Have you ever received a branded email that wasn’t meant for you? What about a follow up from the brand admitting their mistake? Or even just an “Oops” email completely on its own?
The “Oops” email is part of an interesting strategy some marketers use to engage email subscribers. Sometimes, these are genuine mistake corrections, and other times, they’re a strategic marketing tactic that sparks the curiosity of subscribers.
Types of “Oops” emails
There are several reasons why you might receive an “Oops” email in your inbox, including:
Fixing errors from a past email
Everyone makes mistakes, whether it’s forgetting to include necessary information, sending an email with broken links, or accidentally writing the wrong date for an event. The purpose of these emails is to clarify a mistake in an email that was sent out previously.
Wrong segment targeting
Email mix-ups can happen when messages intended for specific individuals or groups get mistakenly sent to the wrong recipients, such as when a message meant for one group goes to an entirely different mailing list. It’s up to the emailer to correct this mistake, especially if it includes confidential information.
Follow-up clarifications
There may not necessarily be a mistake in the first email, but the second email provides additional information and answers more questions that many recipients responded to the initial email with.
Staged mistakes for engagements
These types of “mistakes” may include sending a promotion to the “wrong” email list or saying the brand’s website was down and offering compensation for any issues. The list of reasons goes on and on, but the main purpose of these emails is to make recipients curious about the mistake the brand made and drive website traffic.
The psychology behind the “Oops” email
“Oops” emails tend to get higher open rates than regular ones— for Next Steps Marketing, an email that included “oops” in the subject line had an increased open rate (45%) than standard emails. We know that this email marketing strategy works, but why?
The number one reason is curiosity. People want to know what went wrong and often will rubberneck to see someone make a mistake. A subject line is the first thing a recipient sees in their inbox, and a well-crafted one can grab their attention and spark curiosity. In fact, 47% of recipients click on an email solely based on the subject line. When brands admit to their mistakes, it builds a stronger relationship with the email recipient, creating more trust through transparency and making the brand more relatable and authentic.
The best practices for an “Oops” email
Crafting an effective “Oops” email takes careful consideration. It’s essential to consider your timing— if your first email made a significant mistake, you’ll want to respond swiftly and carefully to get ahead of a potential crisis. In the same vein, your tone and messaging should reflect the degree of the mistake. If the error is lighthearted, you can have more of a humorous tone, poking fun at your own brand and inciting banter with customers. On the other hand, if the mistake is serious, your tone should be more apologetic to best resonate with customers.
If you decide to take a more playful approach, be sure to include a call-to-action that tells the reader what they should do next. You already have their attention— use this opportunity to offer a discount or a benefit on their next purchase and generate website traffic.
Keep in mind that this isn’t a strategy you should deploy all the time, especially when the mistake is staged. Use it when it’s necessary, like to address a serious mistake in a past email, or every six months to a year— your brand doesn’t want to be known for its “Oops” emails.
Important considerations
As you craft your “Oops” email, remember that there’s a fine line between transparency and manipulation. Being transparent with your customers is always valuable, but you want to be sure you’re not misleading them. If you’re implementing a strategy that stages a mistake to send an “Oops” email, ensure what you’re offering is actually valuable to your customers.
The “Oops” email has evolved from a simple correction tool to a sophisticated marketing strategy that can strengthen customer relationships when used thoughtfully. While these emails can be powerful engagement drivers, their success ultimately depends on maintaining authenticity and providing genuine value to your subscribers. Whether you're correcting a real mistake or incorporating this tactic into your marketing strategy, remember that your customers' trust is most important. By following best practices and keeping ethical considerations in mind, you can transform potential missteps into meaningful connections with your audience.
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