Disastrous Design. This usually comes in the form of something you did yourself and you are not a graphic designer. Also, your audience would be looking at something that does not remotely match your branding. Even worse, when you decide to forgo professional design and go with a “text” based mailing to promote your 20K workshops. Um, I don’t think so. Here is the deal: if graphic design is not your forte, please hire someone. You will be doing yourself and your potential customers a huge favor. I can barely draw a smiley face, but luckily have great designers on the team that can turn my A.D.D. thoughts on a client project into a killer piece of work that generates R.O.I. for clients. Oh, and I am not allowed around power tools either. My point is know your strengths.
Crappy Content. If your content is crap or you do not know how to spell (this particularly drives me nuts – spellcheck, hello?) do not go there. Do not force yourself to write, if going through the activity is going to make you want to stick a needle in your eyeball. I can think of much better things to do with my time (like drink a green beer tomorrow. Hey, its St. Patty’s right? You can take the girl out of Chico, but can’t take Chico out of the girl. I am not a big beer person anyway, but hey, it’s a holiday.) Make your information, newsworthy, interesting and keep it magazine style. Offer tips and tricks to help someone grow their business or knowledge on a certain subject matter. If they want more information they will contact you. I have been writing this newsletter for 6 years now and it results in new business all of the time. Avoid the 500 word sales pitch newsletter all times- you will lose your readers at the first sentence.
Keep a Clean List. You want to market to your audience, correct? My list is composed of over a thousand business owners. (Some of which, call me or respond with new ideas for content- thank you all!) If you have bounces, clean it up. More importantly, you need to make sure you are targeting the correct audience. I recently, among the many other spam emails, received one for a walk-in bathtub. Not age appropriate with me. I find this up there on the amusing scale with the Orchard Supply emails I receive. My family allows me to use hammers and screwdrivers only, but if I want a kick during a family breakfast,I ask to borrow a chainsaw or power drill (and, my dad ignores me). My point? Keep a targeted list and if you need to segment you list, utilize an email marketing company that allows you to keep separate ones.
