Have you done everything possible to ensure your email campaign is ready to launch? You double and triple-checked the email to ensure there are no typos, grammatical errors, or wonky graphics. Why is it so hard to click the scary “SEND” button?
You are not alone. Many seasoned marketers experience dread before sending email campaigns. Here are some tips to help calm your nerves before your next big send.
Create a Checklist
Develop a comprehensive pre-send checklist that covers every step of your process, from content generation to art to testing. This checklist needs to cover many areas, and there are several resources online to get you started. Pro tip: The person who creates the email should not be the one to proofread it.
Double-Check Personalization Fields
Personalization can be a powerful tool to increase engagement in your email campaign, but starting with a greeting of “Hello, <Last Name>, <First Name>” can cause your efforts to backfire. Many contacts use their middle name as their first name, and it’s not a good look for your firm if their name isn’t correct. Further, think about proper names vs. go by names. I am known as “Jon,” and I know I’m receiving an impersonal form message when it is addressed to “Jonathan.” Customization is a spectacular way to set you apart, but your personalization fields need to be clean as a whistle.
Review and Test Design Across Multiple Platforms
Your email design looks AMAZING on your 24” desktop monitor, but how will it look on a mobile device? Look at the test email on your phone, your colleague’s phone, an iPad, and an Amazon Fire tablet. You want end users to have the same (or at least similar) experience when reading your email.
Double and Triple-Check Your Segments
The firm has an upcoming seminar covering the latest and greatest in Employee Benefits legal developments, and you send the invitation to… your Financial Services list?
Email platforms provide the tools to organize your thousands of contacts into segments to allow you to tailor your audience to those who would be most interested in hearing from you. The fastest way to get contacts to unsubscribe is to send them information they don’t want or need.
Test, Test, Test … and Then Test Again
No matter how confident you are in your campaign, sending a test email is a critical final step. Pay close attention to how the email renders, have multiple sets of eyes review the content again, and get other relevant feedback.
A successful email campaign results from meticulous planning and attention to detail. By following these five tips before hitting send, you can significantly reduce the chance of errors. Nothing will entirely remove the anxiety of clicking “SEND,” but implementing these ideas will help.
