Even with the explosion of social media marketing, email marketing is still a very powerful and effective method of growing your business.

A study by ExactTarget shows that 77% of consumers prefer to receive permission-based sales communications and messages via email. And according to Experian, for every dollar spent on email marketing there is an average return of $44.25.

Building a responsive mailing list can do wonders for your business, but there are some misconceptions about email marketing that could cause you to lose subscribers.

1. Not being consistent – ​​Email marketing needs to be regular and consistent. Don’t send a message “every once in a while” and expect to get a response. You must send regular updates and information to your readers to prove that you are trustworthy. There are differing opinions on how often you should send your emails, but consistency is key. If you send your messages once a month, make sure you send one every month. I have unsubscribed from several email lists because newsletters and/or updates were sent inconsistently. This shows me that the business owner is not committed to his business and therefore would not be committed to his customers.

2. Try to sell with every email: Don’t insult your readers by trying to sell them something with every message or newsletter you send. Show your readers that you really want to provide them with useful information and resources. Your number one priority should be to build a relationship with your readers and with that, sales will follow.

3. Not encouraging interaction: Building a relationship with your readers involves interaction. Encourage them to participate by organizing contests, surveys, questions and answers, etc. By engaging and interacting with your subscribers, you’ll form a bond with them that will do more for your business than email itself.

4. Not sending mobile-friendly messages: More and more people are using mobile devices these days, and you need to adapt your marketing to do the same. According to TopRankBlog, 64% of consumers read their emails on their mobile device. You need to accommodate your mobile subscribers as well as standard desktop readers.

5. Not Proofreading Your Message – You should test your message or newsletter to make sure it is formatted correctly and readable. Don’t assume it will look good once shipped because it looks good while being created. Send it to yourself and a few others to see what it will really look like to your readers. Although your readers will miss some things, you don’t want to send error-filled or poorly formatted emails.

6. No Contact Information: Building a relationship with your readers is a must, but not having your contact information in plain sight is a good way to sabotage your efforts. Always put your name, business name and information on all your messages. Let people know who you are. If you are unwilling to provide your information to your subscribers, it is certainly questionable and could be a death sentence for you and your company.

7. Not researching and writing an effective subject line – Don’t use “spam” words and “hypy” phrases in your subject line. Keep your subject lines short and to the point. Words like cash, buy, cheap, free, and many others are known spam triggers. Use words that give you a higher open rate and fewer unsubscribes instead of triggering spam filters. For example: instead of cheap, use cheap.

8. No personality: Don’t subscribe to the misconception that your newsletters or emails have to be all business and no fun. Add a little fun, humor and personality. I have been featuring a trivia challenge in my weekly emails for many years and it is one of my readers’ favorite elements of my messages. It’s also a fun and interesting way to interact with my subscribers. NOTE: Make sure none of the humor or fun is offensive or inappropriate.

9. Not proofreading your messages or newsletters – Always proofread your work and, if possible, have someone else proofread it as well. It’s all too easy to miss mistakes when reading your own writing. We all make mistakes throughout our personal and professional lives, but making too many can cause damage.

10. Never deliver: If you say you’re going to offer this or provide that, make sure you do it. Once you start with false promises and offers, your subscribers will leave quickly and for good reason. You certainly can’t expect your readers to stick with you if they can’t trust you. Be there for them and be available to answer questions and always deliver!

Some people have said that email marketing is dead, but read the stats and you’ll see that it’s alive and well. Start your email marketing now and be sure to follow the guidelines above to connect and build a responsive email list.