Let’s face it, email is still the most cost-effective way to engage your hard-earned subscribers and cultivate lasting relationships that bring results. Email marketing is great but it’s also difficult when plagued with mail deliverability issues.
You’ve worked hard to foster these relationships with your subscribers, but is it all for nothing?
From your email campaigns looking wonky in Microsoft Outlook to having your emails repeatedly end up in spam folders, many issues can ruin quality digital marketing campaigns. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of the top 5 problems with email marketing campaigns, along with useful solutions to overcome those problems.
#1. Why do your email campaigns look wrong in outlook?
Microsoft Outlook has become a problem for email marketers. Since the release of Outlook 2007, Microsoft uses Microsoft Word as its rendering engine. As a result, HTML emails appear differently to an Outlook user.
Thankfully, there are a few ways to overcome common Outlook rendering issues.
- Images are clipped. Outlook limits the size of images to 1728px in height. Anything larger is automatically clipped. To overcome this issue, limit the height to 1728px.
- Animated GIFs won’t work. GIFs are great, but Outlook won’t support them. The image will load, but only the first frame appears. Address this issue by ensuring that the first frame of the GIF conveys the same message as the fully-loaded version.
- Round CTA buttons are square. When designing your email, keep in mind that all of your CTA buttons will be square. Unfortunately, there’s no way around it. Design accordingly.
Because Microsoft Outlook no longer renders email using HTML, there can be a whole host of issues that customers may encounter when using an Outlook account. The best way to get ahead of the issue is to conduct a test using Outlook before you send the email.
#2. How do you deal with an ISP blocking your emails?
It’s frustrating when a mail server is blocking emails from reaching the subscriber’s inbox. ISPs will filter incoming mail to protect customers from spam messages. Unfortunately, spam filtering can end up affecting the deliverability of legitimate emails.
Because ISPs block emails based on content, avoid spam words or phrases in your digital marketing campaign. This type of blocking is used by corporate networks and typically occurs on a per-email basis, so it shouldn’t persist. If it does, contact the recipient through another channel and ask them to sort it out with their IT staff.
If your emails aren’t bouncing back, but the subscriber isn’t receiving them, they may be ending up in a spam folder, which brings us to issue #3.
#3. Why are so many emails sent to spam?
Spam filtering has become more rigorous, and with good reason. Unwanted emails are a common problem. Unfortunately, a subscriber’s spam filter isn’t perfect and your message can get swept into the spam folder.
Here are some ways to avoid that:
- Make sure you have permission to email.
- Ask subscribers to add you to their trusted sender list in their account settings.
- Avoid spam triggers.
- Use a reputable email marketing program.
- Proofread for grammatical errors and poor sentence structure that can your email seem like a phishing attack.
- Always follow digital marketing best practices.
Here are some additional tips on avoiding spam filters and increasing the deliverability of your emails.
#4 Why are people opting out of your emails?
A user will provide their email address when they create an online account with your organization or access gated content on your website. If you send mail that those customers didn’t sign up for, they will likely unsubscribe and you may even receive spam complaints. However, even customers who signup to receive emails can change their minds.
Here are a few reasons why:
- The subscriber is no longer interested or the emails are no longer relevant.
- You’re sending too many emails.
- Your emails are too spammy.
- How do you counteract these issues?
- Let your subscribers manage their preferences and consider using targeted distribution lists.
- Send fewer emails.
- Watch out for those dreaded spam words.
#5 How do you send bulk emails without getting blacklisted?
To send bulk emails without getting blacklisted you must choose a reputable email service with a strong domain reputation and do the following:
- Use a double opt-in with every subscriber. To join your list, require users to confirm their subscription twice.
- Include an unsubscribe link in every email you send. This is a necessary tool for successful email marketing campaigns.
- Maintain your mail frequency. Don’t send emails too often, but don’t leave subscribers hanging for too long either. It’s important to find that sweet spot. Consider leaving it up to the subscriber to decide how often they receive email. As a rule, send an email at least once a month so they don’t forget about you.
Conclusion
There are many issues that you may face when you embark on an email marketing campaign, but if you can overcome these obstacles you should be able to see positive results. It is also a good idea to revisit your marketing strategy regularly to ensure optimum success.
