purchase or subscribes to your list.

These emails can include special offers, discounts, or even just a friendly reminder that you’re still there. With the right follow-up sequence, you can ensure that your customers feel valued and keep coming back for more.

Not segmenting your lists

Segmentation is the practice of breaking up your mailing list into smaller, more targeted groups. This way, you can send more relevant content to different customers based on their interests or preferences.

For example, if you sell tickets to music events, you might segment your list into fans of rock, hip-hop, and country music. This enables you to send more specific content that resonates with each group, instead of a generic marketing message.

On top of this, segmenting your lists is likely to boost engagement and increase the chances of customers taking action on your emails.  So make sure to take the time to figure out what kind of segmentation would work best for your business.

Failing to optimize your emails for mobile device

Mobile devices now make up a large portion of email opens, so it’s essential to optimize your emails for mobile. This means making sure that images display correctly and links are easy to click.

You should also consider using a responsive design template so that your emails look great on any device. This is especially important if you’re sending out newsletters or promotional emails, as a good design can make all the difference in how your messages are received.

Failing to do this could lead to a poor user experience, which could hurt your open and click-through rates—so make sure to optimize for mobile before sending out any further campaigns.

Not testing before you send

No matter how well you craft your emails, it’s important to test them before they’re sent out. This will help ensure that the message looks the way you intended and that all of the links work properly.

Most email marketing platforms have testing options, so make sure to use them before sending out any emails. This will save you a lot of time and frustration in the long run, as it’s much easier to catch small errors before they get sent out to your entire list.

After all, there is nothing worse than sending out an email to thousands of email subscribers only to find out later that it contains a glaring error.  So make sure to test, test, and test some more before sending out any emails.

Conclusion

From making sure to include a professional email signature, segmenting your lists for more targeted campaigns, and optimizing for mobile devices, following these best practices will help ensure that your email marketing efforts are successful and that your customers stay engaged.

Determine the type of business that you have

Before you push through with business registration, you need to identify the kind of business that you have. Here are the three main business structures and their characteristics. 

Sole proprietorship

If you own 100% of your enterprise, you may apply for registration under the Sole Proprietorship category. Sole Proprietorship is ideal for those starting a business for the first time, as it’s easy to establish and cancel and inexpensive to start. Moreover, the business registration is active for five years and renewable.

Partnership

Business partnerships can take on a variety of structures. For instance, a general partnership can be built between two or more people who hold equal shares and liabilities within the company. Meanwhile, those in a limited partnership setup can either be a general or a limited partner.    

Before processing your application, it’s essential to determine the type of partnership you have in your enterprise, as it will also affect other aspects. It includes taxation and the authorization required from the owners to push through with the registration. 

Trade name

Business owners also have the option to register a Trade Name, allowing them to operate a secondary business name. Essentially, it’s owned by either an existing incorporated business or a registered corporation in the Province of Ontario.  

Many opt to operate under a Trade Name for various reasons. For one, they can use their Trade Name for advertising without the legal ending, such as Incorporated or Limited.

Decide on a business name

You’ll need a unique business name to distinguish your company from other companies. Also, you need to avoid using a name already associated with another business. If you use your name as a business name, you won’t be required to register. However, if your company name includes your name and another element that’s not included in your legal name, then registration is required.   

There are other restrictions when applying for a business name. These restrictions include names with obscene or malicious tones, individual names that the business owner does not own, words that imply an association with the Federal government and its associates, and some non-Alphabetic symbols or characters.   

You’ll also need to verify if the business name you wish to use is available to avoid infringement. For instance, you can conduct a New Updated Automated Name Search or NUANS to see if other companies are using the business name you want to use or similar terms.  

If an incorporated business within your jurisdiction is already using your proposed business name, you can no longer proceed with registering a Business Name Registration under that name and will need to choose a different name that is available. 

Submit the required information

Here are the details you’ll need to submit to proceed with your business registration in Ontario:  

• Your chosen business name  
• Business address or principal place of business in Ontario  
• Owner’s name and address   
• Nature of business   
• Authorizing the person in charge of the application procedures  

The Canadian government also requires business owners to indicate the NAICS code applicable to the nature of their business. The government uses the North American Industry Classification System or NAICS to classify business establishments, which is why you’ll need to put this code in your application form.   

You can browse the NAICS 2022 manual or other versions from previous years to determine the correct code for your business.   

Finalize your registration

Once registered with the Ontario Government, you’ll be issued a Business Identification Number (BIN). Your registration is valid for five years after it’s finished, and you’ll need to file for renewal after the said period to keep your registration active.

Amendment of business name

However, amendments are only limited to the three details mentioned above. It means you’ll be unable to change the owner or business name on file. You’ll have to apply for a new registration if you need to change these details.   

Conclusion

After you’ve completed the registration process and received your BIN, you’ll have to stay updated with the regulatory requirements per specific period to maintain your business status and keep a good record. In Ontario, you’ll have your business registration active for five years, and the renewal should be done within the first 60 days after its expiration. If you miss the deadline, you’ll have to complete your registration as a new application.   

An overview of SMS marketing

Short message service (SMS) marketing is the process of sending adverts to customers by text message. It’s another term for text message advertising. You can use this strategy to communicate time-sensitive offers and updates.  

You’d want to invest in SMS marketing for various reasons. For one, creating and sending messages doesn’t generally require investment in expensive tools. You can even use your personal phone to deliver promotional messages to customers. Essentially, this approach can provide you with a convenient and cost-effective way to market your business and engage with your customers.

In addition, today, most people use mobile phones to communicate. Therefore, leveraging the power of SMS marketing enables you to connect with a vast audience, increasing your chances of generating more leads. Another benefit of SMS marketing is that it has a higher open rate than most other promotional options. Therefore, more people will view and consume your content, boosting your conversion rate.

While that’s the case, your SMS marketing won’t be as effective if you’re going to disturb your clients with promotional messages. Irritated clients will likely ignore or opt not to respond to your messages. Fortunately, you can leverage the power of ringless technology. Ringless technology allows you to deliver pre-recorded messages to customers using a non-intrusive method and the friendliest delivery model. In this approach, clients have the option to open your messages when it’s most convenient for them, enhancing customer responses. 

As a good start, you can check out Drop Cowboy Ringless Voicemail or any similar service provider to aid you in exploring SMS marketing.

Tips for leveraging the power of SMS marketing

If you’ve decided to invest in SMS marketing, here are some effective tips to ensure success.  

Know your clients

One of the great strategies to build an effective SMS marketing strategy is to know your customers. That’s true since you can only personalize your marketing messages or pitches by getting to know your target audience. As such, you can enhance the customer experience to generate more leads. 

Among the best ways to know your customers is to utilize customer relationship management (CRM) software. It enables you to know and gather information like your customers’ interests, purchase patterns, age brackets, and where they live, to name a few. From there, you can segment your target audiences for targeted promotions. You can use tools like Power Dialer to send bulk messages if you’re targeting many clients. It’ll help you to save time and money. You can also use such technology to streamline other telephone operations.

Build an SMS marketing team

Connecting with many customers via text messages may require you to be hands-on since you’re likely to be on the phone or computer distributing messages and responding to clients. Therefore, you might not get enough time for other tasks. This is where creating a dedicated team to focus on and manage various SMS marketing activities can come in handy.

Some of the specialists you can hire for your team include a social media expert, a digital creative designer, and a marketing professional. On the other hand, you can also opt to partner with marketing agencies to seek proper assistance when implementing SMS marketing strategies.

Always include calls to action in your SMS campaigns

The primary purpose of any marketing campaign is to allow clients to engage with your content. The same applies to SMS marketing. When more people engage with your messages, the more they consume your content, which goes a long way in boosting the visibility of your brand.  

One of the best ways to ensure customers engage with your messages is to include clear calls to action. This involves adding a small phrase or link to your texts to encourage clients to take desired actions, like visiting your website to make a purchase or subscribing to the service your business is offering.

Respond to customers in real time

Once you message customers, you’re forming personal connections with them. And when they respond, it means they’re interested in your business. It, therefore, makes perfect sense to respond to them.

However, you must respond in real-time. A delayed response could negatively affect customers’ experience, and most may consider finding assistance elsewhere. Therefore, ensure you promptly respond to clients’ concerns and give them valuable feedback. 

Conclusion

Whether you’re a startup or your company has been operating for a while, investing in SMS marketing can be beneficial. It enables you to connect with many clients in no time. You can consider the tips above to leverage the power of SMS marketing for your company.