I have been using AWeber’s email marketing platform for years. Initially for fun and to see what all the fuss was about, I then gradually turned into a full-blown customer, and eventually an evangelist, and now I help lead The AWeber Community, which at the time of this writing has over 263,000 members. In that time, I have seen many changes to the email marketing platform, and while some are really good, others, I feel, could have been better.
If you’re reading this, I assume you’re either a customer of mine or someone I’ve helped in the past, and so I feel obligated to point out a few areas where AWeber could have improved, as these issues affect both users and myself, as someone who works there, and I know many of our customers feel the same.
Email Over-Saturation
It’s always a struggle to create content that will interest and entertain your audience, but to also encourage them to engage with your email marketing campaigns, or any form of direct marketing, for that matter. Ideally, you want to target the right audience with the right content at the right time, and oftentimes, over-delivery of content is the key to achieving that goal. So when you send out a huge email blast with a dozen blog posts, or a new product announcement, or any kind of marketing or sales email – you’re bound to get a few complaints, right?
Well, with so much competition for our attention, especially since social media keeps popping up and sucking away our time, and so much content available to be consumed, why would anyone actively opt-in to your campaigns if your emails are just going to be another generic message in their inbox? They might as well be on social media, sharing the same content you’re sending out, and that’s all they needed – a boost of content to read through and then share. This is why AWeber should have worked harder to ensure that their emails didn’t flood peoples’ inboxes, but instead, came as a curated collection of content, from a single source, that was both informative and entertaining.
Email Template Over-Customization
Customization is always a huge plus when drafting an email, especially when you’re sending something that’s relatively personal, like a birthday or anniversary email, or a pitch for a new product or service. You can further personalize the email by tailoring the content to the reader, so it is highly effective when used in conjunction with a targeted mailing list. When we receive a personalized email, we tend to feel more engaged and inclined to take action, especially when compared to an email in our inbox that’s impersonal.
If you’re sending the same email to hundreds or thousands of people, it can get a little repetitive. Especially if you’re sending it monthly, it gets old fast. Having the ability to customize a template allows you to keep the format consistent while altering the content.
Less Active Listening
If you read my blog, you know that I try to keep it as relevant and up-to-date as possible, which is why I’ve dabbled in so many different areas of interest, from affiliate marketing, to smartphone cases, to CBD oil, and so much more. Because there’s so much content out there, and the world is changing so quickly, your best bet for remaining relevant is by constantly keeping your audience engaged. One of the ways you can do that is by regularly sending them content that is both informative and entertaining. AWeber should have worked harder to ensure that their users kept coming back for more, by creating content that was varied and interesting.
Fewer Features
With so many different platforms and providers competing for our attention, it’s only natural that marketers would want to keep things simple and accessible, which is why fewer features, and fewer steps, and fewer clicks are always the way forward. When users have less to remember, and can get more done in less time, everyone wins.
For instance, if you’re using a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system like Pipedrive, or Contact Manager, you can set automated emails to be sent out at pre-defined intervals. Alternatively, you can use a service like Mailchimp to create and send out a professional-looking automated email campaign in no time. Using a tool like Google Docs, you can even set certain criteria for the content within the email, like a subject line, and a couple of lines of text, and you’ll have a polished and professional-looking email ready to go, in no time.
The fact is, not every business, consumer, or person wants or needs a complex system to manage their email marketing campaigns, or CRM for that matter. If you’re just getting started, or if your needs are relatively simple, then go with the tried and true methods of using email to grow your business.