Top 10 email marketing myths; Debunked

If you are just getting started with email marketing, it can be a lot to take in. There is so much advice floating around that is often out dated or simply a work of fiction.

Sometimes as marketeers we hear myths repeated so many times that even the most seasoned professionals will start to believe they are true.

This week, my co-worker Phil is going to hit us with the most common myths associated with email marketing. Let’s see if we can de-bunk some of the most common ones.

1. We are spending less and less time reading email.

According to Carleton University, people now spend an average of 17 hours a week reading, responding and sending work email. That is 11.7 hours at work and 5.3 hours at home, every week. Our interactions with email are actually increasing.

2. Unsubscribes are the worst thing that can happen to my email marketing.

Opt-outs via clicking on the unsubscribe link have no known negative impact on your sender reputation. The most damage occurs when your subscribers perceive your email as unsolicited and mark it as spam.

3. My newsletter must look identical in every email reader.

Like a website in a web browser, small variations are inevitable. Different email readers adopt newer technology at different rates, insisting on exact sameness across the board means that you will have to leave out exciting new technologies just to keep the problem bob happy who is still using his copy of Outlook from 1995.

4. Getting a new IP address or email service provider will fix all my delivery problems.

Im afraid not, email service providers such a gmail and outlook are not stupid. They easily spot senders who burn though suppliers and IP’s. Im afraid that any bad negative history you may have will follow you. Its best to address the problem, not try to run away from it.

5. Ive brought 100,000 emails from a man off the internet. Everyone is going to buy my product.

Unfortunately not. It will probably be stuffed with abuse mailboxes and spam traps. Sending spam never works, it will probably just get your company into hot water. Take the time to build your own subscriber list of customers who have asked to join your newsletter.

6. I should never use the words free, buy now, or offer.

This is not necessarily true. You will see a lot of the big brands using these phrases. If you have other underlying reputation problems, these words in your email body can tip the balance and cause your mailer to go into spam. If you have a squeaky clean opt-in workflow and never get any spam reports, then you should be safe.

7. Tuesday at 11am is the best day to send my email.

As marketeers we have been told this since the year dot, it is nothing but folk law. Emerging research shows that there is no such thing as super Tuesday. Researchers such as Dan Zarella from the science of marketing suggest that Saturday and Sundays are the most effective days. We also see that Thursdays and Fridays are good options too.

8. My subject line must be between 40 and 50 characters.

Return path analysed over 900,000 emails for more than 3,000 retails senders. They found that subject lines between 60-70 characters offered the best read rate. Personalised subject lines are also 26% more likely to be opened.

9. You should stop sending to inactive users after 6 months.

Hub spot report that 20% of your annual openers come back to you after being inactive for an average of 6 months. Give your subscribers a little longer before you cull them.

10. I need a big list to make a big impact.

We marketeers we can be guilty of list envy. ‘My company has 50,000 subscribers’ vs ‘my company has 100,000 subscribers’. Its not a numbers game. Only a fraction of those 100,000 subscribers will be loyalists. Focus on quality not quantity.