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1. THE BIGGEST EMAIL
MARKETING MYTHS

2. Doing email marketing
right is challenging—but
it’s made more difficult by
all of the outdated and
just plain wrong advice
out there that leads
marketers astray.
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths

3. Here are 25 email
marketing myths you may
believe are true because
they’ve been repeated so
many times. Make sure you
know the truth and why
these myths are busted!
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths

4. #1 MYTH
Subject lines have the biggest impact on
whether a subscriber opens an email.
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths
Why this myth is so very busted
TRUTH
Your sender name, not your subject line,
has the biggest impact on whether your
emails are opened.
Click to tweet: “The biggest email marketing myth?@litmusapp’s Myth #1. https://ctt.ec/TaD5_+
What do you think?”

5. #2 MYTH
Millennials don’t like email.
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths
TRUTH
Millennials prefer email for commercial
communications, just like other age
groups. Plus, they’re very bullish on
email’s long-term staying power.
Click to tweet: “The biggest email marketing myth? @litmusapp’s Myth #2. https://ctt.ec/OJ5Tl+
What do you think?”
Why this myth is so very busted

6. #3 MYTH
CAN-SPAM requires brands to obtain
consent before sending people email.
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths
Why this myth is so very busted
TRUTH
The U.S. is one of the few first-world
nations with an anti-spam law that doesn’t
make consent a legal requirement.
Click to tweet: “The biggest email marketing myth? @litmusapp’s Myth #3. https://ctt.ec/8U2Ug+
What do you think?”

7. #4 MYTH
Subject lines can only impact email
open rates.
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths
Why this myth is so very busted
TRUTH
Subject lines can affect deep metrics—all
the way down to conversions.
Click to tweet: “The biggest email marketing myth? @litmusapp’s Myth #4. https://ctt.ec/_USnC+
What do you think?”

8. #5 MYTH
Consumers are spending less time
with email.
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths
Why this myth is so very busted
TRUTH
Consumers have been spending steadily
more time reading emails, especially on
mobile devices.
Click to tweet: “The biggest email marketing myth? @litmusapp’s Myth #5. https://ctt.ec/yRLbf+
What do you think?”

9. #6 MYTH
You only have to follow the spam laws
of the country you’re based in.
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths
Why this myth is so very busted
TRUTH
No matter where your business is based,
you must follow any international laws that
apply to your subscribers.
Click to tweet: “The biggest email marketing myth? @litmusapp’s Myth #6. https://ctt.ec/2fdba+
What do you think?”

10. #7 MYTH
The subject line’s one and only goal is
to get subscribers to open the email.
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths
Why this myth is so very busted
TRUTH
The goal of a subject line isn’t to generate
opens. It’s to generate openers who are
likely to convert.
Click to tweet: “The biggest email marketing myth? @litmusapp’s Myth #7. https://ctt.ec/gYdcX+
What do you think?”

11. #8 MYTH
You can only use standard system
fonts in your emails.
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths
Why this myth is so very busted
TRUTH
Web fonts aren’t supported in every email
client, but can be used as a progressive
enhancement with a fallback.
Click to tweet: “The biggest email marketing myth? @litmusapp’s Myth #8. https://ctt.ec/026TA+
What do you think?”

12. #9 MYTH
Unsubscribes are the worst thing that
can happen to your sender reputation.
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths
Why this myth is so very busted
TRUTH
Opt-outs via the unsubscribe links in your
emails have no known effect on your
sender reputation or deliverability.
Click to tweet: “The biggest email marketing myth? @litmusapp’s Myth #9. https://ctt.ec/Fs6Pw+
What do you think?”

13. #10 MYTH
To compel subscribers to open, subject
lines need to grab their attention with
provocative and intriguing language.
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths
Why this myth is so very busted
TRUTH
Many of the most effective subject lines
are straightforward, well-branded, and kind
of boring
Click to tweet: “The biggest email marketing myth? @litmusapp’s Myth #10. https://ctt.ec/ZlA6w
+ What do you think?”

14. #11 MYTH
Consumers don’t check their spam
folder.
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths
Why this myth is so very busted
TRUTH
67% of consumers check their spam folder
at least sometimes, and 60% move emails
out of their spam folder at least sometimes.
Click to tweet: “The biggest email marketing myth? @litmusapp’s Myth #11. https://ctt.ec/2cULY
+ What do you think?”

15. #12 MYTH
Double or confirmed opt-in is legally
required in European countries.
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths
Why this myth is so very busted
TRUTH
While Europe’s anti-spam laws are tough,
only Germany requires double opt-in, and
that's through case law, not legislation.
Click to tweet: “The biggest email marketing myth? @litmusapp’s Myth #12. https://ctt.ec/AS7fv+
What do you think?”

16. #13 MYTH
The worst thing that can happen to an
email is that it isn’t opened.
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths
Why this myth is so very busted
TRUTH
The worst case is an email is opened and
disappoints, causing an opt-out or spam
complaint.
Click to tweet: “The biggest email marketing myth? @litmusapp’s Myth #13. https://ctt.ec/Uyehd
+ What do you think?”

17. #14 MYTH
Emails must look identical across all
email clients.
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths
Why this myth is so very busted
TRUTH
Email is not print. Small variations are
inevitable. Plus, insisting on sameness
means ignoring progressive enhancement
opportunities.
Click to tweet: “The biggest email marketing myth? @litmusapp’s Myth #14. https://ctt.ec/
cgob1+ What do you think?”

18. #15 MYTH
How marketers and subscribers define
spam is the same.
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths
Why this myth is so very busted
TRUTH
While most brands think solely about
permission, consumers also consider any
irrelevant and unwanted email as spam.
Click to tweet: “The biggest email marketing myth? @litmusapp’s Myth #15. https://ctt.ec/
gLBO3+ What do you think?”

19. #16 MYTH
If an email isn’t opened, then it’s like
you never sent it.
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths
Why this myth is so very busted
TRUTH
Unopened emails can have significant
influence, especially if the subject line is
well-written.
Click to tweet: “The biggest email marketing myth? @litmusapp’s Myth #16. https://ctt.ec/7hfZR
+ What do you think?”

20. #17 MYTH
New or more IP addresses can solve
all your delivery issues.
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths
Why this myth is so very busted
TRUTH
Inbox providers can easily spot senders
who change IPs or “showshoe” to try to
hide from a bad sender reputation.
Click to tweet: “The biggest email marketing myth? @litmusapp’s Myth #17. https://ctt.ec/
_5kU9+ What do you think?”

21. #18 MYTH
You should never use all caps,
exclamation marks, or the words “free”
or “buy now,” because these words
trigger spam filters.
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths
Why this myth is so very busted
TRUTH
Copy can trigger a spam filter, but only if
you have previous poor sending practices.
Click to tweet: “The biggest email marketing myth? @litmusapp’s Myth #18. https://ctt.ec/c56oj+
What do you think?”

22. #19 MYTH
Deliverability problems are caused by
inbox providers.
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths
Why this myth is so very busted
TRUTH
In most cases, deliverability problems are
the result of your permission practices and
campaigns.
Click to tweet: “The biggest email marketing myth? @litmusapp’s Myth #19. https://ctt.ec/
fDH11+ What do you think?”

23. #20 MYTH
Deliverability problems are caused by
email service providers.
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths
Why this myth is so very busted
TRUTH
Some ESPs perpetuate this myth by
guaranteeing high deliverability rates. But
ultimately, deliverability depends on your
practices.
Click to tweet: “The biggest email marketing myth? @litmusapp’s Myth #20. https://ctt.ec/Ldin3+
What do you think?”

24. #21 MYTH
Emails must be 600 pixels wide.
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths
Why this myth is so very busted
TRUTH
While that’s a good default, wider and
skinnier emails are fine. Use responsive,
fluid, or hybrid design to optimize for
multiple screen widths.
Click to tweet: “The biggest email marketing myth? @litmusapp’s Myth #21. https://ctt.ec/q7Ukw
+ What do you think?”

25. #22 MYTH
Emails should only use the Transitional
DOCTYPE.
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths
Why this myth is so very busted
TRUTH
The HTML5 DOCTYPE allows for the use
of newer HTML5 elements, for example
<video>, which can be used in email.
Click to tweet: “The biggest email marketing myth? @litmusapp’s Myth #22. https://ctt.ec/Hh1Ta
+ What do you think?”

26. #23 MYTH
All styles in emails must be inlined.
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths
Why this myth is so very busted
TRUTH
Now that Gmail supports style in the
<head>, you only need to inline your styles if
your subscribers use fringe email clients or
international ones like Yandex, Libero, etc.
Click to tweet: “The biggest email marketing myth? @litmusapp’s Myth #23. https://ctt.ec/iC1J6+
What do you think?”

27. #24 MYTH
Don’t use background images in
emails.
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths
Why this myth is so very busted
TRUTH
Background images work in email, but they
aren’t supported everywhere, so they
should be used as a progressive
enhancement.
Click to tweet: “The biggest email marketing myth? @litmusapp’s Myth #24. https://ctt.ec/5r1eg+
What do you think?”

28. #25 MYTH
CSS statements need to be written as
an attribute selector.
The Biggest Email Marketing Myths
Why this myth is so very busted
TRUTH
In early 2015, Yahoo! Mail rolled out an
update that made writing CSS statements
this way unnecessary.
Click to tweet: “The biggest email marketing myth? @litmusapp’s Myth #25. https://ctt.ec/b1Tc3+
What do you think?”

29. Make sure you’re basing your email
strategies and tactics on reliable advice...

30. who get the best email marketing research, tips, and
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