Email Blast: 5 Reasons why you shouldn’t do them and what to do instead

If you’ve ever subscribed to an online newsletter, you are probably aware of how boring the emails can be at times. One day you may get the best-formatted email, and the next day, the topic will be completely off. Why can’t emails provide consistent content that provides the customer with useful information? Why is the ROI of your business’s email marketing going down?

While there could be a combination of factors, one of the main reasons is that too many businesses are using emails. Yes, you heard it right. The convenient technique for creating a single template and sending it to hundreds of subscribers no longer works.

It could be lowering the ROI of your email marketing campaigns as well.

While it used to be one of the most profitable email marketing techniques, it is no longer useful due to its abuse. So what do you do? Is email marketing dead?

The answer is no. Email marketing is just as effective today as it was a few years ago. The only difference is that the strategies have changed. Most customers and subscribers want personalization and content that interests them. Unfortunately, email blasting campaigns cannot provide a personalized experience for different customer groups.

Five reasons why you should not use an email blast

It cannot provide a personalized experience

The average person’s inbox fills up with emails that are not important to them. For example, if you subscribed to a food blog because you are looking for weight loss recopies. Then you’ll get days when there is nothing that interests you in their blog. This issue is one of the main problems with an email blast.

There is no personalization nor focus on the varying needs of the customer. You create a single email template and send it to hundreds of subscribers without knowing their interest in offerings. The result is a decrease in ROI for your email marketing campaign, and a tendency to be ignored and sent to the graveyard of unread email messages.

Nowadays, customers require personalized messages that appeal to their particular needs. Just because someone subscribed to your blog doesn’t mean that they are interested in all the topics. Try and divide your emails into different segments and focus on personalization instead of creating one template for all subscribers.

An Email Blast is inconsistent

Another major issue with an email blast is that it is inconsistent. You may send an email about your services in general and wait for a response. Chances are you won’t create a new email until the leads start running dry from the old one. However, this could cause more harm than good. While it may seem convenient, it develops inconsistency.

For many customers, inconsistency means unreliability. By blasting emails away whenever you feel like it, you develop a habit of inconsistency, leading you to lose customers. People like things to fit into a schedule and expect stuff regularly. Email blasts are inconsistent and do not fit into any regularity, so they become ineffective.

An Email blast does not follow a logical pattern

This point complements the previous point on inconsistency. The problem with an email blast is that it is not effective in creating a logical pattern. It is merely a few random emails that carry a sales message. This spamming method often leads to more negativity than praise as customers often ‘forget’ about your brand in between the emails.

When creating an effective email marketing campaign, you should ensure that each email is a continuation of the previous one. Not only will this generate interest amongst readers, but it will also create a positive image of your emails.

An Email blast is not engaging

One of the main issues with an email blast is that it lacks reader engagement. There is no personalized message, no questions to engage the reader. The only response that the email aims to get is a quote or lead. However, in marketing, everything has to go through steps, and the same goes for promotional emails.

Sometimes you will have to provide excellent content with long term brand promotion in mind. In such emails, you should create user engagement questionnaires, forms, contests, etc. to engage the readers. You should also take the time to reply to any comments, emails, and queries.

An Email blast is sent directly to the spam folder

Another reason to avoid email blast is that many email service providers are marketing them as spam. Even emails created using a creative template are now being detected and sent to the spam folder.

The truth is that with the advancements in email technology, many of the older techniques have become redundant. Unless you want your emails sent to the spam folder, maybe it’s time for a change in strategy.

What to do instead of email blasts?

There is no denying that an email blast is not as effective as it used to be. This form of email marketing is inconsistent, does not provide a personalized message, and is almost always sent to the spam folder.

Here are some things to do instead of email blasts:

• Create segmented email lists according to specific customer categorization and send separate emails to each segment
• Create a clear pattern in your emails and link each email with the previous one
• Encourage users to comment and reply to most emails
• Add creative pictures and specific video links to your emails
• Create a precise marketing campaign that aims to promote your brand identity as well as increase sales. Merely focusing on sales won’t be effective

Now its your turn

While many of these strategies may seem relatively simple, you’ll be surprised to learn how few marketers use them. Personalization is vital if you want to create user engagement and convince the customer to take action.

Do you have any other ideas on how to avoid email blasts? Let me know in the comments below. I would love to hear from you!