12 Reasons Why Readers Ignore Your Emails (and How to Change It)

mail2Do you know how users react to your messages? Probably yes, because you analyze open and click-through rates. Probably no, because you find yourself stuck in familiar patterns and don’t question them or don’t try new options. Today we would like to encourage you to step back and look at your emails from customer’s point of view. If you were a recipient, not a sender of the message, what would you think of it?

There are 12 mistakes that marketers fail to spot in their creations. Do you make these?

 

1. Vague subject line
It’s the best way to hide your message in the inbox so nobody can find them because it makes you email look as of you had nothing to offer.
In subject lines being specific pays off. “Vacuum cleaners from $50”, “Chocolate bars 30% off”, “Increase traffic by 100%” or “$100 for you” motivate users to open an email.
That’s why numbered lists work so well: they promise concrete value.

When crafting subject line, always ask yourself “How can I put it in the more precise way?”

 

2. Banality
Safe solutions, following the competition and avoiding risk work like an invisibility cloak. If you don’t stand out, nobody will notice you. As Seth Godin says, today being decent or regular is not enough – you must be remarkable. Otherwise, no one will bother.

Experiment. Test crazy ideas. It involves not only creation itself but also types of emails and time of sending. Why not to segment your database or try dynamic 1-to-1 emails?

 

3. Lack of personalization in subject line
Putting customer’s name in the subject line is super easy and efficient; it catches the eye! Of course, it’s only a small action you should take next to real, deep personalization of offer and content, not instead of it.


Everything You Wanted to Know About Email Marketing. Download Free Ebook


 

4. Newsletters aren’t helpful
A newsletter can waste your time. Why to read it, if there is nothing for you? Many marketers send bulletins because they’re used to it, but is it a good reason?

Try to be in customer’s shoes: what would you like to get from a newsletter? Use research, Buyer Persona, surveys. Discover how you can help your audience.

 

5. Irregularity
Email marketing requires a sense of rhythm. If you send newsletters too rarely, users will forget who you are and lose interest. It also applies to dynamic 1-to-1 emails: email with abandoned cart can be outdated three days after the visit.
On the other hand, abundance can make the customer feel fed up with your messages. Find the balance.

 

6. Lack of measurement
You don’t do A/B testing. You don’t measure a performance of your email campaigns, or you do it inaccurately. At the end of the day, you have no clue what are you doing and what do you want to achieve.

Remember that tests and analytics is the lifeblood of today’s marketing. With the market and audience changing so fast, we must be able to test new solutions and quickly adapt.

 

7.  You don’t know what readers want
How do you compose your messages? How do you choose their content? Is it based on the habit, on the sacred “We’have always done it that way” rule or maybe you rely on chance?
One of the simplest ways to learn it is to ask. If you send first welcome email, ask what kind of offer is most interesting for the user. Allow readers to respond to your messages.

 

8. You believe that “One size fits all.”
No matter how precisely targeted and narrow is your audience: they’re still different individuals, at various stages of buyer’s journey, with diverse interests. That’s why include dynamic 1-to-1 emails in your arsenal (like welcome messages or emails with an offer of viewed products). Also, segment your database and send dedicated emails to a particular groups (like loyal customers).

 

9. Lack of focus
Many emails suffer from lack of clear purpose. They’re cluttered with messages and calls to actions, so the reader doesn’t know what to do. Should she “Buy now” or “See” or “Discover”? In consequence, she removes the message.
The solution is to define what is the key purpose of every message and include one CTA (you can repeat it, but don’t put many various ones).

 

10. Bad promotion – education ratio
Sending only offers might backfire – they discourage users who don’t want to buy, and your relationship with audience can’t be based only on purchase.
Deliver knowledge, inspire, entertain: include more human communication in your messages. Flooding people with offers can’t do any good.

 

11. Too many words
Editing your copy hurts, but if you don’t make your writing more concise, your readers will suffer, trying to fish out the meaning out of the long-winded discourse. Most of them won’t bother.

 

12. Bad timing
What you recipient do when you send her a message? Is now a good moment for her to read your email? Finding a perfect time for each user is easy now – thanks to Marketing Automation. The system automatically delivers your message each recipient basing on the data on her activity online.

What do you think? What can discourage recipients from reading your emails?

SALESmanago is a Customer Engagement Platform for impact-hungry eCommerce marketing teams who want to be lean yet powerful, trusted revenue growth partners for CEOs. Our AI-driven solutions have already been adopted by 2000+ mid-size businesses in 50 countries, as well as many well-known global brands such as Starbucks, Vodafone, Lacoste, KFC, New Balance and Victoria’s Secret.

SALESmanago delivers on its promise of maximizing revenue growth and improving eCommerce KPIs by leveraging three principles: (1) Customer Intimacy to create authentic customer relationships based on Zero and First Party Data; (2) Precision Execution to provide superior Omnichannel customer experience thanks to Hyperpersonalization; and (3) Growth Intelligence merging human and AI-based guidance enabling pragmatic and faster decision making for maximum impact.

More information: www.salesmanago.com

SALESmanago launches powerful personalisation tool to drive eCommerce revenue
SALESmanago launches powerful personalisation tool to drive eCommerce revenue

    Developed to answer marketers’ need for increased personalisation, this new AI-driven tool empowers eCommerce teams with scenarios which create tailored customer experiences News comes as Black Friday eCommerce results highlight that 19% more interaction was created by marketers using personalisation techniques    Krakow/Poland, January 15, 2025:  SALESmanago, Europe’s leading Customer Engagement Platform with […]

SALESmanago partners with PrestaShop to expand AI-driven customer engagement reach to European eCommerce businesses
SALESmanago partners with PrestaShop to expand AI-driven customer engagement reach to European eCommerce businesses

    Channel partnership follows SALESmanago’s recent acquisition of Leadoo, as the company furthers its European Customer Engagement Platform expansion   Krakow/Poland, December 18, 2024: SALESmanago, the SaaS powerhouse with over 3,000 customers, has announced a strategic channel partnership with PrestaShop, one of Europe’s most widely used eCommerce platforms which enables over 300,000 businesses to […]

Case Study: How Subdued Scaled with SALESmanago
Case Study: How Subdued Scaled with SALESmanago

  Subdued’s ROI reached a staggering 2065%, with 50% of sales driven by automation. With automated workflows and customer segmentation in place, Subdued could focus on future expansion, backed by actionable insights from customer data.​   About SubduedSubdued, a brand for independent teenagers, started in Italy in the ’90s and now operates 130 stores globally, […]

Black Friday 2024 Decoded: Key Insights to Boost Your eCommerce Strategy
Black Friday 2024 Decoded: Key Insights to Boost Your eCommerce Strategy

    What separates Winners from Wishers? Yes, it’s data. In the high-stakes arena of eCommerce, Black Friday is no longer just a shopping event—it’s a strategic battlefield where marketing precision determines victory. This year, eCommerce brands have continued to leverage advanced marketing techniques to engage their customers, drive higher conversions, and maximise sales. Here […]

SALESmanago and Leadoo join forces to build Europe’s largest Customer Engagement Platform and drive mid-market eCommerce growth
SALESmanago and Leadoo join forces to build Europe’s largest Customer Engagement Platform and drive mid-market eCommerce growth

    SALESmanago acquires SaaS marketing technology conversion platform Leadoo as part of mission to become Europe’s number one CEP Helsinki-headquartered Leadoo will strengthen SALESmanago’s presence in the UK, Nordics and Benelux, powering eCommerce customer growth with deep insights and personalisation   Krakow/Poland & Helsinki/Finland, November 26th, 2024: SALESmanago, the European SaaS powerhouse with over […]

CMO Role Getting Too Tight? Try Being A Growth Hacker Instead
CMO Role Getting Too Tight? Try Being A Growth Hacker Instead

    by Katrin Lewandowski, Senior Marketing Director at SALESmanago   The year is 2024, and the traditional Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) role is experiencing a transformation. Prominent companies, including brands like UPS and Etsy, have moved to eliminate or repurpose the CMO position—redistributing its responsibilities to roles such as Chief Commercial or Strategy Officers. […]

Skeletons in the eCommerce closet. Which one is your worst nightmare?
Skeletons in the eCommerce closet. Which one is your worst nightmare?

    As Halloween draws near, the urgency to unveil and exorcise the lurking skeletons from eCommerce closets becomes increasingly palpable. Just as the haunted season prompts us to confront our fears, the digital landscape compels businesses to confront the formidable challenges that often remain concealed.   In 2024, the stakes for eCommerce companies have […]

eCommerce Booms and Stagnates
eCommerce Booms and Stagnates

    By Brian Plackis Cheng, CEO at SALESmanago   Commerce is fickle; it stagnates and booms. Customer journeys are non-linear. And these are the things we know for sure. Without actionable customer data and personalised journeys, eCommerce companies are losing customers and prospects, eroding their brand, and sacrificing their competitive edge.    Embracing zero-party […]