Outdated Email Marketing Strategies You Should Avoid

The world of online marketing has greatly expanded in recent years. Because of that, some companies write off older forms of online marketing as outdated, such as email marketing. However, that’s not even close to accurate. In fact, email marketing is still one of the best marketing formats companies can use.

That doesn’t mean the old ways of performing email marketing still apply, though. If you haven’t changed your ways in a while, this list of outdated email marketing strategies you should avoid will help ensure you’re not doing things you shouldn’t be in your campaign.

The Purchase or Rental of Email Lists

Remember the times when you could simply buy or rent an email list and start sending? Well, those days are over. Purchasing or renting email lists is not only a frowned upon practice in today’s marketing world, but it can also bring a host of potential problems.

First and foremost, purchased or rented lists often consist of low-quality or non-targeted contacts. This means that your messages may end up in the inboxes of uninterested parties, resulting in meager open and click-through rates. Moreover, engaging with this audience might do more harm than good to your brand’s reputation.

Additionally, there are quite a few laws now that try to stop this practice. Getting caught can lead to hefty fines for your company. Instead of relying on these outdated tactics, focus on growing your email list organically through opt-in forms and valuable content offerings.

The Use of Aggressive or Manipulative Messages

In the past, marketers might have found success with aggressive and manipulative email messages, pushing recipients to take immediate action or exploiting their fears and anxieties. However, this approach is no longer appropriate or effective in today’s world.

Consumers are savvy and have likely encountered similar tactics on too many occasions. Instead of trusting businesses that rely on this outdated approach, they’re more likely to hit delete or even mark the message as spam. To avoid this pitfall, craft informative and genuine messages that resonate with your audience’s needs and values.

The Overuse of Emojis

Emojis can be a fun and engaging way to convey a message, but you should use them with caution. Overusing emojis or incorporating them inappropriately can make your emails appear unprofessional or oversaturated, diminishing their effectiveness. Plus, many spam emails overuse them, making your official ones look like fakes.

To avoid this, heavily limit your use of emojis in your email content and completely avoid them in the subject line. If you need some visual elements to help your email stand out, use graphics instead of emojis. They’re much more effective.

The Hiding of the Unsubscribe Button

Another outdated email marketing strategy to avoid is hiding the unsubscribe button in an attempt to minimize list churn. This tactic can frustrate recipients and land you in legal trouble, as the CAN-SPAM Act requires commercial emails to include a clear and conspicuous unsubscribe option.

Instead of trying to obscure the unsubscribe option, focus on giving recipients a reason to stay. Develop a sense of loyalty through engaging content and offer exclusive benefits for those who stay subscribed. Just make sure you still make it easy for them to manage their preferences. This will help build trust and strengthen your relationship with subscribers.

The Practice of Sending Emails From New Domains

While it might seem like a fresh start from a previous, poorly-implemented email campaign, sending emails from a new domain can raise red flags for spam filters and adversely impact your deliverability rates. This is because email service providers (ESPs) are vigilant in protecting their users from potential spam. A new, unestablished domain may not have enough “trust” to ensure your messages reach the inbox.

To avoid this issue, focus on building your reputation and trustworthiness with the ESPs. This includes sending regular emails to your list, keeping a low spam complaint rate, and ensuring that your messages meet the requirements of the CAN-SPAM Act.

By avoiding these outdated email marketing strategies, you can ensure that your campaigns are both effective and compliant. As long as you focus on creating valuable and relevant content tailored to your audience, you’ll be well on your way to successful email marketing.