Top 3 mistakes email marketers make

Over the past year, we've seen a renewed interest in email marketing. Although email has never disappeared from the marketing realm, the advent of social media is pulling more brands back into the email space. According to ExactTarget email continues to out-perform social media to drive purchasing. Unfortunately, even those experience email marketers may have some difficulty in prospecting and engaging new consumers - because they're falling into classic pitfalls.

Act-On Software, a cloud-based marketing platform helping brands navigate the email waters with forms, landing pages, drip programs and social media assists, has identified three main areas where brands are lagging.

First, blasting a single message to all contacts. This should be a simple one - different individuals have different tastes, and most brands have more than one product. Know your customer. Know what they like and need and send them relevant messaging.

Second, segment those lists. Buyers in North America may not have the same needs or wants as those in South America or Europe. Likewise, B2B marketers should know that a major corporate CEO will have different needs than a small business owner. To repeat the first tip - know your audience members and send them messaging that will help them.

Third, adapt, adapt, adapt. In real estate, brokers cite location, location, location as a mantra. In online marketing, the citation is that brands need to adapt, adapt, adapt. This means adding social media and video tools, yes, but it also means that advertising should be tested. Test different message types, content and offers - and adapt the campaign based on those findings.

Tags: Act-On Software, email best practices, email marketing, email mistakes, email tips