{"id":18440,"date":"2025-12-18T09:48:46","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T14:48:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/?p=18440"},"modified":"2026-02-19T08:43:54","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T13:43:54","slug":"how-to-plan-your-email-campaign-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/how-to-plan-your-email-campaign-strategy","title":{"rendered":"Up Your Email Campaign Potential: Proven Strategies for 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t<div id=\"simple-text-block-block_d0a1ceccb4c96bc454653f7b1a9ec3ef\" class=\"block-simple-text-block alignfull \" style=\"background-color:\">\n  <div class=\"container\">\n  \t<div class=\"row\">\n  \t\t<div class=\"col\">\n  \t\t\t<div class=\"copy\">\n  \t\t\t\t<table style=\"background-color: #f2f3f6;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td class=\"block-1\" style=\"padding: 20px;\">\n<h3>Key takeaways \u2728<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Successful email campaigns<\/strong> start with clearly defined goals. Try using the SMART framework to get started.<\/li>\n<li><strong>A structured campaign<\/strong> plan helps marketers execute with purpose and measure performance effectively against specific metrics.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Evaluating campaign results<\/strong> and modifying strategies ensures each campaign is better than the last and helps teams optimize future campaigns.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019re ready to schedule an email, but last-minute additions and competing digital marketing priorities keep pushing the date back. Does that sound familiar?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Having an actionable plan with clearly defined goals is key to sending emails on time. Use this guide to unlock actionable insights from campaign planning through launching your next successful campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Table of contents<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"#structure-campaign\">How do you structure an email marketing campaign?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"#campaign-successful\">What makes an email marketing campaign successful?<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"#plan-campaign\">How to plan your next email marketing campaign<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"#campaign-template\">Email campaign planning template<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"#best-practices\">Best practices for your next email marketing campaign<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"#personalized-emails\">How to incorporate personalized emails into your campaign strategy<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span id=\"structure-campaign\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How do you structure an email marketing campaign?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before you type a single word of copy or sketch out a single email design, you need to go back to your email marketing strategy. Think of your email marketing goals as a ladder, starting with your overarching company goals at the very top, your team\u2019s goals, your marketing channel-specific goals, and then finally, the goal of the campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When your goals are clear, <a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"#plan-campaign\">plan out your next email marketing campaign<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"campaign-successful\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What makes an email marketing campaign successful?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Several things contribute to a successful email marketing campaign, but the most important piece is knowing your audience. This doesn\u2019t mean simply knowing where they signed up and how old they are, it means understanding their motivations, pain points, and needs\u2014and then delivering content that addresses them. (AKA personalization!)<\/span><\/p>\n\n<div class=\"container pt-3 pb-5 px-1\">\n\t<div class=\"row blog-cta-blue rounded-5 p-4\">\n\t\t<div class=\"mx-auto col-12\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row d-flex align-items-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-lg-6 col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t<p class=\"bold fs-4\">Email trends that drive results<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<p>Dive into the State of Email Report for insights from marketers worldwide. Get the latest trends and best practices. <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<button class=\"button-blue download\"><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/state-of-email-reports\" class=\"text-white text-decoration-none\">Get the report<\/a><\/button>\n\t\t\t<\/div><!--col-6-->\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-6 d-none d-lg-block\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/download-blog-cta-09232024.svg\" width=\"221\" height=\"175\" alt=\"\">\n\t\t\t<\/div><!--col-6-->\n\t\t\t<\/div> <!--row-->\n\t\t<\/div><!--col-12-->\n\t<\/div><!--row-->\n<\/div><!--container-->\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n<h2><span id=\"plan-campaign\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to plan your next email marketing campaign<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We outlined eight steps to follow to create an effective email marketing campaign.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 1: Define your goals<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Start by asking yourself: what do you want to achieve?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every email campaign you send should have a clear goal. Decide whether your email campaign will work toward a revenue goal, a brand awareness goal, a partnership goal, or something else when you first start planning the campaign. And no, \u201cbecause my boss said to send more emails\u201d is not a goal.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Set SMART goals<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re still stumped, a popular framework for setting goals is the SMART goal system. SMART stands for:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Specific<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: be precise with your language on what goal you hope to achieve with your email campaign.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><b>Measurable<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: whatever goal you choose, make it measurable and identify your key metrics ahead of your email send.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><b>Attainable<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: be realistic about what your email can do based on previous results.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><b>Relevant<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: connect the goal of your email campaign with your organizational or company-wide goals<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><b>Time-bound<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: do you want to see results immediately, in 24 hours, or in several months? Be clear upfront when you expect to see results so you can track your performance.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"row p-5 my-5 background-light-gray rounded-5\">\n<blockquote class=\"blockquote\"><p>\u201cSo these are the numbers that translate your daily work to the only language that your stakeholders and boss truly speak, which is revenue, growth, and ROI. So before you optimize a single subject lines, you must define what success actually looks like on the balance sheet.\u201d<\/blockquote><figcaption class=\"blockquote-footer\"><a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/rafaelfpviana\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rafael Viana<\/a>, Sr. Email Consultant at Validity<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><span id=\"segmentation\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 2: Identify and segment your audience<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s an oldie but goodie piece of advice for a reason. Start with your goals and then filter them through what your audience wants to hear\u2014and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> they want to hear it. The more you can tailor your email marketing campaign to your specific audience, the more likely they\u2019ll engage with it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First, ask yourself: who do you want to reach?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What do they care about? What kind of products do they purchase besides yours? What are they doing during the day? How you build an email campaign varies widely between B2C vs. B2B, by demographics like region or stage of life, and by whether or not they\u2019ve already purchased from you.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Segment your audience<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s rarely a good idea to send one email to every subscriber on your list.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That means you\u2019ll leave some folks out of a campaign entirely, or you\u2019ll create multiple versions of the same email campaign based on segmentation, like demographics, as part of your <\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/what-is-lifecycle-marketing\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lifecycle marketing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> strategy. This practice is fairly common\u2014in fact, <\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/resources\/state-of-email-workflows\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">44% of marketers build two or three versions of every email<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, you shouldn\u2019t send a \u201cspring is here!\u201d campaign in March to email subscribers in the Northern United States. Those folks are still months away from seeing spring flowers bloom. Similarly, you shouldn\u2019t send a December \u201cget cozy this winter\u201d message to email subscribers in the southern hemisphere\u2014it\u2019s summer there!<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Personalize your content<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your marketing efforts will go further when the content is personalized to your audience. <\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.epsilon.com\/us\/about-us\/pressroom\/new-epsilon-research-indicates-80-of-consumers-are-more-likely-to-make-a-purchase-when-brands-offer-personalized-experiences\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Epsilon<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, 80% of customers are more likely to purchase from a brand that provides personalized experiences! And we\u2019re not just talking about %%first_name%% merge tags.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Examples of personalization in email:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product images that you recently browsed in a follow-up campaign.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Introducing a new product similar to one you\u2019ve looked at.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Displaying maps for an upcoming vacation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adding social signals, like the number of likes, to encourage engagement on social media.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Running a live poll that delivers instant results.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Bonus: all of this is possible with <a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/email-personalization\">Litmus Personalize<\/a>!<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 3: Determine the right type of campaign<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What type of email is going to resonate with your target audience the most? Whether it\u2019s a standard newsletter, a one-off promotional campaign, or a triggered email you send automatically, you\u2019ll need to assess what type of content is going to perform the best.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These emails from Moment are all planned around the same winter holiday season, but they\u2019re unique campaigns.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The first email campaign <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reallygoodemails.com\/emails\/the-2022-gift-guides\">example<\/a> is a gift guide:<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-scroll mb-3\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/1aa-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"text-muted\">Source: <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reallygoodemails.com\/emails\/the-2022-gift-guides\">Really Good Emails<\/a><\/p>\n<p>And the <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reallygoodemails.com\/emails\/were-grateful-for-you\">second<\/a> is a longer note of gratitude for the year\u2014more newsletter-y:<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-scroll mb-3\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/2aa.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"text-muted\">Source: <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reallygoodemails.com\/emails\/were-grateful-for-you\">Really Good Emails<\/a><\/p>\n<p>While the <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reallygoodemails.com\/emails\/its-on-black-friday-deals-are-live\">third<\/a> is a classic promotional email:<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-scroll mb-3\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/3aa.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"text-muted\">Source: <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reallygoodemails.com\/emails\/its-on-black-friday-deals-are-live\">Really Good Emails<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Try building a series of emails around the same topic or call-to-action (CTA), like a signup form. The topic could be a marketing push, like an end-of-season sale, or a nurture email series triggered by an action taken on the site, like new subscribers who filled out a form.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 4: Craft compelling content<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is the fun stuff (says the content marketer).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you know what you want to achieve and which section of your audience you\u2019re targeting with this email send, you can get into the weeds on \u201cthe how.\u201d Similar to creating an outline before writing an essay, provide guidance to your copywriter and designer (or yourself, since we all know how many hats email marketers wear!) on what you want the email to look and feel like.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Write captivating subject lines<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your subject line is the hook of the email. It should pull readers in without giving too much away so they want to immediately open it when it pops up in their notifications.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Adding a few subject line ideas to your <a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/why-you-should-be-creating-email-briefs-and-what-to-include-in-them\">email brief<\/a> helps cue your copywriter into the tone and urgency of the particular email, and it helps them come up with great ideas for A\/B testing. No matter what, keep it short and sweet. <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/mailchimp.com\/help\/best-practices-for-email-subject-lines\/\">Mailchimp<\/a> recommends 60 characters or less for subject lines.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 5: Choose the right email marketing tools<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For transactional emails and triggered emails, use<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> marketing <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">automation tools to your advantage and build multi-email flows that meet your subscribers on their schedule. Instead of focusing on send time, think through how you\u2019ll respond to certain subscriber behaviors. Note: if you are in the middle of an <a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/how-to-migrate-esps-easily\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ESP migration<\/a>, make sure that your workflows still work in your new ESP.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you\u2019re thinking through an automated email sequence, ask yourself:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What behavior triggers the email?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How many emails will you include?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How many days between emails?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, whenever someone signs up for your email list,<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> you should <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">immediately send them a <\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reallygoodemails.com\/emails\/welcome-to-the-spotify-design-mailing-list\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">welcome email<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that introduces them to your brand. This lets them know what to expect from your email list, and nudges them toward the path to purchase.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-scroll mb-3\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/7aa.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"text-muted\">Source: <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reallygoodemails.com\/emails\/welcome-to-the-spotify-design-mailing-list\">Really Good Emails<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even if you\u2019re not doing an email sequence, you can still use automation to your benefit by scheduling emails ahead of time, which can be done in most email service providers (ESPs).<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 6: Solidify your timeline and frequency<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For non-triggered emails, experiment with send time. While there is no \u201cbest\u201d day or time to send an email, look at your previous data and audience demographics to make an educated guess.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Depending on the kind of campaign, you can also set a time yourself and stick to it\u2014for example, delivering your email newsletter every Thursday at 11 AM ET<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. (Did you get your <a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/litmus-news\">Litmus News<\/a> yet??)<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 7: Set up campaign measurement<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes it feels like a marathon to get to this step\u2014but you\u2019re not at the finish line yet. Your plan should also include how to measure the success of your campaign against your goals. Always analyze how each campaign performs individually so you can understand what resonates the most with your audience and <\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/improve-email-marketing\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">improve your email marketing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Here\u2019s how:<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Monitor your key metrics<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your primary metric depends on the goal of the campaign. For example, a year-in-review email\u2019s goal might be purely engagement, while a Black Friday email\u2019s goal will undoubtedly be click-through rate (CTR) to make a sale.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0A few key metrics you should always track for individual campaigns include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Open rate<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bounce rate<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CTR and click-to-open rate (CTOR)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read rate<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unsubscribe rate<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spam complaint rate<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Engagement rate<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"quote my-5 col-12 blue-quote\" >\n\t\n\t<div class=\"row d-flex align-items-center\">\n\t<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-9\">&#8220;<em>If people open but they are not clicking with the CTR under ten percent, then you likely have a content mismatch or subject line made a promise that your email body didn&#8217;t keep. On the flip side, if you have high clicks but zero conversions, then stop tweaking the email. The email worked perfectly. The problem is likely with your landing page. Maybe the form is too long or the page is loading too slowly.<\/em>&#8220;<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-3 text-center\">\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/rafael-viana.jpg\" alt=\"Rafael Viana\" width=\"125\" height=\"125\" class=\"mt-3 mt-lg-0\">\t<p><strong>Rafael Viana<\/strong>\t<br><span class=\"quote-title\">Sr. Email Consultant at Validity<\/span><\/p>\t<a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/rafaelfpviana\/\" target=\"blank\"><i class=\"fa-brands fa-linkedin\"><\/i><\/a>\t<\/div>\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For ongoing campaigns and triggered emails, especially ones that are sent out every day, like an <\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reallygoodemails.com\/emails\/your-kiziks-are-lonely\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">abandoned cart<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, track these metrics over time.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-scroll mb-3\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/8aa.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"text-muted\">Source: <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reallygoodemails.com\/emails\/your-kiziks-are-lonely\">Really Good Emails<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In your email marketing plan, make a note of when to check on the email and refresh the content. This is also a good time to <\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/email-testing\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">test your campaign in Litmus<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to make sure everything is still in good shape. You never know when an email client or CRM changes support for something unexpectedly. (We\u2019re laughing to keep from crying.)<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 8: Optimize and continue to iterate<\/span><\/h3>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reflect on your email marketing workflow<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\">When we talked with email marketers about their production cycles, we found that\u00a076% of teams take less than one week to produce and deploy one marketing email. That\u2019s down from 2023, when\u00a062%\u00a0of teams took\u00a0two weeks or more\u00a0to deploy one marketing email.<\/span><\/p>\n<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-119276\" src=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/average-email-deploy-time-961x1024.png\" alt=\"State of Email report chart showing the times it takes teams to product one email\" width=\"961\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/average-email-deploy-time-961x1024.png 961w, https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/average-email-deploy-time-282x300.png 282w, https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/average-email-deploy-time-768x818.png 768w, https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/average-email-deploy-time.png 980w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 961px) 100vw, 961px\" \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That&#8217;s a lot of emails. You need time to catch your breath.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the end of every email campaign, reflect on what went well and what didn\u2019t in your <\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/email-marketing-workflow\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">email marketing workflow<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Were you plagued by last-minute changes? Stuck waiting for approvals for forever? Stuck fiddling with workarounds or other code issues? We\u2019ve seen it all ourselves, and taking a moment to think through the process can help make the next email go that much more smoothly.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make adjustments to future email campaigns<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you\u2019ve analyzed your campaign performance, it\u2019s time to make adjustments for your next email campaign plan. The more campaigns you analyze, the more likely you can spot trends and make bigger adjustments, like whether sending on a Tuesday or Wednesday is more likely to get opens.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"campaign-template\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Email campaign planning template<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One centralized place where campaign information lives is valuable for all email marketing programs. However, they\u2019re essential for agencies who must give clear guidance on the scope of the emails they create for their clients.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An email campaign planning template is a compass for an email as it goes through the production process. It should outline the email\u2019s goals, audience, messaging, timing, key performance indicators (KPIs), and other important details. Think of it as your North Star that keeps stakeholders informed early on and helps the entire team stay on the same page.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Email copywriters, designers, and developers can refer back to an email campaign planning template to ensure what they\u2019re doing is correct and that there\u2019s no scope creep. Then\u2014at the end of the process\u2014the final email is checked against the template to see if what was delivered is what was asked for.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Key components of your campaign brief<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Creating an <\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/resources\/email-brief-planning-worksheet\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">email campaign planning template <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">doesn\u2019t<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have to take a long time. For instance, speed up the process by pre-filling portions of your planning template for routine emails\u2014such as a monthly newsletter\u2014that always has the same audience and goals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A good template<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">catered to your team\u2019s unique needs, but we recommend you include the following:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Primary information<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Timeline and due dates<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Assets<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Primary information<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To get to the heart of your email, you must answer these seven, key questions. If you can\u2019t answer one of them, it\u2019s best not to proceed with the email until you reconnect with your team and get the answers to these crucial questions.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Email send date and time:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> e.g. 1\/1\/2011 1:00 PM<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Owner: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who is the primary owner of this email?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Type of email:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> What category of email is this? Is it a <\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/email-newsletter-examples-engage-prospects\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">newsletter<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, promotional, transactional, operational, onboarding, or nurture email?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Target audience:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Who will this email be sent to?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Goal:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> What is the primary goal?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>KPIs:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> What KPIs will tell you whether this email has achieved its goal?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Email template<\/strong>: Which existing <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/page.litmus.com\/subscription-email-templates.html\">email template<\/a> will you use? Or do you need to create a new one?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Timeline and due dates<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">List out your due dates to keep everyone on track. Here are six important facets to consider:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Copy and content<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: When is <\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/resources\/email-copywriting-kit\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">email copy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and content due?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Design<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: When is <\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/email-design-best-practices\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">email design<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> due?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Build<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: When does the email need to be built by?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Quality assurance (QA)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: When should the email be fully QA\u2019d by?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Proof<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: When do stakeholders need to proof the email by?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Reporting &amp; analysis<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: When does post-send reporting need to be completed?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Assets<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make sure to include a link so team members and stakeholders can easily access what they need, when they need to.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Copy and content doc<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Link to the copy document.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Design file<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Link to the design document.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Build file<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Include a link to the email build file.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>ESP\/MAP location<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Include a link to where the email lives in your ESP or MAP.<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>UTM code<\/strong>: What UTM tracking code will be included?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tips for customizing your email campaign brief<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After downloading an email campaign template to use, you should make it your own by adding sections that would be helpful and deleting ones that aren\u2019t relevant. In our <\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/resources\/email-brief-planning-worksheet\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">email campaign planning template<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, for instance, you can personalize dropdowns for categories like type of email and add details for your target audience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Small teams with fewer stakeholders involved in the creation process might be able to delete categories, while larger teams might need more checkpoints that match their formal approval process.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"container pt-3 pb-5\">\n<div class=\"row blog-cta-blue rounded-5 p-4\">\n<div class=\"col-12 mx-auto\">\n<div class=\"row d-flex align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 text-center\">\n<p class=\"bold fs-4\">Your campaign: planned<\/p>\n<p>Campaign planning doesn&#8217;t have to be stressful. Simplify the process and launch your campaign with confidence using our free template.<\/p>\n<p><button class=\"button-blue download\"><a class=\"text-white text-decoration-none\" rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/resources\/email-brief-planning-worksheet\">Get the template<\/a><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"d-none\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/download-blog-cta-09232024.svg\" alt=\"\" width=\"221\" height=\"175\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span id=\"best-practices\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Best practices for your next email marketing campaign\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We outlined six best practices to help you plan <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">successful email marketing campaigns<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cross-functional planning and alignment<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Have you ever heard that you should never send an email just to send it? Launching an email is great\u2014as long as it aligns with your company\u2019s plans and goals. In fact, every email should align with a goal so you know which metrics to monitor for success.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Earlier, we talked about the ladder approach for goal alignment. This method can be used across teams, as well, so you know exactly where and how email supports their goals.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Email list building<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Building your email list is important for business growth, but it\u2019s crucial to do so correctly. This does not mean buying an email list or skipping <\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/single-opt-in-vs-double-opt-in-case-for-soi\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">proper opt-ins<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">! Instead, it\u2019s a combination of tactics that make it easy for your target audience to subscribe, and then deliver relevant content through email segmentation so they engage with your emails.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ways to grow your email list:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Giveaways and contests<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Events: webinars, conferences, networking chats<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gated content: Guides, e-books, demos, whitepapers,\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Free trials<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Email testing<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Part of planning out any email campaign should be determining what <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A\/B testing<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> you plan to do. Every email campaign is an opportunity to learn more about what your subscribers like and what performs well. The key? Make sure you only change one element at a time so you know exactly what it was that increased email opens or clicks. You can <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A\/B test<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> pretty much anything, including <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">email subject lines<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CTA<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> button size or color, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">coupon<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> amounts, email layout, design vs. text-only,<\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/ab-testing-foundation\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and so much more<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(Note: This isn\u2019t the same as testing your email in different email clients, which is also super important. Here\u2019s the <\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/ultimate-email-checklist\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">full email checklist<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of what to double- and triple-check before you send).<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Frequency and scheduling<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For non-triggered emails, experiment with send time. While there is no \u201cbest\u201d day or time to send an email you can look at your previous performance and your audience demographics to make an educated guess. Depending on the kind of campaign, you can also set a time yourself and stick to it.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Email design<\/span><\/h3>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Design engaging visuals<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Copy and imagery work together hand-in-hand to deliver your email\u2019s message to the subscriber. Whether you\u2019re an email design pro or plan to use an<\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/email-templates\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">email marketing template<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, including some guidance on what kind of visuals you think will work best is incredibly helpful to your design team.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Discuss layout, number of images, whether you want an <\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/a-guide-to-animated-gifs-in-email\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">animated GIF<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/video-in-email\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">animated video<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, interactive elements, and theme preferences beforehand. Always put<\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/how-to-design-for-colorblindness\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">accessibility best practices<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the forefront of your design and optimize your design for<\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/defining-and-understanding-mobile-email-approaches\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mobile devices<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do you want your email to feel like an old-school \u201890s zine? (<\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reallygoodemails.com\/emails\/29-hours-leap-day-bogo-sale\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This email campaign example<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is very trendy at the moment in the design world).<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-scroll mb-3\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/4aa-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"text-muted\">Source: <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reallygoodemails.com\/emails\/29-hours-leap-day-bogo-sale\">Really Good Emails<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Or do you want to keep your product imagery front-and-center?<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-scroll mb-3\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/5aa-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"text-muted\">Source: <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reallygoodemails.com\/emails\/trail-running-gear-for-the-long-haul\">Really Good Emails<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Remember, every email doesn\u2019t have to be this gorgeous. You can always experiment with a simple, <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reallygoodemails.com\/emails\/welcome-to-the-dirtyverse\">text-forward<\/a> email too.<\/p>\n<div class=\"image-scroll mb-3\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/6aa.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"text-muted\">Source: <a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/reallygoodemails.com\/emails\/welcome-to-the-dirtyverse\">Really Good Emails<\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keeping design requirements in your overall email campaign plan makes it easier to get emails done more quickly and efficiently without stamping out all of the creative energy.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<div class=\"container pt-3 pb-5 px-1\">\n\t<div class=\"row blog-cta-blue rounded-5 p-4\">\n\t\t<div class=\"mx-auto col-12\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row d-flex align-items-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-lg-6 col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t<p class=\"bold fs-4\">Unlock endless revenue<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<p>Let\u2019s take a look at how much email-driven revenue you could be leaving on the table.\n<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<button class=\"button-blue download\"><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/roi-calculator\" class=\"text-white text-decoration-none\">Calculate ROI<\/a><\/button>\n\t\t\t<\/div><!--col-6-->\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-6 d-none d-lg-block\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/download-blog-cta-09232024.svg\" width=\"221\" height=\"175\" alt=\"\">\n\t\t\t<\/div><!--col-6-->\n\t\t\t<\/div> <!--row-->\n\t\t<\/div><!--col-12-->\n\t<\/div><!--row-->\n<\/div><!--container-->\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n<h2><span id=\"personalized-emails\" style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to incorporate personalized emails into your campaign strategy<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With 76% of buyers expecting <\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/personalized-email\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">personalized email<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> attention from marketers, personalization is no longer an option\u2014it\u2019s a requirement. Personalization strengthens customer relationships by showing them that you\u2019re paying attention to their wants, needs, and preferences\u2014and delivering content just for them. When done correctly, it increases conversion rates and, more importantly, strengthens customer loyalty so they turn into repeat customers.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"row p-5 my-5 background-light-gray rounded-5\">\n<blockquote class=\"blockquote\"><p>\u201cI think it&#8217;s really about taking an iterative approach and not trying to do everything all at once. And because, you know, that&#8217;s the great thing about email and especially with the way design systems are coming is, like, we can start and we can personalize a little bit of the email and then add another element and then add another part of that with dynamic content and content blocks and that kind of, like, that idea. And I think, you know, you don&#8217;t need to set yourself up for success in the long term, but you can start by taking certain sections of your content or your email or your journeys and it doesn\u2019t have to be 100% everything all at one.\u201d<\/blockquote><figcaption class=\"blockquote-footer\"><a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/bblake-miller\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Blake Miller<\/a>, Senior Director Product Marketing, Salesforce<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Segment your subscribers<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first step to personalizing emails is segmenting your subscriber lists. There are many ways to do this including demographics, behavior, psychographics, etc. <a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"#segmentation\">Learn more about segmentation above<\/a>!<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"row p-5 my-5 background-light-gray rounded-5\">\n<blockquote class=\"blockquote\"><p>\u201cConsumers will expect brands to use context and technology to really improve the ease with which they complete tasks or achieve goals or get peace of mind for whatever they&#8217;re doing with the company. And companies can help by removing steps from certain processes or, engaging customers proactively with more information or making smart suggestions, or offering intuitive guidance, or even ultimately making decisions on behalf of the consumer.\u201d<\/blockquote><figcaption class=\"blockquote-footer\"><a rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jessicaliu24\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jessica Liu<\/a>, Principal Analyst, Forrester<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dynamic and live content<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/using-countdown-timers-to-boost-engagement\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Countdown timers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> marking a product announcement, social media feeds showing off your UGC, and inventory updates convincing recipients to make a sale are all examples of dynamic and live content. These fun tactics can make subscribers take a second look at your email and engage with it rather than hitting \u201cdelete.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some of this content is targeted by integrations with your technology, but others can be planned with clever segmentation. Knowing they clicked to your site from social media, for example, tells you that they\u2019ll likely engage with a social media feed.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<div class=\"container pt-3 pb-5 px-1\">\n\t<div class=\"row blog-cta-blue rounded-5 p-4\">\n\t\t<div class=\"mx-auto col-12\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row d-flex align-items-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-lg-6 col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t<p class=\"bold fs-4\">Harness the power of email personalization<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<p>Create 1:1 experiences using email personalization that goes beyond &#8220;Hello, %%first_name%%&#8221; with dynamic content.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<button class=\"button-blue download\"><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/personalized-email\" class=\"text-white text-decoration-none\">Personalize better<\/a><\/button>\n\t\t\t<\/div><!--col-6-->\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-6 d-none d-lg-block\">\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/download-blog-cta-09232024.svg\" width=\"221\" height=\"175\" alt=\"\">\n\t\t\t<\/div><!--col-6-->\n\t\t\t<\/div> <!--row-->\n\t\t<\/div><!--col-12-->\n\t<\/div><!--row-->\n<\/div><!--container-->\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Content automation &amp; triggers<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While content automation can be time-consuming to set up, it\u2019s absolutely worth it! These workflows can be triggered by a specific action\u2014like a form fill\u2014or a data point\u2014like 60 days with no activity (a re-engagement email for inactive subscribers). One of the most common and effective automated emails from eCommerce brands is abandoned cart emails.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is important to remember that email automation doesn\u2019t mean you can set it and forget it. It\u2019s important to check your emails and update the content regularly so they\u2019re never outdated.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Buyer journey personalization<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An effective <\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/email-personalization-best-practices-the-ultimate-checklist-for-email-marketers\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">email personalization technique<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is serving content based on where they are in the buyer journey. First, your email content must be segmented so you deliver the right content to the right group. This could be generalized like top-of-funnel (TOFU), middle-of-funnel (MOFU), and bottom-of-funnel (BOFU) content. Or it could be specific to the journey that your customers typically make.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consider these examples to get you started:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>TOFU content for awareness:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Blogs, ebooks, reports, newsletters, social media, webinars<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>MOFU content for consideration:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Blogs, demos, newsletters, customer stories\/reviews<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>BOFU content for decision: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Free trials, comparison articles, sales\/customer success calls, landing pages<\/span><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><strong>Post-purchase<\/strong>: onboarding or instructions, thank you note, surveys, referral<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Interactive tactics<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Last but not least is one of the most engaging content types: interactive! <\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/new-in-litmus-live-polls\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Live polls<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, surveys, interactive product selectors, and <\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/how-to-use-email-scratch-offs\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">scratch-offs<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are all examples of <\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/blog\/interactive-emails-top-trend-anyone-using\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">interactive email<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> tactics that we love.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This example from Bulk uses live polling to collect real-time interest indicators. The votes update as subscribers click, so they can re-open the email later to see current results. Bonus: live poll results can be used for <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">more<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> personalized campaigns.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-scroll mb-3\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" src=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/bulk-poll.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/div>\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[Source: <\/span><a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/email-gallery\/live-polls\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Litmus\u2019 Email Gallery<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">]<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let&#8217;s get planning!<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You now know about campaign planning and structure, best practices, and more! Remember that you should never start building an email until you have a plan that\u2019s aligned with company-wide goals and includes personalization whenever possible.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"container pt-3 pb-5\">\n<div class=\"row blog-cta-green rounded-5 p-4\">\n<div class=\"col-12 mx-auto\">\n<div class=\"row d-flex align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-lg-6 col-12\">\n<p class=\"bold fs-4\">Personalization made simple<\/p>\n<p>Discover how to better connect with your audience, deliver tailored content, and drive engagement with email personalization.<\/p>\n<p><button class=\"button-blue arrow\"><a class=\"text-white text-decoration-none\" rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/email-personalization\">Personalize campaigns<\/a><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-6 d-none d-lg-block\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.litmus.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/blog-cta-email-guardian-07292024.svg\" alt=\"\" width=\"210\" height=\"180\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n  \t\t\t<\/div>\n  \t\t<\/div>\n  \t<\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Strengthen your email marketing with our guide to campaign planning and strategy. Unlock actionable insights to launch your next successful campaign.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":106441,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[9363],"blog_category":[10306,53],"class_list":["post-18440","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-email-marketing-strategy","blog_category-email-marketing-strategy","blog_category-tips-resources"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.5 (Yoast SEO v27.7) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>New to Email Marketing? How to Optimize Your Campaigns in 2026<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Strengthen your email marketing with our campaign planning and strategy guide. 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