Some email mistakes can be corrected after deployment. For example, if an image path is coded incorrectly it will appear broken in the email, but in some cases this can be fixed by simply uploading the image to the same path being referenced in the message code. The image should then display for any recipient who opens the email from that point on.
If a link is pointing to a site that appears to be down, contact the site's administrator as soon as possible to alert them to the situation -- whether your own site's administrator. or that of a third-party site (i.e. advertiser). In some cases it may be possible to quickly implement a redirect so recipients who click on an incorrect link within your message will nevertheless wind up on the correct landing page.
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If you host the Web version of your message, don't forget to make corrections as soon as any type of error is discovered. Subscribers who have images blocked may click directly over to the Web-hosted version of your email (typically included near the top of email messages) in which case they may never know that the email version contained any mistakes.
Unfortunately, some of the most common email errors absolutely cannot be fixed after deployment, such as typos and mistakes in coding that affect the message layout. Even mistakes that can be corrected will likely be seen by a number of subscribers before corrective measures can be taken.
At this point, a judgment call must be made as far as whether or not to send a follow-up message. This is advisable only if a) the error affected a very important aspect of the message and b) you've built up enough loyalty among your subscriber base that a resend won't lead to serious consequences.
For instance, if "5% savings" was supposed to be "50% savings" (or vice versa) it would be a good idea to alert subscribers to the error with a follow-up correction. Be sure to add "Correction" (or something to that effect) in the subject line of a resend so recipients know they aren't receiving multiple messages without cause, and call out the nature of the correction in the pre-header area so it can be seen in the preview pane.
Errors that don't drastically affect the overall message should be learned from, but don't warrant taking additional action. Any kind of error can be cause for some embarrassment, of course, but there is great risk involved in redeploying to your mailing list. A loyal subscriber base may be a bit more lenient than otherwise, but email recipients in general are very sensitive to the amount of marketing messages they receive. Once a frequency has been established, seeing the same sender name in their inbox more often than normal can cause some recipients to take action -- either through unsubscribing or, even worse, clicking the "SPAM" button without even reading the subject line.
When it comes to correction/apology emails, ask yourself these questions before acting:
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, the situation likely calls for a correction/apology email.
Nobody's perfect, but the margin for error in email marketing is about as small as the amount of extra space in today's overcrowded inboxes. Errors will happen, but when they do, act accordingly -- don't let damage control lead to more damage.
Great points! Here are 2 more:
Don't bring attention to your error with a recalled message. A recalled message notice is like passing an accident scene. You don't want to look but you just can't help yourself. Send a new email, just as you say, with the word Correction or Update in the subject line.
Use an unusual font or color when proofing (proofing and re-reading, I'm hopeful, are givens!). You'll be more likely to see your errors because the odd color/type lets you see it with a fresh eye. Remember to restore the correct settings before sending!
Thanks again!
Sue@SpeakerSue.com
Blog:SpeakerSueSays
Twitter:SpeakerSue
Just wondering why emails regarding email marketing have such low quality markup. A dearth of markup actually, which makes this one very difficult to read. In fact, I didn't read it since it was basically a pile of text with not one word bolded, no headings, and too many words.
You can do better mediapost.
Jordan, good advice. I've also seen emails from online retailers with "We're sorry" or "Oops - we goofed" in the subject line. This adds another human touch.
I've received a lot of the "Oops!" emails lately - some from the same sources. It is beginning to feel like maybe they are doing it on purpose, so they can hit me with their promotional message a second time.
I like Sue Coore's point about sending a new message with UPDATE in it. When I was a reporter, that was the perfect way to know I needed to ditch an earlier missive in favor of the new one. Those I don't mind - especially if it doesn't happen often from same user, or I know there is breaking news attached, so it might change at any moment.
Thanks for a terrific post!
Unfortunately, Angela who just commented hit the nail on the head. If you have ever seen the results from a 'correction' or 'apology' email, you'd note the phenomenal success they can bring. It's not a coincidence this occurs, and there isn't a retailer out there whose website hasn't suffered some outage during a sale and which an apology is email is potentially warranted. I'm sorry to say it does sometimes appear disengenous, but marketers will be marketers and even the slightest reason for an apology may endear customer response (and without the negative complaint repercusssions alluded to in the article).
I agree with your comments about resending emails. Live with the fact you are human. If somebody contacts you about it you can always have fun and say, "I'm glad you picked up on my deliberate error, I was wondering if anyone would."
Many emails are read by around 10%-50% of your list - is there any need to let the other 50% know an error was made?
Cheer - Kurt Johansen - Australia's Email Marketing Guru
http://www.kurtjohansen.com
Hey Jordan - I enjoyed this article. I see a couple of commenters have already mentioned that 'oops' emails can provide a big lift in results ... There is also the option of sending that 'oops' email only to those who were identified as having opened the original email, and were most likely to be the ones who saw the error.