There’s a lot to keep note of when it comes to email marketing, from making sure your subject line is catchy to including a CTA (call-to-action). 

With so many factors to consider, a detailed email marketing checklist can guarantee that nothing falls through the cracks and that all the important elements are present in each message. 

In this article, we’ll walk you through the ultimate email marketing checklist you need before launching your email campaign. We’ll assist you in detecting everything from segmentation mistakes to broken links and everything in between.

The Ultimate Email Marketing Checklist

Here’s a quick rundown of the email marketing campaign checklist:

1. Establish your goal 
2. Always use captivating subject lines and preheader text 
3. Choose the right sender
4. Exclude certain recipients
5. Clean your email list regularly 
6. Check that your unsubscribe link is working 
7. Segment your audience 
8. Improve your email copy
9. Polish your email
10. Get a second opinion on the design 
11. Check every URL 
12. Examine how your emails look on different devices
13. Send at the right time
14. Always send a test email
15. Check your accessibility elements
16. Enable A/B testing
17. Track metrics
18. Make a list of your key takeaways and learnings
19. Monitor email marketing KPIs

1. Establish your goal 

Before you launch an email marketing campaign, you must first what your goals are. Increased website traffic, sales conversions, or brand awareness? Your goals should be measurable and achievable.

However, depending on the product or service being marketed, your email marketing campaigns can have different goals.

For example, if you’re trying to increase sales, your major email marketing goal may be attracting more visitors to your website and persuading them to buy. To achieve this, you may include tempting offers such as discounts, free shipping, and money-back guarantees.  

A company that sells software services, on the other hand, may prioritize lead generation, connecting with potential clients through targeted content, and reacting rapidly to email inquiries. 

So the first step to enjoying the results from email marketing is to identify what you want to achieve such as; increased sales, lead generation, customer retention, nurturing leads, upselling, or cross-selling. This guides the email campaigns you launch and helps you achieve your goals.

2. Always use captivating subject lines and preheader text 

While it’s true to not judge a book by its cover, it doesn’t apply to email subject lines. Because your subject determines if your receiver will open your email or not.

As a result, devote more time and effort to creating catchy subject lines and preheader copy that complements those subject lines.

Here are a few pointers to consider while creating email subject lines and preheader text:

• Examine whether your subject line and preheader text intelligently and exactly fit the aim of your email.
• Keep it brief and to the point.
• Check your spelling again.
• Incorporate a sense of urgency.
• Now and again, try out new ideas.
• Avoid spammy components such as ALL CAPS and exclamation marks.

3. Choose the right sender

Select the appropriate “From Sender” option. This is significant. You’ll be shocked at how much of an influence a nice sender name has on your open rates.

When recipients decide whether or not to open an email, the sender has the most sway. It’s more crucial than the subject line, offer, email content, or time of day. Consider using names for your sender option. For example, instead of Selar, you can say “Jenny from Selar/”

Avoid using no-reply email addresses and identities that your audience may not recognize to enhance your open rates. Instead, use a friendly (approachable) name and be consistent.

4. Exclude certain recipients

It is just as crucial to choose who does not receive your emails as it is to choose who does. For example, if you offer an exclusive promotion to a group of ineligible recipients, you’ll get some angry email responses (along with a few unsubscribes and spam reports).

In addition, if your company sends many email campaigns every week, remove some individuals to minimize mailbox overload.

For example, if your product team just conducted an email campaign yesterday, you might want to restrict your future webinar invitation to only send to subscribers who were not part of the product announcement. 

5. Clean your email list regularly 

Maintaining a clean email list is critical for effective email marketing campaigns and long-term customer relationships. You can keep your email list clean by following the best practices listed below:

• Get rid of any duplicate email addresses.
• Identify inactive subscribers.
• Update existing contact information.
• Check the unsubscribe rate from prior campaign participants.
• Verify all email addresses. 
• Remove unsubscribed and bounced contacts.
• Clear out any automatic signups. 
• Combine profile and contact information. 
• Run emails through a spam filter before sending emails.
• Replace incorrect or misspelled email addresses.
• Use a double opt-in mechanism for email signups.

SEE: Email Nurturing: How to Turn Leads into Customers

6. Check that your unsubscribe link is working 

Every email must include an unsubscribe link that works. Your unsubscribe link should ideally direct recipients to an email preference center. This will allow them to choose the types of emails they get and the frequency with which they receive them.

Just because your customer isn’t interested in your email doesn’t mean they aren’t interested in your product announcements. Instead of a single “unsubscribe from everything” option, give them options.

Unsubscribes, on the other hand, aren’t all terrible. At the very least, it didn’t end up in the spam folder, right? If your readers can’t find the unsubscribe button, they’ll send you straight to spam, which is relatively worse.

You may also go over and beyond by including a list-unsubscribe option in your email marketing. Rather than scrolling down and digging through your footer, recipients can unsubscribe by clicking the unsubscribe link next to the from address.

7. Segment your audience 

To maximize the success of your email marketing efforts, thoroughly divide your target audience into smaller, more focused groups. This way, you can produce targeted communications that are more likely to resonate with your recipients, leading to higher engagement and better ROI results. 

You can categorize your target audience based on the following criteria:

• Age.
• Gender.
• Location.
• Lifestyle elements like Interests, hobbies, values, and beliefs.
• Customers’ previous purchase history.
• Website visitors.

8. Improve your email copy

Some email marketers may find it difficult to write compelling email text. However, following a simple checklist to ensure proper email copy will put you on the right track.

To accomplish this, follow these steps:

• Concentrate on creating a clear call to action.
• Persuade readers to take action by using compelling words.
• Provide valuable material that your readers will appreciate.
• Make email content more personalized.  
• Maintain a conversational tone by employing the phrases “I” and “you.”
• Avoid using industrial jargon. Instead, concentrate on the source of the problem.
• Keep it brief and to the point.
• Large blocks of text should be avoided. Cut them into tiny pieces.
• Make certain that your content is relevant.

9. Polish your email

When writing the email, your eyes can get used to your brain’s thoughts, making you oblivious to the errors. To ensure you send out an error-free email, always ask for a second opinion or eyes.

Then, go a step further with copy optimization. This involves more than simply proofreading; it also involves examining every header and sentence to ensure that everything is said clearly and concisely. 

Here are some things to keep in mind as you construct your emails:

• Make use of pre-made email templates.
• Use headlines to clearly explain your message.
• Include images, emoticons, videos, and other media elements that complement your writing.
• Don’t overdo the text decoration.
• Use fonts that complement the tone of your brand.
• Include your company’s logo in the header.
• Use center alignment for your headlines.
• Include contact information such as address, phone number, social media icons, and an unsubscribe option in your email footer.
• Use single-column layouts because are easier to navigate.
• Make good use of the white space.
• Make your CTA stand out from the rest of the email.

10. Get a second opinion on the design 

Whether you used an email template or hired a designer to create a custom design, having another set of eyes look over your work is always a good idea.

You never know, your margins might be a little slim, or you might have some unsightly dangling elements.

It’s also a good idea to customize your email design for each sort of campaign. For example, you should use one template for newsletters and another for product announcements. This format informs your receivers of what they can expect from you when they receive your emails.

11. Check every URL 

Broken links result in broken hearts. While you can manually check each link to ensure it’s functioning properly, software can do it faster (and better).

A URL checker, for example, will go above and beyond to validate every link, button, and URL in your email. It will also look for metadata, reputation, and the quantity of redirection to provide a nice (and safe) experience for any receivers who click on them.

SEE: How to Write Great Emails to Sell Out Your Products

12. Examine how your emails look on different devices

Because 81% of people prefer to read their emails on mobile devices, a responsive email design is important. Here are some best practices for responsive email design for different screens;

• Examine your email design with a variety of clients and browsers.
• Check that all text on mobile devices is legible.
• Use a single-column layout with stacked blocks to achieve the best mobile design compatibility.
• Use CSS media queries to modify content dependent on display size.
• Set responsive font sizes and line heights. Use a font size of at least 13 or 14 points for body text and 20 points for titles. 
• Set maximum widths so that photos do not overflow their containers. 
• Optimize images for lower screen sizes. 
• Use alt text for images in case an email client does not load them. 
• Allow plenty of white space around items to increase overall readability.
• Avoid grouping numerous hyperlinks. Instead, utilize large, tapable buttons.

13. Send at the right time

When it comes to email marketing, knowing the right time to send your email is important. Why? Because a haphazard email marketing plan is ineffective. Follow these guidelines to get your email timing correct.

• Understand the goal of your email.
• Examine the best times to send emails.
• Make a send schedule.
• Experiment with different times and days
• Keep track of the outcomes of each send. 
• Examine clicks, conversion rates, overall ROI, and so forth. 
• Make necessary changes.

14. Always send a test email

Send a test email to a coworker or manager to check your emails again for anything missed. If they’re unavailable, try any family member. The point is that having a second set of eyes can help you spot anything out of the ordinary before it’s too late.

15. Check your accessibility elements

As an email marketer, you may frequently fail to double-check for accessibility, which is a huge missed opportunity. Why? Because people with particular disabilities cannot read emails that have not been thoughtfully created and tested. 

Here are a few excellent practices to consider when building your email for wider accessibility:

• Instead of simply formatting with larger font sizes or bold, use heading elements (H1, H2, table, etc.).
• Provide enough contrast between the backdrop colors and the text. Color Oracle can show you how colors appear to the colorblind.
• Include more detailed link wording. For instance, instead of using “Click here,” consider “Visit our product page to see women’s shoes.”
• Include alt text in all of your photographs.

16. Enable A/B testing

A/B testing allows you to experiment with content while also learning more about the preferences of your clients. A/B tests can be done on a range of email elements, such as subject lines, preheader content, graphics, colors, copy length, CTAs, and more.

You can optimize your email campaigns for increased engagement rates and improved customer experiences by carefully analyzing test results and thoughtfully changing emails based on data acquired from these tests.

Here are some things to consider before activating A/B testing for your email campaigns.

• Determine the objectives of your A/B testing.
• Select which elements to test.
• Only test one element at a time.
• Determine the sample size and time range for executing tests. 
• Split your list at random.
• Make one copy of the original email.
• Make a second version of the email with the modifications you want to test. 
• Send both copies to your list, making sure that each group is of similar size. 
• Keep track of critical metrics such as click-through rate, conversions, and so on. 
• Throughout your experiment, keep track of the results.  
• Analyze data and conclude depending on what you discover.   
• Incorporate what you’ve learned into future efforts.

17. Track metrics

Your adventure would end here if you were a mediocre marketer. You’ve sent another flawless email campaign—excellent work! But you’re not just any ordinary marketer. You’re exceptional—you go above and beyond.

Now that your campaign has gone live, it’s time to start tracking the analytics. Examine the open and bounce rates, conversion and click-through rates, unsubscribes, and spam reports. Analyze the data to discover why some receivers opened (and others did not) and which links your recipients clicked.

SEE: Best Email Marketing Strategies for Digital Creators to Boost Sales

18. Make a list of your key takeaways and learnings

Data is important, but it only has meaning if you do something with it. Write down your observations while you watch the metrics in real-time (or a week later):

• Was the red-button A/B testing version more effective? That should be included in the next campaign.

• Did you discover a high open rate but a low click-through rate? Perhaps your subject line was a little deceptive or overly optimistic. 

• Did your recipients hit the links at the top but not the bottom of the email? Maybe the email was too long. In future campaigns, let’s put the most crucial content at the top of the page.

19. Monitor Email Marketing KPIs

Your job is not finished just because you produced the perfect email and sent it to your readers.

It’s time to assess whether you met your email marketing objectives. You should keep track of the following email marketing KPIs:

• Rate of email deliverability.
• Click-through rate.
• The rate of conversion.
• The rate of unsubscription.
• The bounce rate.
• The number of spam complaints.
• The rate of email sharing.
• The rate of list expansion.
• Return on investment.
• Revenue per email sent.
• Profit per subscription.

Conclusion

Email marketing can be a great tool for your company, but you must first master the fundamentals. 

We hope our brief email marketing checklist has provided you with some valuable recommendations and ideas for creating effective emails that are suited to the needs of your customers. 

By following these procedures, you can ensure that every email campaign is a success and well-received by your target demographic.