5 Things That Will Doom Your Drip Marketing Campaign
Mistakes to avoid in your email marketing strategy
Drip marketing can be a catalyst or a bridge to the next step in your sales process. Or it can be perceived as annoying spam to the people whose attention you’re trying to attain,, resulting in high numbers of opt-outs and low to no customer engagement. Avoid these 5 mistakes.
1. Not Enough Emails
One common mistake is not having enough emails in your drip campaigns or letting a campaign die when it runs out of messages. Ideally, you’ve set up at least seven drip campaigns to educate prospective buyers at different stages of your sales funnel. This ensures that you are consistently engaging with both new and existing contacts. Your marketing automation goal should be “100% of your contacts on a drip marketing campaign" 100% of the time.” Without this closed loop of drip marketing messages, prospects are often lost in space.
To maximize the reach of your campaigns, scan your CRM to see if any contacts are missing valid email addresses. Consider using a one-time email address append service that matches your customer database to a national business and consumer email database. This helps in obtaining fresh, accurate email addresses and replacing bounced ones, thus keeping your database robust and up-to-date.
2. No Links or Broken Links
Links are the currency of drip marketing. They allow you to track user engagement and measure the effectiveness of your campaigns. Without links, you have no way to monitor how recipients interact with your emails. Ensure that every email contains functional, relevant links. These links should direct readers to specific landing pages, blog posts, or product pages on your website. Broken links not only frustrate users but also damage your credibility and reduce the chances of conversion. (Ask me about a company I know that provides this “website health” service).
3. Not Enough Calls to Action (CTAs)
Having an insufficient number of CTAs on your website can be detrimental to your drip marketing efforts. Links in your emails should send readers back to your website, where compelling CTAs await them. According to HubSpot, having 40 or more CTAs on your website can optimize reader engagement and increase click-through rates. CTAs should be strategically placed on landing pages and throughout your site to guide visitors toward taking desired actions, such as downloading a resource, signing up for a webinar, making a purchase, or going to this link right here! 😆
4. Too Much HTML
Drip marketing messages should feel personal and direct, akin to a hand-typed message from your Gmail or Outlook inbox. While HTML emails can be visually appealing, they often come across as impersonal and sales-oriented. Instead, design a plain-text format that mimics a personal email. This approach makes your messages feel more genuine and less like a marketing pitch, increasing the likelihood that recipients will read and engage with your content. Remember, the goal is to build a relationship, not just to sell. (Statistically, HTML, or “pretty” emails get more opens. But text-based emails get more clicks. Clicks are the currency of email marketing, especially now that Apple iOs automatically opens all incoming emails (for spam reduction), which throws off the open metrics.)
5. It's All About Me – Not!
One of the biggest mistakes in drip marketing is focusing solely on your business. Effective drip campaigns should educate and entertain your audience, not just promote your products or services. Avoid sending irrelevant emails and stay on target by addressing the needs and interests of your recipients. Provide valuable content, such as tips, how-tos, and industry insights, that positions you as a helpful resource. Personalized messages that are relevant and timely will nurture your leads and keep them engaged until they are ready to make a purchase. If you’re not sure how to incorporate self-promotion with education/entertaining content, watch Lori’s Famous Treasure Triangle video.
Mapping Content to the Sales Process
Not everyone who visits your website is ready to buy immediately, especially if your product or service is complex or requires multiple approvals within a buyer’s organization. Map the common questions prospects ask at each stage of your sales process and create content that addresses these queries. This ensures you have a steady stream of relevant and engaging material for your drip campaigns, keeping the sales process moving and your prospects informed and interested.
Avoid these common mistakes in your email marketing campaigns to lower your unsubscribe rates and boost your engagement and conversion rates. Your marketing emails should be personable, relevant, and persistent to achieve better click-throughs. By refining your approach and focusing on delivering value, you can transform your drip marketing campaigns into powerful tools that drive sales and build lasting customer relationships.
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