
Image source: hubspot.com
We’ve all done it. Clicked the “send” button on a really important email only to notice a major typo in the last second. Or how how about sending an email to the wrong recipient all together (um, sorry about the lingerie picture, uncle Steve).
But did you know that these “careless or idiotic” actions can not only make you look foolish but seriously effect your marketing and ROI. Common mistakes like misspellings and misuse of punctuations are obvious, however there are numerous marketing mistakes that business owners are unaware that they’re even making.
We’ve all had those moments. You know, the ones when you do something completely careless or idiotic, and then quickly follow up with a Ron Burgundy-esque thought like, “I immediately regret this decision” … or a more classic example, the Homer Simpson “D’OH!”
In a recent article on hubspot.com, Pamela Vaughan lists 30 of these common marketing mistakes. Most can be prevented in a matter of seconds, you just need to take the time to realize that you’re even making them in the first place. We suggest you read over the following list and double check your work (and stop sending racy pictures to your uncle, will ya? It’s getting weird).
30 Careless Marketing Mistakes That Can Ruin Your ROI
- Screwing Up Your Email Personalization Tags
- Neglecting to Make Essential Form Fields Required
- Emailing the Wrong List
- Prematurely Publishing Content
- Using Bad/Not Credible/Outdated/Misinterpreted Data
- Not Double Checking the Date and Time of When You Publish
- Not Including Unsubscribe Options in Your Email
- Forgetting to Include Calls-to-Action (CTAs) in Blog Posts
- Not Citing Sources Properly
- Not Checking to Make Sure You’re Even Allowed to Use that Image, Stat, etc.
- Not Offering a Plain Text or Web Version of Your Emails
- Not Configuring Your Links to Open in a New Window
- Adding Distractions to Your Landing Pages
- Placing Your Forms Below the Fold
- Not Linking Back to Your Website in Social Media Profiles and Updates
- Overlooking Images and Formatting in Blog Posts
- Not Including the Download Link on Your Thank-You Pages/Emails
- Messing Up the Timing/Scheduling of Your Automated Workflows
- Linking Your CTA to the Wrong Landing Page (Or Having a Broken Link in Your CTA)
- Not Test Sending Your Emails First
- Not Checking to See if the Results of Your A/B Tests Are Statistically Significant
- Neglecting to Write a Solid Meta Description
- Marketing to People Who Have Already Bought
- Not Cleaning Up Dead Web Pages and Broken Links
- Sending Emails to a Rented/Bought List
- Not Including Social Sharing and Follow Buttons in Your Content
- Not Warning/Prepping Your Sales Reps About a New Offer or Campaign
- Cloning an Email or Landing Page Without Changing Critical Info
- Forgetting to Add Tracking Tokens
- Not Giving People a Way to Contact You Directly