Despite the glitz and glamour of newer marketing channels, most people still favor tried-and-true email. "A recent study asked consumers which channel they prefer for receiving permission-based promotional messages," reports Janelle Johnson in an article at MarketingProfs. "A whopping 77% said email. No other channel even scored in the double digits."

In light of the power the medium still holds, you simply cannot get your email marketing wrong—and that means avoiding common mistakes like these:

One-size-fits-all messages. The CEO of a major corporation and the owner of a small business have different needs and pain points. If you send them the same message, you're sending someone an irrelevant message.

Messages that don't adapt. "You've heard insanity defined as doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results?" asks Johnson. Effective messaging doesn't just happen; it takes testing and refinement.

Messages without links to your website. Subscribers can't take action if they have nowhere to go. Conversely, loading your message with too many links can also have a paralyzing effect on recipients. Give them a single, clear call to action and a working link.

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