email marketing checklist
It's important to check your email before clicking send. For this reason we suggest you create an email checklist, which you can refer to before sending your campaigns.
To help you get this started we've identified a number of questions you should answer before sending your campaign.
Download a printable copy of the checklist here.
the email
- have you cut and paste content from a Microsoft programme?
Cutting and pasting from a programme like Word will bring Microsoft code into your email design. This code is not standard HTML. This can result in your email layout and design being damaged in some email clients. Always paste into Notepad first before pasting into newzapp. Doing this will strip the code and avoid any unnecessary problems.
- have you seen the design layout in your inbox?
Always send yourself a copy of the email before you send the full campaign. This will allow you to see it in your inbox and understand how it will look to your subscribers. Will your email stand out from the crowd?
- is the email too advertorial or editorial focused?
It's important you consider the style of email you have created.
- how much of your email shows in a preview pane?
You'll need to check how your email appears in the preview pane and how it views once you've open it. Is your most important message or call to action visible when the email is previewed? This is often referred to as being "above the fold".
- have you checked your spelling?
It's so easy to make a spelling mistake. We suggest you use the spelling tool included with Google Toolbar or ask a proof group to double check your spelling.
- have you checked the content for filtering issues?
To give your email the best chance of being delivered try to avoid including any words or formatting that might cause you to get caught in a spam filter. A few things to avoid include: excessive capitalisation and punctuation; over use of words like free, guaranteed, investment and pharmaceutical; red and large fonts. newzapp comes with a built in spam checker to help you avoid these traps.
- have you included a call to action?
You can create an email that looks amazing and send it to your super clean in-house email database but it won't guarantee a response. One of the most important parts of your email is the call to action. This is a click-through link or message that motivates your recipient to act. We suggest that sales emails include a call to action at the top. middle and bottom of the design.
- can the email be shorter or more concise?
It's easy to slip into the habit of writing too much. The best copy is short and to the point. Could you have written less but still covered your main points? Don't forget some of your subscribers will skim read your email. It's important they can find the information they are interested in quickly and easily.
- have you checked all of the links and company details?
Make sure you and your proof group check all of the links on your email and your company details. Click through to the landing pages to check that everything is going to the right places and that those files or web pages are downloading correctly. You should also check email addresses, postal addresses, telephone numbers and your company registration details.
- have you given all the images Alt tags?
You should ensure that you have given all of your images alt tags. These help readers understand what is in the picture. This tag will also show when the images are switched off.
the subject line and from details
- have you checked the spelling?
Your subject line is one of the most important parts of your email campaign. Making a mistake in your subject line can seriously impact on success. Always check and double check your subject lines. We advise using a proof group and the Google Toolbar spell checker to help you do this.
- will recipients recognise the From name and email address?
Recognition is vitally important to the success of your campaign. Think about what your recipients will know and trust. Is it an individual in your business or is it your business name?
- is the From address a live email address that works?
You must make sure your From email address is a live account. If it's not a live account you can experience issues with delivery and cause frustration for your recipients.
- does someone open this inbox to answer replies?
You'll need to ensure somebody is ready to check for replies and respond to any requests.
- are you ready for the out of office responses?
Out of office responses are replies to your email. They will be delivered to your From Email Address. It's important to plan for these responses. Do you have someone available to manage these as they arrive? These may also be messages saying the subscriber has left the company. You'll need to clean these from your database.
- have you checked for content filtering issues?
Avoid putting whole words or sentences in capitals within your subject line. Don't over use of punctuation (i.e. !!!) and where possible avoid using words like free, guaranteed, investment or pharmaceuticals to avoid being caught in a spam or junk folder.
testing
- have you planned time to test?
Hopefully you will have factored testing into your marketing plan. If you have time to test your campaign use it. We suggest you send to a proof group and a range of email accounts before delivering your campaign to your database. If your database includes Hotmail, Yahoo!, Google Mail and AOL email addresses sign-up for one of these accounts. You can then send yourself a proof to the different types of email client. Testing to them allows you to see your email from the recipients view and can help identify any issues before you click send.
- have you sent a complete version as it will be delivered?
Never click send until you've sent a complete version to your proof group. There's little point in proofing an email that will change. We suggest sending your proof group a standard email from your email account warning them of the pending proof. You should then deliver the full email as it will be sent, including the subject line, From Address and From Name. Never add the word proof to the start of your subject line or in your email. It's easy to forget to remove this. You'll kick yourself when your recipients start emailing you corrections!
database
- have you grouped your database to help with analysis?
If you're a newzapp enterprise customer you can view your reports by group. Creating these groups helps you learn about your subscribers. You can see which groups perform best and learn about their likes and dislikes.
- have you checked your database for personalisation?
If you're using personalisation, first name, last name or company name for example. Remember to check your database for personalisation issues. Is your data in the correct columns and do you have the correct spelling? You'll also need to consider what will happen if the data is blank. Will your email still make sense to the recipient?
- have you cleaned your data recently?
Don't forget to clean your data. We suggest you look through your reports for bounces, failed addresses and perform a general check of your database once every 4 months. For large databases over 10,000 addresses we suggest cleaning your data monthly and performing a major clean every 6 months.