what to do when it goes wrong

We’ve all been there. You’re very busy and you have to get your email out today. You write it, proof it, everyone’s happy and you send it. Then you spot the mistake.

We'll cover a few typical situations where things go wrong and how to react to them to give you the best possible outcome.

spelling mistakes

It’s very easy to forget to spell check your email. We know you'll read what you think should be there when you’re up against the clock.

To avoid this happening you can install the free Google toolbar which has a spell checker. If however, your email does go with spelling mistakes in it, we’d recommend letting it go.

If it’s not obvious, you can get away with it as most subscribers won’t spot it either. There is no need to bring your subscribers attention to small things like this. Sometimes these things happen.

If you do send the email again, make sure you add a note at the top of the email explaining the reasons. Otherwise you could potentially annoy your subscribers by seeming to send them the same email twice.

wrong subject line

Correcting this kind of mistake can be damaging to your brand rather than doing it any good. Subscribers are an understanding bunch so if you don’t make a big issue out of it, they won’t, especially if it’s a monthly newsletter and all you normally change is the month.

We recommend the first thing you do is look at your properties panel for this very reason. It’s not the end of the world if you send an email entitled April in May.

If your subject line contains important information and you choose to send the email again, make sure you add a note at the top of the email explaining the reasons why. Another way of managing this is to write an addendum on your next email communication, noting the error and correcting it accordingly.

wrong or broken links

This is a common problem which can be either the links don’t work or they are taking your subscribers to the wrong place. The best thing to do in this situation is send the original email with the right links, including a short note at the top explaining the links have been corrected.

A note in the subject line would also be advisable. For example:

From Name: newzapp email marketing
From Email Address: marketing@newzapp.co.uk
Subject: (Corrected Version) Previous subject line

"Hi there! Your eyes aren’t deceiving you: Yes, we are sending you the same email twice. Yesterday’s issue contained a few broken links, and we thought it was important to deliver the information to you correctly. Please accept our apologies for the confusion."

It's important to resend your email quickly and to explain why you are appearing to be sending the same email twice. This example is friendly, explains exactly what has happened and apologises for any inconvenience.

your email has gone to the wrong subscribers

Have you sent a special offer to the wrong group of subscribers? This mistake can have the most impact on potential revenue, so you'll need to provide the most considered but timely response.

If the offer is on an image, then delete the image from your account. This will then display as empty white boxes in the recipients inbox. This gives you time to send a corrective email, whilst ensuring as few subscribers as possible have seen the offer.

If the offer is in the text, then there’s nothing you can do to stop it from being out there.

When you build your corrective email, here are some best practice tips to follow:

• Make sure your subject line carries information about the previous email being incorrect.
• Apologise.
• Explain what the error is.
• Don’t lie about the error.

 
You can also give something back. It doesn’t have to be the same offer, but as part of your apology you can provide extra value which could turn some subscribers into paying customers. This can provide additional revenue you wouldn’t have tapped otherwise and can improve your brand awareness.

do’s and don’ts

• Schedule your campaigns (newzapp enterprise customers only). This will give you at least a 15 minute window to spot anything and cancel it. You can then correct the mistakes and re-schedule the send.
• Try not to react immediately. Consider the situation and ask yourself the following questions:
  > What effect did this have on the recipient? 
  > What’s the worst that can happen? 
  > Does the worst that can happen justify any action?

• Don’t write “oops!” anywhere in your email or subject line when you're sending a corrective email. It’s not very professional and you can come up with something far more relevant.
• Do feel free to ring us in these situations before you take any action. We will be more than happy to review the email with you and advise on the best practice action to take.
   

overall

Take your time. If an email is sent that you're not happy with, don't send out a response or corrective email straight away. Have a think about it and call us for advice and best practice guidance if you want to. Your first reaction won't necessarily be the right one, so plan a structured and considered response.