Consult This MailChimp Checklist Before Clicking Send

Since it’s founding in 2001, MailChimp has completely transformed the world of Email Direct Marketing, as evidenced in its 10 million monthly business users. While MailChimp is known for its easy-to-use interface and customisation features, putting together an effective email can be an intimidating task for first time users, especially since it’s the most intrusive form of customer engagement for digital marketing. There are a number of things that make for a great email newsletter or promotion, so make sure to give this a glance before sending out your next eDM!

A Punchy Subject Line. It’s not an exaggeration to say that this is one of the most important things to get right for an eDM, as it’s a determinant for driving for click-ins. While writing a Pulizer Prize-worthy subject line is no easy feat, there are countless websites out there to help you out. Aside from Subject Line, MailChimp has its own built-in performance tracker. When you’re first building up your list, it’s good to try out different types and see which connects best with your audience. Reading up on Subject Line trends is also immensely helpful as well. 

A Main Hook. Even if your email is more so in a newsletter style, it should still contain one primary hook, of which the reader should be able to see within the first 3 seconds of opening the email. Are you promoting a sale? Or a blogpost? Or an event? By having a main theme to every email, the customer can expect consistent value and content. Start by incorporating it into the subject line, and further push it through the primary visual of the eDM. 

A Call-To-Action.Following from the previous point, a call-to-action further reinforces the main hook, and allows the reader to follow through with the type of engagement you want them take part in. While a button is the most obvious way to do so, there are a number of creative methods to try if you’re feeling adventurous. Whether you're in the retail industry or not, visual creativity goes a long way. 

Engaging Visuals. We all know about the importance of incorporating visuals into an eDM, but it’s useful to keep in mind that there’s no point in creating visuals for the sake of doing so. Make sure all images are high-resolution, consistent to the main hook, and are well integrated with the content. Keep yourself inspired, and don’t be afraid to go bold with the design! We love checking out Pinterest to see how leading marketers are formatting their emails. 

A Seamless User Experience. It’s always good to get into the practice of sending test emails to yourself before blasting it out to your list. This is a good time to check whether all the links are directed to the right place, the images are loading, if it’s being sent to the right list, and if there are any typos. While MailChimp automatically adjusts the content for tablets and mobiles, it’s always good practice to double check how it looks on other devices.