Yesterday, as part of a launch of my business, Synthesis Communications, I sent out an email campaign. The email went out to several thousand email addresses and was pulled off with (almost) nary a hitch. It got me thinking about the ups and downs of launching email campaigns and what you can do to avoid mistakes.
1.Take Your Time
The email is done. The data's been collected. You are all ready to start mail merging and get this email out there. It's important to put aside that excitement and take your time in sending out the email. One little mistake can cause lots of problems.
2. Focus
How many times have you done mail merge before? Regardless of the number, I like to go through the process like I've never done it before. It allows me to focus on every step. This is imperative to insure that you don't miss something.
3. Avoid the Lull
I had about 25 files that I had to merge yesterday. It took longer than I thought I and found myself not checking the steps as thoroughly as I did when I first started. Avoiding the lull that any menial task comes with, will allow you to make less, or even no, mistakes.
4. Double and Triple Check
Sometimes when you've been looking at things for a long time, your brain glazes over and it looks as if everything is fine. Take the time to double check that your information and graphics are all in the right place before you start the merge. And then check it throughout the merging process as well. For example, I found a grevious error part way through my mail merge yesterday that was not there when I did my check at the beginning.
5. Be Prepared for Non-Deliverables
As my email campaign was sending, my inbox was being flooded with emails that were marked undeliverable.Make sure that your inbox can handle these messages. Also, don't get concerned when you see them all pile in. Take time later to note the ones that didn't work and update your records.
Email campaigns can be a lot of work, but are worth it in the end! Have you had good or bad experiences with email campaigns (or mail merge in general)? Share below!
1.Take Your Time
The email is done. The data's been collected. You are all ready to start mail merging and get this email out there. It's important to put aside that excitement and take your time in sending out the email. One little mistake can cause lots of problems.
2. Focus
How many times have you done mail merge before? Regardless of the number, I like to go through the process like I've never done it before. It allows me to focus on every step. This is imperative to insure that you don't miss something.
3. Avoid the Lull
I had about 25 files that I had to merge yesterday. It took longer than I thought I and found myself not checking the steps as thoroughly as I did when I first started. Avoiding the lull that any menial task comes with, will allow you to make less, or even no, mistakes.
4. Double and Triple Check
Sometimes when you've been looking at things for a long time, your brain glazes over and it looks as if everything is fine. Take the time to double check that your information and graphics are all in the right place before you start the merge. And then check it throughout the merging process as well. For example, I found a grevious error part way through my mail merge yesterday that was not there when I did my check at the beginning.
5. Be Prepared for Non-Deliverables
As my email campaign was sending, my inbox was being flooded with emails that were marked undeliverable.Make sure that your inbox can handle these messages. Also, don't get concerned when you see them all pile in. Take time later to note the ones that didn't work and update your records.
Email campaigns can be a lot of work, but are worth it in the end! Have you had good or bad experiences with email campaigns (or mail merge in general)? Share below!
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