Your marketing efforts is a ship that needs to be kept afloat – and moving forward. No ship just suddenly sinks. There is a cause and effect chain that impacts a ship just like there is a cause and effect chain that impacts your marketing. So if you’re thinking that your email marketing is a sinking ship, look back to see what were some of the signs that should have been a tell. In some cases, it’s just a sail that no longer catches any wind. In this case, that useless sail might be your engagement capability.

In other words, are your email subscribers bored? There are a few ways to figure this out. As with any vessel that you’re in, your job is to make sure all parts are in working conditions. Becuase the climate you’re in might not be favorable from time to time, but your ability to sail through will depend on the condition of your vessel.

These are important points to get across, especially since a lot of people understand these simpler concepts but don’t associate them with intangibles like digital media. Yet, the rules are the same. Let’s take a look at what might be turning off your subscribers and see if we can fix that sail.

When the Tone Never Changes…Ever

One of the most annoying email marketing campaigns are the ones that don’t ever shift their tone. One of these serial email senders hails from a pretty significant new media company. Every email from him is trying to rope me into thinking the message is a personal note from a friend. Obviously, it’s not. And then there’s the tone. The one of enthusiastic and it’s unbelievable. No one is always that happy.

The reason this is boring is because it doesn’t come across as genuine – and that’s boring. Your email subscribers want a real person, and not some ever-cheery Android programmed at 100% happy.

The same rule of thumb goes for the doom-and-gloom or the overly serious email campaigners. Learn to change it up and have some sort of balance in your messaging.

It’s Not You, It’s Me

A ship that doesn’t understand it’s part of a sea is a ship that will probably sink. You need to respect that your marketing campaigns aren’t some machine independent of the environment that it’s in. That environment is your audience.

Campaigns that don’t consider the end-reader are selfishly driven and monotonous. To break it up try working with segmented audiences based on gender or location so that you can make content more personal. Or you can even send out personalized campaigns that shows you get the reader. If you’re in retail, then perhaps you have a new product coming out and have a list of buyers in mind that covet said product. Or if you’re in media, perhaps there’s a story that you know some readers are particularly interested in or following. If you’re in academia and there’s a new class or lecture, how about sending a personal invite to students (or parents of students) who are keen on that subject.

Author Bio:

by Shireen Qudosi

Shireen Qudosi is Benchmark Email's Online Marketing Specialist and Small Business Advocate. An Orange County based writer, Shireen specializes in online marketing and public relations. She has written for over 75 publications and has launched nine successful new media campaigns to date. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, Denver Post, the Oklahoman and Green Air Radio, among others.