A big part in running a successful business is staying in contact with your customers! It’s important to establish and tighten the bond with your customers, as they are a huge part of the success. It’s all about keeping the balance between letting your customer know that you are there and not being overbearing – you don’t want to drive them away. The most common way you can do this, is by emailing them, but at the same time this method is rattled with misconceptions. So here are top 7 email marketing myths you should ignore!
1. Email marketing is outdated
Some people want to preach how email is dead – especially when it comes to building a tight bond between a business and the customers. But in all actuality, email is still the most accessible tool you can use to stay connected to these people. And not only that a great bonus for emails is the fact that people can contact you directly! Having an auto reply is such a good way to cut time and to establish a contact with the customer no matter how early or late it may be! So no, emailing is not going anywhere any time soon!
2. Inactive users aren’t valid
People who are on your email list who haven’t responded more than 6 months are kinda considered inactive, but then again not every customer is willing to interact. This doesn’t mean that they are not getting the content, it’s just that they simply didn’t have the time to dabble in it! So don’t kick people off from your mailing list and still share your content with them!
3. You are annoying the customers
A common misconception is that businesses are annoying and spamming their customers with emails. While this might be true in some cases, people actually don’t mind the emails, especially if they are interested in your business. Your emails are not directly going to spam, lots of people enjoy this so it shouldn’t be your concern!
4. Shorter form is better
The smaller your emails are the better! While in some cases people prefer short and sweet messages that go straight to the point, some people much better prefer those that go in depth about the given topic. But you need to remember that people are nowadays using more smartphones than desktops, it’s important to note that being mobile friendly is key in reaching more people, as more people are likely to read emails on their phones, So the site isn’t inherently important, but rather the format of the email itself.
5. Keeping a formal tone in the email
As a business, you want to be taken seriously, right? Sure you do, but sometimes it’s better to take a more casual approach when writing an email to your customers. Being super serious and monotone is in most cases off putting, especially if you are talking about sales, bonuses, new products or anything that should spark interest and joy to a customer. So try to be balanced between being formal and respectful and being witty and using slang!
6. Unsubscribing in inevitable
Why send emails when no one is going to read them in the first place right? Well, not exactly! Customers who truly like your company and like to hear what your brand has to say, are not going to unsubscribe from your emails that easily, Even if you technically do spam them, chances are they would just ignore the email and not interact if they don’t feel like it. This is totally fine, some customers are just a little less active than others, so don’t think everyone is unsubscribing because your company is not good – keep sending emails!
7. Thursdays are the best for emailing
Probably one of the funniest misconceptions is that certain days and hours are best for sending important emails. Sure, there is a bit of logic in this, as most people look at their email from 9 am to 13 pm, but that’s also pretty subjective, as some much prefer to look at their emails before bed. Since we can’t predict the time that’s best for emailing, the fact that Thursdays are the best day to send an email is totally false. There is not an exact day or hour you should send emails on, as many people don-t even open them right away! It’s all way too personal to be predicted!
At the end of the day, you just want to promote new items and let your customer know that you are there for them, you don-t want them to forget that your company exists! It can be tricky to establish a long lasting connection, especially online, but having a trustworthy customer base is a great recipe for a successful business!
By: Luke Stanton
Luke Stanton is a freelance writer currently focusing on small business and the obstacles that entrepreneurs face during initial expansion.
