5 common email marketing problems and how to solve them
Even with our best efforts, our email campaigns don't always work as well as we'd like them to. We occasionally struggle to maintain audience interest and observe with mild astonishment as our engagement metrics drastically decline.
Even worse, we send out email after email only to find that our cherished material isn't reaching our hard-earned subscribers—instead, it's ending up in the spam bin.
Numerous moving components in email marketing must be monitored and optimized, posing several difficulties. Some of these difficulties are well-known to many of us.
Thus, in this article, we examine some of the most typical issues with email marketing and offer solutions.
Problem #1: My email campaigns are going to the spam folder
Solution #1: Verify your domain
Solution #2: Set up double opt-in or send a welcome email
Problem #2: My open rates are declining
Solution #1: Segment your list
Solution #2: Clean your mailing list
Problem #3: No one’s clicking the links in my emails
Solution #1: Personalize your emails
Solution #2: Optimize your CTAs
Problem #4: My mailing list isn’t growing quickly enough
Solution #1: Use psychology in your opt-in forms
Solution #2: Promote your newsletter on other channels
Problem #5: I don’t know what’s happening on my website post-click
Solution #1: Use Google Analytics to keep an eye on engagement
Solution #2: Use UTM codes to track campaign performance
Problem #1: My email campaigns are going to the spam folder
You put a lot of time into creating an email campaign— ensuring the design is just right and setting it up to be sent out. But then you find out that many of them ended up in your recipient's junk folder.
This happens a lot because email services like Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo keep making their spam filters stricter. Sometimes, they might be a bit too strict, trying to keep inboxes clean.
Luckily, there are some ways to fix this.
Solution #1: Verify your domain
If you're committed to email marketing, it's important to use your email domain. While it might be easier to use a free email address from Gmail or Yahoo, this can reduce the frequency with which your emails reach people's inboxes.
This happens because internet service providers (ISPs) are cautious about large numbers of emails coming from these free services. Since they can't verify the domain, so they often label these emails as spam.
Using your own verified domain is the best way to go. Buying a domain is simple and quite inexpensive. It's also very important if you have a website. After you get your domain, setting up email for it is just as easy.
Once you've done those two things, the next step is to verify your domain in your email marketing tool. This usually involves updating the DNS records on your website, and your email marketing tool will give you instructions on how to do that.
Solution #2: Set up double opt-in or send a welcome email
If the first email you send to a new subscriber goes directly to their spam folder, it's not a good sign for future emails.
But, there are some steps you can take to ensure your emails are added to the 'safe senders' list.
One way is to use double opt-in. This means new subscribers need to confirm their subscription by clicking a link in an email sent to them right after they sign up. They will expect this email and usually check their inbox to complete the process.
Today, people are good at using technology and know to look in their junk folder if they don't see an email they were expecting. Your confirmation email can be marked as "not spam," moved to the inbox, and interacted with—by having the subscriber click the confirmation link.
These steps help guarantee that future campaigns reach the inbox by letting ISPs know that your emails are reliable.
Welcome emails can do the same thing. Up to 74% of customers anticipate receiving a welcome email when they join a mailing list. So, if it's not in their email, they'll know something's wrong.
Additionally, you can ask subscribers to add you to their list of safe senders in your welcome email. Which will ensure future success in terms of deliverability.
Both of these strategies help you develop a list of subscribers who are engaged right away, which further increases email deliverability.
Problem #2: My open rates are declining
We've all been there. We've written many versions of a subject line, chosen the best one, and sent out our campaign, sure the audience will love it.
But they don't. Because most of them didn't even open the email.
And week by week, you see your open rates getting lower.
But don't lose hope. This is a chance to change your approach. Falling open rates often mean that people are losing interest in your messages. Luckily, there are some ways to fix that.
Solution #1: Segment your list
No matter how good your subject line is, if the topic doesn't interest your audience, it won't work. When you send emails to a big list, only a few people on that list might find each email interesting.
That's why dividing your contacts into groups is important for email marketing. This lets you put people together based on things they like or who they are.
For example, if you write about food, you can group your contacts by their eating habits – vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and so on.
With this data, you can send more relevant emails to these subscribers – emails they’re more likely to read. For example, a vegan subscriber wouldn’t be interested in your “best BBQ ribs” recipe. So, they’d delete your email without even opening it.
However, if you send vegan subscribers tasty meat-free recipes, they’ll be more likely to open your emails. This is because they know your emails are relevant to them.
This is just one way to effectively divide your audience. Depending on your business, there are many other ways. Location, gender, and age are other examples.
Solution #2: Clean your mailing list
The longer you keep a mailing list, the more subscribers you'll lose. But it's not just those who unsubscribe.
The issue is that, over time, subscribers might lose interest in hearing from you. Instead of unsubscribing, they might delete your emails or, even worse, mark them as spam.
To protect your email reputation and boost engagement, it's a good idea to remove these subscribers. If they haven't opened any of your emails in the past three to six months, it's time to let them go.
You can begin by sending a re-engagement campaign. This means you ask inactive subscribers if they still want to receive your emails. It gives them one last chance to let you know they're interested.
If you don't get any response, it's time to remove them from your mailing list. This may appear to be a large effort, but successful email marketing requires a focus on quality rather than quantity. A smaller list of highly engaged subscribers is better for your business than a larger list of less engaged ones.
Problem #3: No one’s clicking the links in my emails
In addition to open rate, click rate is another important measure in email marketing. Usually, an email campaign aims to guide your subscribers to your website, where they might buy something or ask for a service.
However, for this to occur, they must click on the links in your email.
So, if your click rates are dropping, it will affect your broader business objectives. This includes increasing sales or attracting new customers.
But don't worry, there are some steps you can take to improve the situation.
Solution #1: Personalize your emails
Here is an email sent by Airbnb to their subscribers who are currently in Berkeley helping them discover nearby events.
Lower click rates, like falling open rates, indicate that subscribers are losing interest in your material. However, when the content is customised, interest rises.
Here's where personalization comes into play.
Personalising your emails is as simple as including the subscriber's name in the subject line.
It can also be more advanced, like adjusting the content to match each subscriber's specific likes or actions.
But the more advanced personalization is what will boost your click rate. And this is where segmentation, our second solution, becomes important.
If you can divide your mailing list based on preferences, you can send more relevant content to each group of subscribers.
Going back to our food blogger example, if you know which people on your list want vegan recipes and which want meat dishes, you can send them more relevant content. This content will get more clicks because it’s more relevant to them.
Think about different ways to split up your list. What makes one subscriber different from another, and how can you adjust your content to fit these differences?
To find answers to these questions, conduct a survey of your audience. Discover what your readers enjoy and what content they desire from you. Use this information to segment your list into groups and send more personalized emails.
Solution #2: Optimize your CTAs
A CTA, which stands for call to action, tells people what you want them to do next. It often looks like a button or a link. In emails, CTAs lead subscribers to a special page on your website.
So, the better your CTAs are, the more people will click on them.
Longer CTAs in buttons may be split across two lines when presented on mobile. This does not look good and makes the CTA difficult to read. So keep the text brief and sweet.
Stick to the tried-and-true "buy now", "click here", or "read more". Using only two words means that the CTA button will remain on one line.
Also, limit the number of CTAs in your emails. You could believe that including more would enhance your click rate because there are more links to click on.
But, paradoxically, the more options we have, the less equipped we are to make decisions. It's dubbed the "jam experience" following research conducted by psychologists at Stanford and Columbia University.
As a result, focusing your messaging on a single CTA might increase engagement because subscribers only have to make one choice.
However, this method is most effective when used in conjunction with segmentation. If you're personalizing your message to your subscribers, one highly targeted CTA is more likely to do well than a slew of less relevant ones.
Problem #4: My mailing list isn’t growing quickly enough
To build your business, you must first expand your target demographic. The more people you market to, the more customers you're likely to convert.
Growing your email list is one of the most critical ways to establish a potential consumer base. It's critical because it's data you own.
However, gaining your initial few hundred subscribers can be difficult. Sometimes growth simply stalls.
Fortunately, there are a few things we can do to accelerate it.
Solution #1: Use psychology in your opt-in forms
Nexus Sports Nutrition grabs attention with a mystery discount in their opt-in form. This psychological trigger plays on curiosity, encouraging visitors to sign up to see what they’ll get.
The CTA, “Reveal My Code,” is particularly strong and motivating, as it promises immediate value.
Your sign-up form connects a website visitor to your mailing list. So it needs to be on point.
It must be attention-grabbing. It also has to entice visitors to subscribe.
But advertising has been around for much longer. There are plenty of other ways to include consumer psychology in your marketing strategy.
Here are some examples that perform well in opt-in forms:
Reciprocity: provide something, and you're more likely to receive something in return. So, whenever new subscribers sign up for your mailing list, provide them with an exclusive discount or free download.
Social proof: People are influenced by the thoughts and acts of others, particularly those who are similar to them. So say how many individuals have already signed up for your email and what makes your audience relatable.
Exclusivity: We enjoy belonging to a group, especially one with limited access. So, instead of asking people to subscribe to a newsletter, offer them to an exclusive group.
In addition to psychological hacks, you can experiment with various types of opt-in forms, such as entry, timed, or exit pop-ups. Test the alternatives available to you.
Solution #2: Promote your newsletter on other channels
One way to expand your mailing list is through your website. There are, however, dozens more.
To begin, you can combine your email marketing efforts with your social media accounts. Make this the primary call to action on your brand's Facebook page, as well as in your Instagram and Twitter bios, if increasing your subscriber count is your top priority.
Additionally, you can use these platforms to advertise your newsletter and increase the number of people who sign up.
Reusing the material in your email campaigns for every social media platform is an additional choice. Give your followers a preview of the fantastic content they can expect when they subscribe to your future emails.
This strategy is equally effective on LinkedIn if you're in the business-to-business sector.
Do you have a YouTube channel for your business? If you do, start sharing your YouTube videos in your newsletter.
The videos are super engaging. In fact, including a video in an email can lead to open rate increases of 6%!
It’s important to remember that your YouTube video will not necessarily play right inside an email. Email clients like Gmail, Outlook, and others don’t have the technical requirements to make that happen.
So, it’s best to add a static image of your YouTube video with a “play button” over the top and link the image to your video hosted on YouTube. That way, when subscribers click the play button on the image, it will open up the video on YouTube.
Here’s how Patagonia does it:
An obvious bonus of sharing your videos with your newsletter subscribers is that it will help you get more YouTube subscribers and more views!
Problem #5: I don’t know what’s happening on my website post-click
It's simple to concentrate entirely on the stats that are shown in our email marketing software. The clicks open, bounce, and unsubscribe.
However, the bottom line won't always be significantly impacted by these measurements. You won't always get more money if you raise your open rate. Not if you have no idea how subscribers are using your website after clicking through from your email.
For this reason, monitoring post-click activity on your website is crucial. Additionally, create a more comprehensive picture of engagement by tracking a subscriber's actions from the time they open your email until they arrive at your landing page.
Solution #1: Use Google Analytics to keep an eye on engagement
The most popular tool for monitoring website traffic and user behaviour is Google Analytics. It works with any website and is free.
Additionally, it gives you useful information about how users are acting on your website.
You may observe how website traffic from your email marketing varies from that from your other channels by simply selecting Acquisition > All Traffic > Channels. And learn more about how these specific visitors interact with your website after they arrive.
Here are some important engagement metrics to keep an eye on:
Bounce rate: The percentage of visitors who depart your website after only reading one page is known as the bounce rate. This is the landing page you'll link to in the call-to-action sections of your email campaigns. A high bounce rate can indicate that your audience is less likely to stay on the page. However, if your landing page effectively meets your goals, a high bounce rate may not always be a cause for concern.
Pages per session: The average number of pages a visitor views on your website before departing is known as the pages per session. A lower number here could indicate an issue with that specific funnel if there are several steps visitors must complete on your website before reaching the objective.
Average session duration: The length of time visitors spend on your website is known as the average session duration. If your emails tend to connect to lengthy blog posts, a shorter session length can mean that readers aren't taking the time to read your material.
Google Analytics data interpretation is an art. Additionally, it's critical to keep your efforts' larger context in mind. Lower pages per session are not a problem if your landing page has all the information a visitor needs.
Always keep in mind the relationship between the actions you want subscribers to take on your website and the data you see in Google Analytics.
As an affiliate marketer, measuring conversions might be even more challenging if you use affiliate links in your ads. This occurs because your audience clicks on a website other than yours, which leads to the conversion. To fix this, you can simply install We Can Track and have Google Analytics automatically include your affiliate conversions.
You might need an alternative to Google Analytics for aggregating data from multiple sources. If you concurrently execute your email campaigns and paid advertisements.
Solution #2: Use UTM codes to track campaign performance
One thing to think about is how people interact with your website. However, action is the more crucial factor when discussing the bottom line.
The actions you want website visitors to perform to grow your business are called goals in Google Analytics. It can involve creating an account, downloading a white paper, or making a transaction.
You should be monitoring it in Google Analytics, regardless of what it is. Additionally, you should monitor how your email marketing is influencing these behaviours.
UTM codes are useful in this situation. You may trace the source, media, campaign, and content that brought each website visit by appending a UTM code, which is a short piece of code, to the end of a URL.
Here’s what one might look like in your web browser:
Although they may appear complex, Google's Campaign URL Builder makes creating UTM codes simple. This builder generates the final URL with the code at the end after you just enter the parameters.
You can now monitor web activity related to your particular campaigns using this URL. Additionally, by using these URLs in your email campaigns and setting goals in Google Analytics, you can determine how much money or sign-ups may be directly linked to each email.
This kind of campaign performance monitoring might assist you in determining what is and is not effective. In order to modify your emails for upcoming campaigns.
It takes time to resolve these typical email marketing issues. And trying out various tactics to see which has the most effect would be advantageous to all of us.
There aren't many quick remedies, so be prepared for the long haul. Enhancing your email deliverability and developing a positive sender reputation take time. Similar to how maintaining a clean list and gaining new subscribers take time and work.
When it comes to your email marketing problems, it's also critical to maintain realism. A 100% open or click rate is unachievable. Additionally, some of your list's readers will never be as interested in your email content as you would like.
However, you're positioning yourself for success if you try these options.
