8–Step email marketing checklist –

The goal of any email campaign is to have the recipient take some type of action as a result of getting your email. To make the most of your email campaign, follow this 8-step checklist.

Step #1: Identify your goal –

You must first consider what you want to achieve with your email campaign, otherwise you won’t be able to accurately measure the success of the email.
Here are some goals to consider:

• An email inviting people to attend an event or seminar – measure registrations
• Announce a new product or product feature – measure customer feedback
• An email promoting your new blog – measure subscribers

Step #2: Email address and from name –

The “from name” and the “email address” should be consistent. The “from name” for example should be set up like this: Doug Smith – WhiteSpace. Show the name of the person sending it from the company, followed by a long dash, then the company name. You should then match your email address with your “from name” like this: dsmith@whitespace.on.ca. Keeping it personal will help to eliminate your email getting caught up in a spam filter.

Step #3: Provide a strong subject line –

Your subject line should be your call-to-action. Provide the recipient with the action you want them to take. The subject line should be 45 characters or less. Make it short and to the point. The less complicated you make your subject line, the higher the chances they will read your email.

Step #4: Keep the email body short –

How many times have you skipped over an email because it was too long with copy? Most of us take 10 seconds or less – so be quick with your message. 

Consider these points as you create the body portion of your email

• keep your most important and compelling information at the top of your email
• include 2-3 links as close to the top of the email as possible – within the first 2 lines
• to help click-through rates, bold your links
• every link in your email should be tracking URL so you can understand how many people clicked-through to your website and converted on your landing page
• always make a plain text version allowing recipients who accept plain text emails only
• make it personal by adding the recipient’s first name in the email body or the subject line
• don’t over extend the use of images (less than 4-5) otherwise your email may get caught in a firewall or spam filter. Also create links for any image that will lead the recipient back to your website
• it’s the law; you have to include your company name, address and an unsubscribe link

Step #5: Email signature/footer –

Your email signature should be the same as the “from” name in the email. Here’s another great spot to place your social media icons to your email.

Step #6: Email testing –

You must send a number of test emails for a number of reasons. Check, check and double-check ‘cause once it’s gone, it’s gone. You want to check that your email is not getting caught in a spam filter, your email works on various email software, you’ve double-checked for typos and that all the links are working. A great way to test the first go-around is to send it to a few staff members.

Step #7: Listen and respond –

Now that your email is sent out, it’s now time to listen and respond to any questions or replies that come back. But it’s an even better time to start to build relationships with your list and subscribers.

Step #8: Measure your success –

Now’s the time to measure your success. Find out by measuring the click-through rate and unsubscribe rate. If the email’s goal was to generate leads, you then need to analyze how many leads you received and the quality of those leads.

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WhiteSpace is a Toronto Inbound marketing agency that helps small business grow with winning design and marketing, from website redesign and graphic design, to branding,  social media marketing, and  online marketing strategies . Call for a free no-obligation website consultation – 416-449-9559.