In our last blog post on marketing automation, we shared the questions about MA that we hear most often – and the answers. Hint: Marketing automation is not just about email marketing or eblasts. Read that blog post.
In this post, we share the five things NOT to do in marketing automation. Of course you can contact us to make a plan of what to do for successful marketing automation.
What are marketing automation no-nos?
DON’T use purchased lists
Purchased lists are a big no-no if you own and manage your own marketing automation platform (MAP) or email service provider (ESP) environment. In fact, many platforms have regulations laid out in their terms of use that specifically outlaw the use of purchased lists. Why?
- They often include inactive email addresses, which contribute to a high bounce rate and spam traps (email addresses set up for the purpose of catching companies who send emails to contacts who have not opted in).
- They usually have very low engagement. Users who have specifically opted in to receive your communications tend to be more interested in your company and are more likely to take action on your emails, whereas users who receive emails out of the blue are much more likely to block or report you as spam.
DO focus on lead generation
This can be accomplished by simply adding a form to your website and promoting it on your other marketing materials. Or it can be as complex as building out a full lead generation campaign. We can help you figure out what will work best for your business so you can start building a list of contacts.
DON’T forget about your sender reputation
High bounce rates and mail blocking directly correlate to your IP sender reputation. Each environment has its own IP address, which is monitored for good mailing practices.
If an environment consistently receives a high number of bounces and mail blocks or spam reports, it runs the risk of getting blacklisted. This is a huge issue and will affect deliverability of your legitimate emails forever.
DO remove bad, bounced or opted-out email addresses
Remove these from your lists right away. If you’re concerned about having a large number of bad or inactive email addresses, consider running your list through a validation tool to remove them prior to sending your email.
DON’T ignore CASL and other anti-spam laws
Many countries, including Canada, have strict laws regarding digital communication. Fines for violating these laws can be in the multi-million dollar range.
DO read up on CASL
It pays to be informed! If you aren’t familiar with CASL and anti-spam laws, see our blog post on what you need to know, reach out to us for the highlights, or view the full CASL regulations here for a more in-depth look.
DON’T “blast” out to your entire database
There are very few times when sending an email out to your entire database is a good idea.
DO segment out your lists
Send content that will be relevant to your customers. An example might be sending a product promotion to customers who have previously purchased or expressed interest in a similar product.
DON’T design emails the same way you design for print or websites
Smart email design is much different than smart print or website design. Making the mistake of not tailoring your design specifically for email can result in a less-than-desirable outcoming in many clients, especially on mobile.
DO make sure you’re aware of email design best practices
Many email clients (Outlook and Gmail, especially) have technical limitations with their support of HTML that you need to bear that in mind when building and designing email. It’s also important to remember that many (if not most) users will view your email on their phones, so a mobile-responsive email is a must. Check out the 2016 State of Email Design guide by Litmus for more information.
Like everything else in marketing, marketing automation is constantly evolving and growing fast. We welcome the chance to visit about how MA can help you. DO email us.