Throughout 2012 I kept a record of email marketing methods which irritated me enough to make me consider unsubscribing. Some of the errors were remarkably basic but that is no reason not to point them out.
1. Frequency
I can forgive an infrequent increase in frequency, especially during times like the approach to Christmas or the anticipated rush of holiday email marketing in the New Year. What is unforgivable and self-destructive is continually pestering subscribers week after week. A basic one to start with.
2. Lies
It is pointless telling me, or any subscriber, that a certain offer will never be repeated and then, a month or two later coming up with an even lower price to clear unsold stock. Further, can I be the only person who feels irritated by time-limited offers that go on forever?
3. Lower offers
Repeat offenders here where I had bought items only to have the same article offered to me later at a lower price later. Email list data should be used to stop this.
4. Additional costs
If it is impossible for anyone to buy the item at the banner price then not only will that put them off buying that specific product but your next one as well. If they feel they can't trust you then the unsubscribe button looks very attractive. Be honest.
5. Confusing offer
It is not a good idea to make me wonder if I am becoming terminally confused. If I have to read the offer twice to find out what it all means, I am unlikely to read it twice.
6. Same difference
If your first offer did spectacularly badly, do not just change the words and the colour of the banner then send it out again. If your subscriber gets that feeling of déjà vu then he will probably do exactly the same as he did last time.
7. Lack of detail
Just one lone example for this and one which, although I went on to buy the product offered, is extremely dangerous. In order to discover whether or not a piece of software could cope with a specific file type, I had to phone the company and speak with one of their tech guys. Her reassurance gave me the confidence to buy. But the question that should bother anyone in email marketing is how many others would follow my example. Is it too much to ask for a hotlink to the full spec?
8. Uninspiring
Fair enough I subscribe to a considerable number of email marketing lists but most are insipid and bland. Try to brighten my life and your returns with an interesting design.
9. Nothing personal
If I have already bought some software which requires a fair degree of technical knowledge to use, I do not want to be told basic details on its upgrade offer. It is as if I wasn't valued.
10. Obey the law
I didn't make any entries on this because there would have been too many things to list. However it did surprise me how many companies ignored the requirements of the regulations covering email marketing. I would not buy from any such company.
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