Six Email Mistakes Big Companies Make That Solopreneurs Can Avoid to Build Customer Loyalty

I am not prone to verbal violence.

Yet I started my day ranting on LinkedIn because I got a marketing email so inane I turned into a bad marketing vigilante.

Here’s what my fancy pants gym sent:

Good morning Mariko!

Here at O2 Fitness we would like to say Happy One Year Anniversary! You’re an amazing member to have and we look forward to having another fantastic year! See you soon!

All the best, (unsigned).

O2 fitness is a chain of 20 gyms with minions and a big marketing budget. How did they screw up? Let me count the ways:

1. No purpose. What's the point? Even spam from a Nigerian "prince" has a goal. Are gym anniversaries really a cause for celebration?

2. No call to action. Did O2 want me to do something? Like maybe continue my membership?

3. Not credible language. I’m not amazing. My year has not been fantastic. 

4. Leave an email unsigned. Whatever illusion I had about this coming from a human is shattered.

5. No gratitude. At a minimum, a thank you would have been nice. An offer of swag would have been better. 

6. Not knowing your customer. I go 5x a week and pay big bucks to work with Malik, the couch potato whisperer. If I hadn't gone in months this email would remind me to cancel. We're getting the same email. Why?

Every email you send a customer is asking for their time and attention. When you squander both, they get pissed off. 

Have something to say, say it like a human, and say it like you care.