Discover 5 common email marketing mistakes that stop people from reading, clicking, or buying — and how to fix them fast.
If your emails are landing in inboxes but getting crickets in return — low clicks, no replies, or silent unsubscribes — you might be making one of these common email marketing mistakes.
The good news? They’re all easy to fix.
Let’s talk about content design.
Because it’s not just what you say in your emails, it’s how it looks.
Great content design helps your reader scan, comprehend, and get the gist without straining their brain. Think of it as visual kindness: short paragraphs, helpful subheadings, whitespace, bolded key points. These little tweaks can mean the difference between getting read or hitting unsubscribe.
Sending emails with big blocks of text
Nothing says “I don’t want to read this” like a giant wall of copy.
Most of your audience is skimming – especially on their phone.
💡 Quick fix:
Break long paragraphs into 1–2 sentence chunks
Use line spacing, bold text and subheadings
Highlight key info like dates, offers, or links
Better yet: Ask yourself – “Would I want to read this on the go?”
No clear structure or visual hierarchy
If everything looks the same, nothing stands out.
And that means your message might get missed entirely.
💡 Quick fix:
Use subheadings to break content into digestible chunks
Add bullet points for lists
Use bold text sparingly to draw the eye to key points
Add white space so your content can breathe
Pro tip: Try the “5-second scan” test — can you get the main message at a glance?
Weak (or missing) call to action
You’ve written the email. But have you told people what to do next?
💡 Quick fix:
Be specific and action-oriented with your CTAs:
“Download the guide”
“Book a discovery call”
“See how it works”
Avoid vague CTAs like “Click here” or hiding the link in a long paragraph.
And yes, buttons work better – in fact, they can increase clicks by up to 28%! (Thanks for that stat Deanna from Notice and Co)
Trying to say everything in one email
I must confess, this is easy to do. SORRY!
Overloading your reader with updates, launches, links, and general news all at once?
That’s a fast track to overwhelm — and zero clicks.
💡 Quick fix:
Pick one main message per email.
If you’ve got a few things to say, break them up over multiple sends or group them clearly under headings.
Think:
“This week’s top tip”
“What’s new”
“One thing to read today”
Less clutter = more action.
Making it all about you, not them
“We’re so excited to share…”
“We’ve launched a new service…”
“We’re growing and wanted to let you know…”
It’s easy to slip into me-me-me mode. But your reader is asking, what’s in it for me?
💡 Quick fix:
Flip the script:
Instead of “We’ve released a new product,” say “Need help with [problem]? Our new product is here to help.”
Use words like you, your, imagine, what if, and here’s how it helps
The best emails feel like they’re written for the reader — not just about the sender.
Before you hit send…
If you’ve made one (or all) of these email mistakes — no judgment. We all have.
The fix isn’t complicated. It’s about thinking like a reader.
Make it skimmable. Say one clear thing. Make the action obvious. And show that you get what your audience actually needs.
A few quick tweaks can take your emails from ignored → clicked.
Want help with that? My “Make This Better” service is perfect for polishing up that one piece of content that’s just not landing. It’s an affordable way to get your copy reviewed. Think: welcome emails, sales pages, newsletters, or anything that needs a fresh set of eyes.
Need my help?
Book a discovery call to talk about your content marketing needs (we do this over Zoom).
