Thread by @ecomchasedimond

I've generated over $75 million with email marketing and sent over 1 billion emails in my life.

Here's the 20 biggest mistakes I've made (so you don't have to):

1. Spamming discounts

There are so many more ways to sell that's not your typical discount:

-Product bundles
-BOGO
-Give them credit to your store
-Buy 1, Gift 1
-Giveaways
-Cashback
-VIP Programs
-Vouchers and coupons
-Joint promotions
-Contests
-Referral commissions

Try them

2. Not getting to the point

No explanation needed:

3. Weak subject lines

Subject lines are one of the most important pieces of getting people to open your emails.

I'd rather have a decent email with good subject line.

Than a good email with a decent subject line that people won't open/read.

4. Misleading or non-descriptive subject lines

Contrary to this, there are other subject lines like "yo" or "hi" that might get tons of opens,

But don't drive many sales,

The balance is between the two.

5. Sending emails to everyone

Inside your list,

Some people bought one item

Some people bought every item

Some people don't ever open

Some people just joined

It makes no sense to send them all the same content & offer

Segment accordingly.

6. Trusting quantity over quality

A 10,000 email list with highly engaged subs can make more money than a 100,000 email list with highly unengaged subs

Quality > quantity when it comes to email

Example:

7. Focusing on too many things

Don't sell more than one thing.

Don't focus on more than one idea.

Don't include more than one topic.

Don't introduce more than one problem.

Don't show more than one solution.

Every idea you introduce cuts the effectiveness in half.

8. Not using a second subject line

You have a subject line and a preview text.

The subject line makes them stop.

The preview text makes them curious.

Killer combo.

9. Speculating

Every single one of your marketing problems can be solved by not speculating and testing it out.

Stop thinking. Start testing.

10. Selling a product

Email doesn't sell only a product. It also sells a click.

Leverage your email + landing page to drive the conversion.

Emails job is to take the most qualified and eager prospects to a link.

The email framing paired with the lander drives the sale home.

11. Worrying about unsubscribers

Some people will unsubscribe. That's just how it works.

In fact, I'd say that if you're not getting any unsubscribers you're not selling enough.

12. Writing like a robot

If you read your email out loud and it doesn't sound like a human,

Chances are you have to rewrite it.

13. Not having a flow for everything

Just joined? What happens next

Just bought? What happens next

Hasn't opened an email in 30 days? What happens next

You can't work when you sleep, but your systems can.

14. Not hyping my offers

You can't hype all the time.

But if you have a big holiday coming up e.g. Christmas + New Year's

You can hype your offer starting at the beginning of December so you don't get lost in the noise.

15. Being too predictable

Every once in a while I'll send my subs an interview or a free gift

It's just a nice little surprise that makes them feel good

And something that could've got me a lot of goodwill if I started earlier

16. Beating dead subscribers

Stop sending emails to people who haven't opened them in a while.

They're not gonna buy and you're just asking to be in the spam folder.

17. Not proofreading

Ever sent an email without proofreading it and end up saying complete nonsense?

Been there. Done that.

18. Not being consistent

Even if your emails are not that good.

Even if you know you could do better.

It's way better to send ok emails consistently than great emails inconsistently.

19. Not being empathetic

When someone joins they want to know who you are

When someone buys they want to know when their package will arrive

Think about what makes sense during the customer lifecycle and give them that

When in doubt, be a human

20. Not selling enough

Rule of thumb: People who already bought from you trust you more than people who haven't

So you can sell them more (expensive) things

Selling too much can hurt your business, but so can not selling enough

Thanks for reading!

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