The Definitive Email Marketing Checklist

To help add a little punch and much needed pizzazz to your email marketing strategy, we show you a 6-step, 25-point, email marketing checklist which you need to follow before you send out your next email campaign!

Has your open rate taken a nose dive? Looking for ways to add a little punch and pizzazz to your email marketing strategy?

Then look no further, because I’ve got exactly what you need:

The definitive email marketing checklist.

The email marketing checklist is also variously referred to as

• Email checklist form
• Email review checklist
• Professional email checklist
• Mass email checklist
• Email writing checklist
• Email service provider checklist
• Business email checklist
• Email content checklist

But first, do you have an email marketing strategy? Or are you like most people?

Generally, when people think about sending an email to their email list, they think it’s a matter of simply writing the email, proofing it, and then hitting the send button. They then go off to play golf or sit down to watch their favorite TV program, while the money rolls in. 

Sadly, there’s a problem with that approach…

The reality is if you just write an email off-the-cuff and send it almost immediately after, you’re just asking for problems. For starters, your email may not even get opened if your subject line doesn’t grab attention. If the email isn’t targeted, you’ll get a few opens if you’re lucky. And if your links don’t even work, then you can definitely expect a very poor response. 

So what’s the solution?

I’ve got the answer for you. In this article, I will show you a 6-step, 25-point, email marketing checklist which you need to check before you send out another email. 

The Email Service Provider Checklist – Step 1: Develop and Nurture Your Email List 

As a blogger or other online entrepreneur, your biggest asset is your email list. Start by developing, growing and nurturing your email list. This should be number one on your email marketing checklist.

1. Build your email list

The question shouldn’t be ‘Do you have an email list?’ It should be, ‘How large is your email list?’ As I stated in this ground breaking article, Electronic Marketing: 12 Reasons Why You Need A Targeted Email List, without an email list for electronic marketing, you’re building your business on rented digital property.

2. Choose an email service provider

Next, you will need to get an email service provider who will provide a ‘home’ for your email list (if you haven’t done so already). You’ve got to realize that it is very important to start with a good and reputable email service provider. Check out this article for how to choose an email service provider (ESP). Is there such a thing as the best email provider? You be the judge!

The Email Marketing Checklist – Step 2: Define Your Goals 

Here’s some good advice. Don’t even think about writing one word until you define your goals for that particular email campaign. What exactly do you want to achieve? Ask yourself the following five questions: 

• what is your primary goal?
• what is your secondary goal?
• what kind of content will best help you achieve your goals?
• will you send a single email or a series of emails?
• how does your email help and benefit your reader?

3. What is your primary goal? 

In order not to dilute your efforts, I will suggest that you have one primary goal on which to focus. For example: 

• Getting someone to click on a link. 
• Making a sale.
• Getting someone to fill out a form. 
• Getting readers to call you. 
• Getting readers to request a freemium.
• Getting readers to join your social networks. 
• Those are some of the most common goals, but you may have a different idea in mind. Pick your main goal and move on…

4. What is your secondary goal? 

Now you might have a secondary goal as well, which you’ll want to keep in mind as you craft your email. 

For example, your main goal might be to get your readers to watch a video, but your secondary goal may be to get them to share the video with their friends and other contacts. 

5. What kind of content will best help you achieve your goals? 

Now that you know your goals, you need to figure out what type of content will help you meet those goals. For example: 

• A product review
• A product comparison. 
• A how-to article.
• A tips article.
• A list article.
• A video.
• An audio. 

6. Will you send a single email or a series? 

Here’s the reality: An email series works better than a single email if you’re trying to get your readers to make a purchase. If you want them to take a smaller step, like share a piece of content, then a single email will usually suffice. 

7. How does your email help and benefit your reader? 

We’ve been talking about your goals, but you need to be sure to also focus on your reader’s goals. To that end, be sure that each email you send benefits the reader in some way. Find a way to give them what they want, as well as what they need.

The Email Content Checklist – Step 3: Craft Your Content 

Developing and creating the content includes creating an attention-getting subject line, as well as content that keeps your readers engaged and reading to the very end of your email. To that end, check these points… 

8. Do you have a compelling subject line? Ask yourself these questions: 

• Did you brainstorm at least a dozen or more possible subject lines? 
• Does your subject line include a benefit?
• Optionally, does your subject line arouse curiosity?
• Is your subject line targeted to your audience? 

Next… 

9. Do you keep readers engaged with a great opener?

Here are different ways to open your email: 

• Telling a story.
• Sharing a shocking fact or statistic.
• Talking directly about the reader’s problems. 
• Talking about the solutions to those problems. 
• Asking the reader an engaging question. 

For professional email writing tip, check out this amazing blog post. It includes 8 sneaky but legitimate ways to build trust with your email subscribers. It also doubles as a guide to writing professional emails.

10. Do you engage readers emotionally? 

TIP: If you don’t evoke emotion, then it will be harder to get the reader to take action later. Sharing a story is one good way to evoke emotion. 

11. Do you share benefits? 

Your reader is always asking “What’s in it for me?” as they read your content. Be sure you share the benefits.