4 Email Marketing Tactics That Should Die in 2017 (And What To Do Instead)

Raise your hand if your Gmail ‘Promotions’ tab gives you anxiety.

It’s like a bottomless pit: delete 10 emails, in come another 20. I counted, and this weekend alone, I had 127 promotional emails just waiting — hoping — to be opened. Considering most marketers favor weekdays, I don’t even want to think about what that means for the rest of the week.

Clearly, marketers have seen better days. The silver lining? Email marketing, the trooper that it is, still continues to drive an impressive ROI for most marketers. But in an increasingly saturated space, it’s only becoming harder to win over your prospect’s attention. Which means it’s a good idea to constantly assess and adapt your approach.

Where to begin? Here are just a few passé tactics to ditch — and what to try instead.

1. The “I inserted %%FirstName%% so that means it’s personalized” tactic. Inserting a recipient’s name or company does not mean your email is personalized. Sure, by definition it’s personalization. But it’s the laziest, most meaningless form of it. Everyone knows they’re just one of hundreds of thousands of fields on an email list, most likely being triggered through an automation. Where’s the ‘personal’ in that? In my opinion, it’s a worn-out waste of precious space — especially when used in a subject line.

…INSTEAD? Try personalization techniques that go beyond a name. Use data segmentation to send your audience fragments tailored messaging based on their needs or preferences. Take this Lyft email, for example. By leveraging customer data, they were able to craft a highly personalized year-end review engagement campaign. From showcasing my trip highlights to assigning me a “spirit animal” based on my ride behavior, this campaign totally nailed it. (Though I now live in shame knowing I’ve spent 870 total minutes in a Lyft in 2016.)

2. The “Throw an emoji in because emoji marketing is in” tactic. Don’t get me wrong — I love emojis. And judging by the widespread adoption of iPhoners and marketers alike, I’m not alone. But lately I’ve noticed that some brands are a bit emoji crazy. If it can actually reinforce or amplify your message, then by all means, throw that baby in. But two red exclamation points at the beginning of your subject line isn’t going to increase my chances of opening (looking at you, Old Navy *eyeroll emoji*). Don’t feel like you need to add an emoji in just because the cool kids are doing it.

…INSTEAD? Before using an emoji, ask yourself: does it serve a purpose or strengthen your message? Is it on-brand? Peep these 7 examples of clever emoji marketing from HubSpot for guidance. Here’s one example from my inbox, via ALEX & ANI. The Lady Liberty emoji was a creative, visual way to foreshadow what the rest of the subject line was referencing. Now that’s more like it.

3. The “Let’s put everything but the kitchen sink in the subject line” tactic. Just because most email clients can display up to 50 characters doesn’t mean you should use them all. In today’s noisy landscape, the subject lines that stand out are those with an element of allure. Of course you want to allude to what the email’s about, but you don’t want to give away all the goods. We want people to open after all, right?

…INSTEAD? Don’t be afraid to spice up your subject lines. Aim for the perfect mix of informative and playful. Brands like PureWow and The Muse are masters at this technique. For example, a recent PureWow subject line read, “Psst: there’s a gym in your building.” The content? Promoting a new service that allows you to stream NYC workout classes at home. They managed to hint at what the email was about, and pique my interest, without being too literal. Of course, always be sure to A/B test any new subjects you try.

4. The “Everyone loves discounts so let’s send all the discount emails” tactic. It can be tempting to become overly reliant on hard offer emails — especially if they bring in the green. But there’s more than short-term revenue to consider when you measure campaign success. The #1 reason people unsubscribe from emails is because the sender sends too often. Are you evaluating the frequency of your promotional emails, and the impact on your list size and engagement? According to MailBakery, anything above a 2% unsubscribe rate is cause for concern. Make sure you’re in good standing, or put an end to the “spray and pray” if you’re not.

…INSTEAD? Put the “special” back in your special offers. I like to use the 80/20 rule — if you’re sending super valuable, engaging information 80% of the time, then 20% of what you communicate can be about your promotional offerings. This way you’re delivering value and creating awareness in advance — all while not annoying your email list! Oh, and when you do send that special offer, please don’t rely on cliche language like “You heard it first!” and “Don’t miss out!” If I had a dollar for every email in my inbox laden with those terms, I’d be rich. Try to get creative, and don’t forget about your brand voice. Take this Rent the Runway email, for example. It’s direct, succinct, and all about discounts. And yet from the subject to the CTA, it still maintains a playful, on-brand tone. Goals.

What email marketing tactics send you running for the unsub? These are just four tactics that make my inbox cringe, but any marketer (or consumer, for that matter) is bound to have their own set of pet peeves. Share them below! (It’ll be therapeutic, I promise.)