Email marketing is a great marketing technique for small businesses. Whether used for keeping in touch with existing clients or generating new leads, email marketing can be a cost effective tool in your marketing toolbox.

However, like many new technologies, it can be a case of “easy to do – easy to do badly.”

Planning is an essential part of any email marketing campaign, and here’s a checklist to help you to plan a successful email marketing activity.

Email marketing checklist:

Building Your Email Lists

1. Do you request an email address on every form that your customers and prospects complete?
2. Do you request an email address when visitors register on your website?
3. When asking for an email address, do you also ask permission to email them?
4. Do you have a system and procedure for collecting and storing your email addresses?
5. Do you have a privacy policy stating how you will use email addresses (such as we do not sell lists)
6. If you are considering renting an email marketing list from a list broker, have your reviewed the quality of the list?

Developing Your Email Marketing Content

1. Have you defined the goals of your campaign: examples include generating enquiries, click through to website, downloading a white paper.
2. Does your planned message pass the WIIFM test – “What’s In It for Me?”
3. Could recipients of your planned message think you are just sending advertising or junk?
4. Have you considered the benefits and drawbacks of sending either a plain text message, or one in HTML?
5. Have you reviewed the appearance of your email message in the Outlook Preview Pane?
6. Does your Subject line grab the reader’s attention without looking like spam?
7. Does your From line include your company name or brand, and a genuine email address?
8. Do you have a clear Call to Action?
9. Have you proofread your message before sending it out, checking spelling and grammar?Do you test your message, sending to a friendly audience before you broadcast generally?
10. Have you provided a way for readers to unsubscribe?
11. Do you have a process to clean up your email address list, including bounces and unsubscribes?
12. Have you personalised the message?
13. Have you identified yourself fully in your message, including complete contact details?
14. Have you created a landing page for this email campaign, if required

Measuring Your Success

1. Do you measure how many people unsubscribe to your mailing?
2. Do you keep track of how many people open your email message?
3. Do you keep track of how many people click on the links in your email message?
4. Do you provide a link to forward this email to a friend or colleague?

And of course, once you have broadcast your campaign, learn from your experience and test new techniques in your next broadcast.