Email marketing is like the bread and butter of digital marketing—it’s been around forever, but when done right, it’s still one of the best and most cost-effective ways to engage your customers, drive traffic and increase sales.
But here’s the kicker: many email campaigns miss the mark due to avoidable email marketing mistakes. And, let’s face it, nobody wants to invest time crafting the perfect email only to watch it fall flat because of some easily preventable errors.
If you’re a digital marketer, you’ve likely faced the frustration of declining open rates, low engagement, or even emails landing in the dreaded spam folder. These mistakes may cost you opportunities to connect with your audience, build relationships, and convert subscribers into loyal customers.
In this post, I will take you through the 20 common email marketing mistakes that could be sabotaging your email campaigns. Don’t worry—I’ll not only point out the issues but also give you practical, real-world fixes to turn things around.
Table of Contents
What is Email Marketing?
Email marketing is a way businesses send messages or promotions directly to people’s inboxes to keep them informed, build relationships, or encourage them to take action (like making a purchase). It’s a cost-effective method to reach a large audience, and when done right, it helps companies stay connected with their customers, offer valuable content, and boost sales.
Common Email Marketing Mistakes
Below are some common email marketing mistakes you should avoid in your email marketing campaign.
- Ignoring Email List Management
Ever sent an email to a subscriber list only to get zero engagement? Your email list management may be unnecessarily wordy. A poorly managed email list may affect your campaigns. Lack of segmentation is an email marketing mistake you should not make.
Common Email List Management Mistakes
- Not regularly cleaning your list of inactive subscribers.
- Failing to segment your list based on user behaviour or preferences.
- Relying on purchased email lists.
If you own a clothing store, you can send a winter jacket promotional email to your entire list. If half your subscribers live in tropical climates, you’re bound to see poor engagement. Segmenting your list based on location could prevent this.
Actionable Tip
You can use a tool like MailerLite or Moosend to automate list segmentation based on user activity. For instance, you can create segments for “active subscribers” who open your emails regularly and “dormant subscribers” who haven’t engaged in over six months.
This way, you can send targeted re-engagement campaigns to wake up the inactive group.
- Neglecting Email Personalization
No one likes being treated like just another number in a crowd. Sending generic, one-size-fits-all emails is a sure way to reduce your engagement rates. 74% of marketers have reported increased customer engagement when using personalized emails (Statista, 2023).
Common Personalization Mistakes
- Using the same content for all subscribers.
- Only personalizing subject lines without adjusting the email body.
- Failing to address customer pain points or interests directly.
Tailoring content based on each subscriber’s interests and preferences would make your emails far more relevant.
Actionable Tip:
Email marketing tools like HubSpot, Sender and Omnisend allow you to use data such as a subscriber’s name, purchase history, and past email behaviour to craft more personalized content.
Even something as simple as adding personalized product recommendations based on a subscriber’s past purchases can drive engagement.
- Overloading with Call-to-Actions (CTAs)
Another email marketing mistake is overloading your emails with CTAs. Have you ever heard of the paradox of choice? When people are faced with too many options, they often choose none at all. The same goes for email marketing. If your emails are filled with multiple CTAs, your subscribers won’t know where to click—or worse, they won’t click at all.
Common CTA Mistakes:
- Including more than one or two CTAs in a single email.
- Using vague CTAs like “Click here” instead of action-driven ones like “Download your free guide.”
- Overwhelming your readers with too much information before presenting the CTA.
If you run an eCommerce store when you are promoting a summer sale. Instead of telling subscribers to “Shop for Men’s Clothing,” “Shop for Women’s Clothing,” and “Check Out Our New Arrivals,” focus on one CTA, like “Shop the Summer Collection.” Clear and direct.
Actionable Tip:
Limit your email to one primary CTA and one secondary CTA at most. Make sure both are easy to spot and action-driven. For example, “Get 50% Off Your Next Order” is far more enticing than “Shop Now.”
- Skipping A/B Testing
Not using the A/B testing feature is another email marketing mistake. Launching an email campaign without testing is like throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. You need to know what works and what doesn’t. A/B testing allows you to test different versions of an email to determine which one performs best.
Common A/B Testing Mistakes:
- Testing too many variables at once (e.g., subject line, design, and CTA all at once).
- Giving up too soon—A/B tests need time to gather data.
- Only testing subject lines and neglecting other elements like images or CTAs.
If you want to test whether emojis in your subject line increase open rates. You can create two versions: one with an emoji and one without. After running the test, you find that the version with the emoji gets a 10% higher open rate. Boom—data-driven decision-making at work!
Actionable Tip:
Test one element at a time (subject line, CTA, image placement, etc.) to get clearer results. Most email marketing platforms like Sender, or MailerLite make it easy to run A/B tests and provide insights on the winning version.
- Not Optimizing for Mobile
In 2023, about 60% of all email opens occurred on mobile devices (Techreport). If your emails aren’t optimized for mobile, you’re alienating a huge portion of your audience. Nothing screams “unsubscribe” louder than a poorly formatted email on a tiny screen.
Common Mobile Optimization Mistakes:
- Using large images or fonts that don’t scale down properly on mobile.
- Overly long subject lines that get cut off on mobile screens.
- CTAs that are too small to be easily tapped with a finger.
Actionable Tip:
Design your emails using a mobile-first approach. Ensure that images are optimized for quick loading, use responsive email templates, and keep your text concise and legible.
Most reputable email marketing platforms such as Omnisend, Sender, ConvertKit andGetResponse offer responsive templates that adjust automatically for mobile.
- Sending Emails Too Frequently
Sending emails too frequently is another email marketing mistake you should avoid. While you want to stay on top of your subscribers’ minds, bombarding them with emails can lead to unsubscribes or worse—being marked as spam. People have limited inbox real estate, and if you’re constantly showing up, you might wear out your welcome.
Over-emailing can lead to higher unsubscribe rates, lower engagement, and even get you flagged as spam. It dilutes the impact of your messages and makes your audience tune out, instead of building trust and nurturing relationships, you risk frustrating your subscribers and damaging your brand reputation.
Actionable Tip:
Stick to a consistent schedule that provides value without overwhelming their inbox! Start with a weekly or bi-weekly frequency, and monitor open rates and unsubscribes. Tools like HubSpot offer send frequency optimization, that helps you identify when and how often to email your subscribers.
- Neglecting Email Timing
Even a great email can flop if it arrives at the wrong time. Sending emails when your audience is least likely to open them is a surefire way to see low engagement. Not sending your email at the right time is an email marketing mistake you should avoid.
Sending emails at the wrong time can reduce open rates, engagement, and conversions. If your audience is asleep, busy, or not in the right mindset, even your best content won’t make an impact. To avoid this, it’s crucial to understand when your audience is most active and likely to engage with your emails.
Proper timing ensures your emails land when people are ready to read, not when busy.
Actionable Tip:
Analyze your audience’s behaviour to find out when they’re most active. For example, B2B audiences often open emails during the workday, while B2C audiences may engage more on weekends or evenings. Use scheduling features in platforms like MailerLite to test and optimize send times.
- Using Poor-Quality Images
Nothing screams “unprofessional” like pixelated or irrelevant images. Bad visuals can instantly turn subscribers off, and they’ll lose trust in your brand.
Using poor-quality images in emails can harm your campaigns more than you think, blurry or pixelated visuals look unprofessional and may turn off potential customers. They can make your brand appear careless, reducing trust and credibility; in worst cases, poor images could trigger spam filters, affecting your deliverability.
Actionable Tip:
Invest in high-quality images or use reputable stock photo sites like Unsplash. Ensure your images are compressed for faster loading and optimized for mobile and desktop users. Tools like Canva, and Ideogram can help you create professional-looking graphics easily.
- Ignoring the Preview Text
The lack of the preview text feature in your email marketing is another email marketing mistake you should avoid. The preview text is the snippet of text that appears next to your subject line in the inbox. Failing to customize this section means you’re missing a chance to entice readers to open the email.
Actionable Tip:
Craft a compelling preview text that complements your subject line. Keep it short and impactful, giving the reader an extra reason to click.
For example, if your subject line is “50% Off Summer Sale,” your preview text could be “Shop our hottest deals now before they’re gone!”
- Forgetting to Optimize for Dark Mode
Many email clients now support dark mode, which can alter how your emails look. If your email isn’t optimized for dark mode, it can lead to unreadable text or distorted images.
With more users switching to dark mode for a better viewing experience, your email might look broken or unreadable if it’s not properly optimized. Poor contrast, invisible text, or clashing colours can make your message hard to read, leading to lower engagement or outright deletion.
Worse, it can make your brand look outdated or careless about user experience.
Actionable Tip:
To avoid these pitfalls, ensure your emails display well in both light and dark modes for all subscribers. Stick to transparent PNGs instead of images with white backgrounds.
- Failing to Test Links
Nothing ruins a marketing email faster than broken links, not testing the links between your email before sending them is an email marketing mistake you avoid if you don’t want to hurt your campaign. Sending subscribers to a dead page or a 404 error kills your credibility and could result in lost sales or leads.
Actionable Tip:
Before sending your email, always run a test to ensure all links work properly. Most email marketing platforms, like Moosend, allow you to preview and test emails before launching campaigns.
- Not Using Double Opt-In
Single opt-ins may seem tempting because they’re quick, but they can lead to unengaged or spammy subscribers. Skipping double opt-in when building your email list is a big email marketing mistake that can hurt your campaign down the road. Without that second confirmation, you might end up with fake or mistyped emails, which inflate your list with unengaged contacts.
Worse, it increases the chances of spam complaints, hurting your sender’s reputation and deliverability rates. Double opt-in ensures that only genuinely interested people join your list, improving engagement and reducing bounce rates. It’s a simple step that protects your email campaigns and helps build a more loyal and responsive audience.
Actionable Tip:
Implement a double opt-in process where users confirm their subscription via email. This ensures you have an engaged, high-quality email list. Double opt-ins also comply with regulations like GDPR and NDPR to help you avoid legal troubles.
- Sending from a No-Reply Address
When you send an email from a “no-reply” address, you’re shutting down the opportunity for conversation. Subscribers may want to ask questions, but this setup prevents them from responding.
Using a no-reply address in your emails can make your brand seem distant and unapproachable, it also signals to recipients that their feedback isn’t welcome, which can hurt engagement and trust. And, if customers have questions or issues, they’ll struggle to communicate with you, possibly leading to frustration or lost business.
From a technical standpoint, no-reply addresses may also get flagged by spam filters, reducing your email deliverability.
Actionable Tip:
Use a friendly, human-sounding email address like info@yourbrand.com or [email protected] to encourage interaction. Always use a real, responsive email address to keep the lines of communication open and build stronger connections with your audience.
- Poorly Written Subject Lines
Your subject line is the first thing subscribers see, and if it’s poorly written or uninteresting, your email may never get opened. A subject line that’s too long, too ambiguous or too clickbaity can hurt your open rates. Poorly written subject is an email marketing mistake to avoid.
If the subject is vague, boring, or misleading, it won’t grab attention, causing your email to get ignored or sent straight to the trash. Worse, spammy or clickbait-like subject lines can trigger spam filters, damaging your sender’s reputation and reducing deliverability.
Actionable Tip:
Keep subject lines short (under 50 characters), clear, and action-driven. Use A/B testing to determine what resonates best with your audience.
A clear, compelling subject line is crucial for boosting open rates and setting the right tone for your message. It’s your first impression—make it count!
- Ignoring Spam Triggers
Certain words or phrases can trigger spam filters and send your email straight to the SPAM folder. Ignoring spam triggers in your emails can seriously harm your campaign’s performance, this email marketing mistake should be avoided. Words like “free,” “urgent,” or excessive exclamation points might seem harmless, but they can send your emails straight to the spam folder.
Overusing links, images, or ALL CAPS can also raise red flags for spam filters, limiting your reach. To avoid this, be mindful of language, formatting, and balance in your content to ensure your emails land in the inbox, not the spam folder.
Actionable Tip:
Avoid spammy language, all-caps, or too many exclamation marks. You can test the Spamness of your email with a free tool like mail-tester to ensure your mail is free from spam before hitting the send button.
- Sending Too Many Images
Another email marketing mistake to avoid is loading your emails with heavy images. Emails heavy on images can slow down load times, especially on mobile devices. This leads to frustration and may cause subscribers to close your email before it fully loads.
Actionable Tip:
Strike a balance between text and images. Stick to one or two high-quality images and compress the images for faster loading.
- Not Having a Clear Unsubscribe Option
If people want to unsubscribe, make it easy for them. Hiding or making the unsubscribe link hard to find is a sure way to frustrate your subscribers and damage your brand’s reputation. Not providing an unsubscribe button in your email is an email marketing mistake to avoid.
Actionable Tip:
Include a clear, easily accessible unsubscribe link at the bottom of every email. Most platforms, like Gmail and Amazon SES, automatically generate this for you, but always check to ensure it’s visible and functional.
- Not Tracking Metrics
Another email marketing mistake is not monitoring the performance of your emails. If you’re not monitoring the key metrics of your campaign, how do you know what’s working? Failing to track key metrics like open rates, click-through rates (CTR), and conversion rates means you’re missing valuable insights.
Actionable Tip:
Regularly analyze email performance through your platform’s analytics dashboard. Identify patterns in engagement and adjust your strategy accordingly. Most email marketing tools such as Elastic Email and MailerLite let you monitor metrics like open, click-through, and bounce rates to improve deliverability.
- Over-selling in Every Email
Too much promotion is an email marketing mistake to avoid as it can turn your audience off. Imagine walking into a store and the salesperson won’t stop following you around. If every message is a hard sell, it feels like you’re constantly shouting “Buy now!” rather than building a relationship.
This can lead to fatigue, causing your audience to tune out, unsubscribe, or even mark your emails as spam. Instead of focusing only on sales, mix in valuable content, helpful tips, and personal engagement to keep subscribers interested.
Actionable Tip:
Use the 80/20 rule—80% of your emails should provide value, and 20% can be promotional. Striking a balance keeps your audience engaged and more likely to take action when the time is right.
- Not Proofreading
Typos, grammatical errors, or broken links can harm your credibility and make your emails look unprofessional. Even minor mistakes can lead to a poor brand impression, these errors can confuse recipients or even result in misinformation.
Worse, a simple email marketing mistake like a typo error can reduce trust in your business and lead to lost sales or engagement. Taking a few extra minutes to proofread ensures your message is clear, professional, and effective, boosting your chances of success.
Actionable Tip:
Always proofread your emails before sending them. Use tools like Grammarly to catch spelling and grammar mistakes. Send a test email to yourself or a colleague to review for errors.
Final Thoughts
Email marketing mistakes are inevitable, but they’re also fixable. If you pay attention to email list management, personalizing your content, streamlining CTAs, A/B testing, and optimizing for mobile, you can drastically improve your email marketing performance.
Now it’s time to take action: Start by identifying one or two mistakes you’re making, and implement the actionable tips provided. If you continuously refine your email marketing strategy, you’ll see better engagement, higher click-through rates, and more conversions.
Do you have a favourite tip or want to share your email marketing blunder with us? Let us know in the comment section.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can email marketing hurt my brand?
Yes! If done poorly, email marketing can damage your brand’s reputation. Spammy content, excessive emails, or poor-quality designs are some email marketing mistakes that can turn off subscribers and lead to high unsubscribe rates. Focus on providing value, segmenting your audience, and delivering relevant content to build trust and maintain engagement.
Should I always include images in my marketing emails?
While images can enhance your email’s appeal, they are not always necessary. Too much on images can slow down load times and negatively impact engagement, especially if the email client blocks images by default.
Why should I use a double opt-in for my email list?
Double opt-in ensures that the people on your email list want to receive your emails. This method reduces spam complaints and improves overall email deliverability and engagement. Plus, double opt-ins help comply with data protection regulations like GDPR by verifying consent.
Why is mobile optimization important for email marketing?
Mobile optimization is crucial because over 60% of users check their emails on mobile devices. If your emails are not mobile-friendly, they might display poorly, leading to higher bounce rates and lower engagement.
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