# Email Newsletter Distribution Checklist

**Complete checklist for email marketing and newsletter distribution**

---

## Pre-Send Preparation

### Email Strategy

- [ ] **Goal defined**: Traffic, engagement, conversion, retention?
- [ ] **Audience segment** selected (all subscribers OR specific group)
- [ ] **Send time** optimized (Tuesday-Thursday, 10am-2pm EST typically best)
- [ ] **Frequency** consistent with schedule (weekly, bi-weekly, etc.)
- [ ] **Subject line** A/B test prepared (if available)

### Content Planning

- [ ] **Primary content**: Video, tutorial, announcement, or roundup?
- [ ] **Secondary content**: Additional resources, links, tips
- [ ] **Call to action**: One primary CTA (watch video, read post, reply)
- [ ] **Value proposition**: Clear benefit for opening and reading
- [ ] **Personalization**: Use subscriber name if available

---

## Subject Line Creation

### Best Practices

- [ ] **Length**: 40-50 characters (mobile-friendly)
- [ ] **Personalization**: Use first name if you have it
- [ ] **Curiosity**: Create intrigue without being clickbaity
- [ ] **Benefit**: Clear value in opening
- [ ] **Urgency** (optional): Time-sensitive element if applicable
- [ ] **Emoji** (optional): One emoji max, if brand-appropriate
- [ ] **A/B test**: 2 variations prepared (test on 20% of list)

### Subject Line Formulas

**Direct Benefit**:
```
"How to [achieve benefit] in [timeframe]"
"[Number] ways to [solve problem]"
"New tutorial: [Topic]"
```

**Curiosity-Driven**:
```
"This [X] trick saved me [Y]"
"I just discovered [surprising thing]"
"You're probably doing [X] wrong"
```

**Personalized**:
```
"[Name], here's what I built this week"
"[Name], you asked about [topic]..."
"Thought you'd like this, [Name]"
```

**Question-Based**:
```
"Still struggling with [problem]?"
"Want to learn [skill]?"
"Ready to build [project]?"
```

### Subject Line Testing

- [ ] **Spam score checked**: Use Mail Tester or similar
- [ ] **Preview text optimized**: Complements subject (30-50 characters)
- [ ] **No spam words**: Avoid "Free", "Act now", "Limited time", etc.
- [ ] **Proper capitalization**: Not ALL CAPS
- [ ] **No excessive punctuation**: Max one exclamation point

---

## Email Body Structure

### Header Section

- [ ] **Logo/branding**: Your name or site logo at top
- [ ] **View in browser** link (for email clients with issues)
- [ ] **Navigation** (optional): Links to blog, YouTube, social

### Opening (First 100 Words)

**Greeting**:
- [ ] **Personal**: "Hey [Name]," or "Hi everyone,"
- [ ] **Consistent**: Match your brand voice

**Hook**:
- [ ] **Attention-grabbing**: First 2 sentences are critical
- [ ] **Value preview**: What they'll get from this email
- [ ] **Personal story** (optional): Quick anecdote or context

**Example Opening**:
```
Hey [Name],

I just spent 3 hours debugging a memory leak, and learned something
that will save you the same headache.

In today's email:
→ New video: Debugging memory leaks like a pro
→ The #1 mistake I made (so you don't have to)
→ Free debugging toolkit

Let's dive in.
```

- [ ] **Hook** grabs attention
- [ ] **Value** clearly stated
- [ ] **Brief**: 3-4 sentences max

### Main Content

**Video Announcement** (Most Common):

- [ ] **Video thumbnail**: Large, clickable, linked to YouTube
- [ ] **Video title**: Clear and compelling
- [ ] **Video description**: 2-3 sentences about content
- [ ] **What they'll learn**: Bulleted list (3-5 points)
- [ ] **Watch time**: "10-minute tutorial" (set expectations)
- [ ] **CTA button**: "Watch Now" OR "Learn More"

**Example Video Section**:
```
[Large video thumbnail image - linked]

New Tutorial: How I Made My API 10x Faster

In this 12-minute video, I walk through:

✓ Identifying the performance bottleneck (profiling tools)
✓ Implementing Redis caching (step-by-step)
✓ Testing and measuring the improvement (2000ms → 180ms)

Whether you're dealing with slow APIs or want to learn caching
strategies, this tutorial has you covered.

[Watch the Tutorial →]
```

- [ ] **Visual**: Thumbnail prominent
- [ ] **Benefit-focused**: What they'll learn
- [ ] **Specific**: Numbers, timeframes, concrete outcomes
- [ ] **CTA**: Clear button or link

### Secondary Content (Optional)

**Additional Value**:
- [ ] **Quick tip**: 1-2 paragraph actionable advice
- [ ] **Code snippet**: Useful one-liner or pattern
- [ ] **Resource**: Tool, article, or documentation link
- [ ] **Reader highlight**: Feature community member (if applicable)

**Example Secondary Section**:
```
---

💡 Quick Tip: Redis vs Memcached

Choosing between Redis and Memcached?

Redis if you need:
• Data structures (lists, sets, sorted sets)
• Persistence (save to disk)
• Pub/sub messaging

Memcached if you need:
• Pure caching (simpler)
• Multi-threading (Redis is single-threaded)

My rule: Redis for 90% of use cases.

---
```

### Call to Action

- [ ] **One primary CTA**: Don't overwhelm with choices
- [ ] **Clear button**: "Watch Tutorial", "Read Article", "Try It Now"
- [ ] **Secondary CTA** (optional): Reply, share, follow on social
- [ ] **Button styling**: High contrast, easy to click

### Closing

**P.S. Section** (Highly Effective):
- [ ] **Additional value**: Bonus tip, teaser, or personal note
- [ ] **Conversational**: More informal than main body
- [ ] **Engagement ask**: "Reply with your experience"

**Example P.S.**:
```
P.S. Next week I'm covering database indexing strategies.
Have a specific question? Just hit reply - I read every email.
```

### Footer

- [ ] **Social media links**: Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, GitHub
- [ ] **Website link**: Your blog or portfolio
- [ ] **Unsubscribe link**: Required by law (CAN-SPAM)
- [ ] **Email preferences**: Let them update frequency/topics
- [ ] **Physical address**: Required by law in many countries
- [ ] **Contact email**: Support or hello@ email

---

## Design & Formatting

### Visual Design

- [ ] **Responsive**: Mobile-friendly (60%+ open on mobile)
- [ ] **Single column**: Easier to read on mobile
- [ ] **White space**: Breathing room between sections
- [ ] **Brand colors**: Consistent with your brand
- [ ] **Fonts**: Web-safe fonts (Arial, Georgia, Verdana)
- [ ] **Images**: Optimized, under 1MB total email size

### Typography

- [ ] **Font size**: 16px minimum for body text
- [ ] **Line spacing**: 1.5 or 1.6 for readability
- [ ] **Headings**: Clear hierarchy (H1, H2, bold)
- [ ] **Paragraphs**: Short (2-3 sentences max)
- [ ] **Lists**: Bulleted or numbered for scanability
- [ ] **Bold/italic**: Emphasize key points sparingly

### Buttons

- [ ] **Size**: Large enough to tap on mobile (44x44px min)
- [ ] **Color**: High contrast with background
- [ ] **Text**: Action-oriented ("Watch Tutorial" not "Click Here")
- [ ] **Spacing**: Padding around text for larger click area
- [ ] **Fallback**: Text link below button (for email clients that block images)

### Images

- [ ] **Alt text**: Every image has descriptive alt text
- [ ] **Hosted**: On reliable CDN (not local files)
- [ ] **Compressed**: Under 200KB each
- [ ] **Width**: Max 600px wide (standard email width)
- [ ] **Linked**: Clickable to relevant destination

---

## Technical Setup

### Email Client Testing

- [ ] **Gmail**: Desktop and mobile
- [ ] **Apple Mail**: iPhone, iPad, Mac
- [ ] **Outlook**: Desktop (Windows and Mac)
- [ ] **Yahoo Mail**: Desktop and mobile
- [ ] **Mobile preview**: iOS and Android
- [ ] **Dark mode**: Looks good in dark mode

**Use tools like Litmus or Email on Acid for multi-client testing**

### Deliverability

**Domain Authentication**:
- [ ] **SPF record**: Configured for your domain
- [ ] **DKIM**: DomainKeys Identified Mail enabled
- [ ] **DMARC**: Domain-based Message Authentication enabled
- [ ] **Custom domain**: Sending from @yourdomain.com (not @gmail.com)

**Email List Hygiene**:
- [ ] **Double opt-in**: Confirmed subscriptions only
- [ ] **Bounce handling**: Remove hard bounces
- [ ] **Unengaged cleanup**: Archive subscribers who haven't opened in 6+ months
- [ ] **Spam complaints**: Remove immediately

**Content Checks**:
- [ ] **Spam score**: Test with Mail Tester (aim for 8+/10)
- [ ] **Text-to-image ratio**: At least 60% text (40% images max)
- [ ] **Links**: All working, not broken
- [ ] **No spam words**: Avoid trigger words
- [ ] **Unsubscribe prominent**: Easy to find and use

### Tracking & Analytics

- [ ] **Open tracking**: Pixel installed (if ESP supports)
- [ ] **Click tracking**: Links tracked
- [ ] **UTM parameters**: Added to external links
  - utm_source=newsletter
  - utm_medium=email
  - utm_campaign=[campaign-name]
- [ ] **Conversion tracking**: Goals set in Google Analytics
- [ ] **A/B test**: Subject line or content variation (if available)

---

## Personalization & Segmentation

### Personalization Tokens

- [ ] **First name**: In subject line and greeting
- [ ] **Location** (if collected): "Hey [City] friends..."
- [ ] **Signup source**: Reference where they found you
- [ ] **Past interactions**: "You loved my last video on [topic]..."
- [ ] **Interests**: Based on links clicked in past emails

### Segmentation Options

**By Engagement**:
- [ ] **Highly engaged**: Opened 80%+ of emails (give advanced content)
- [ ] **Moderately engaged**: Opened 40-80% (standard content)
- [ ] **Low engagement**: Opened <40% (re-engagement campaign)

**By Interest**:
- [ ] **Topic preference**: Frontend vs backend, language-specific
- [ ] **Experience level**: Beginner vs advanced content
- [ ] **Content type**: Videos vs articles vs tools

**By Behavior**:
- [ ] **Video watchers**: Clicked video links consistently
- [ ] **Blog readers**: Clicked blog links consistently
- [ ] **Course buyers**: Purchased product (upsell opportunity)

---

## Pre-Send Checklist

### Content Review

- [ ] **Proofread**: No typos or grammar errors
- [ ] **Links tested**: All links work and go to correct destination
- [ ] **Images load**: All images display correctly
- [ ] **Personalization**: Merge tags working (test with preview)
- [ ] **Mobile preview**: Looks good on phone
- [ ] **CTA clear**: One primary action is obvious

### Technical Review

- [ ] **From name**: Consistent (Your Name OR Site Name)
- [ ] **From email**: Recognizable (not noreply@)
- [ ] **Reply-to**: Set correctly (goes to monitored inbox)
- [ ] **Subject line**: Final version approved
- [ ] **Preview text**: Optimized (not "View in browser")
- [ ] **Send time**: Scheduled for optimal time
- [ ] **List segment**: Correct audience selected
- [ ] **Unsubscribe**: Link present and working

### Test Send

- [ ] **Send to yourself**: Check everything in your inbox
- [ ] **Send to test emails**: Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo
- [ ] **Check on mobile**: iOS and Android
- [ ] **Check links**: Click every link
- [ ] **Check tracking**: Verify open/click tracking works
- [ ] **Check personalization**: Verify merge tags work

---

## Sending Strategy

### Frequency Best Practices

**Weekly Newsletter**:
- Same day every week (consistency)
- Same time (2-4pm EST typically best)
- Subscribers know when to expect it

**Bi-Weekly Newsletter**:
- Every other Tuesday/Thursday
- More breathing room
- Each email can have more content

**New Video Alerts**:
- Send whenever you publish (1-3x per week)
- Focused on single piece of content
- Shorter, more action-oriented

**Monthly Roundup**:
- First or last week of month
- Summary of all content that month
- Great for re-engagement

### Avoid Over-Sending

- [ ] **Frequency cap**: Max 3 emails per week (unless daily newsletter)
- [ ] **Value threshold**: Only send if providing real value
- [ ] **Preference center**: Let subscribers choose frequency
- [ ] **Quality over quantity**: Better to send less often with high value

---

## Post-Send Actions

### Immediate (First Hour)

- [ ] **Monitor delivery**: Check ESP dashboard for issues
- [ ] **Check first opens**: Are people opening? (if low, consider different send time)
- [ ] **Respond to replies**: Answer within 1 hour if possible
- [ ] **Fix broken links**: If any links are wrong, send correction email

### First 24 Hours

- [ ] **Track open rate**: Compare to average (15-25% is typical)
- [ ] **Track click rate**: Compare to average (2-5% is typical)
- [ ] **Read replies**: Engage with every response
- [ ] **Monitor unsubscribes**: <0.5% is good, >2% investigate why
- [ ] **Check spam complaints**: <0.1% is acceptable
- [ ] **Google Analytics**: Check traffic from email

### First Week

- [ ] **Analyze performance**:
  - Open rate vs average
  - Click rate vs average
  - Best performing links
  - Time of day with most opens
  - Device breakdown (mobile vs desktop)
- [ ] **Respond to all replies**: Build relationships
- [ ] **Document learnings**: What worked, what didn't
- [ ] **Plan next email**: Incorporate feedback

---

## Analytics to Track

### Key Metrics

**Delivery Metrics**:
- **Delivered**: Successfully reached inbox
- **Bounce rate**: <2% is good
- **Spam complaints**: <0.1% is acceptable

**Engagement Metrics**:
- **Open rate**: 15-25% is typical (varies by industry)
- **Click-through rate (CTR)**: 2-5% is typical
- **Click-to-open rate (CTOR)**: 10-20% is good
- **Reply rate**: Higher = better engagement

**Business Metrics**:
- **Website traffic**: From email (UTM tracking)
- **Video views**: From email referrals
- **Conversions**: Sales, signups, etc. (if applicable)
- **Unsubscribe rate**: <0.5% is good

### What to Test (A/B Testing)

**Subject Lines**:
- Benefit-focused vs curiosity-driven
- With vs without emoji
- With vs without personalization
- Short vs long

**Send Time**:
- Morning vs afternoon
- Weekday vs weekend
- Different days of week

**Content**:
- Video thumbnail size
- CTA button text
- Email length (short vs long)
- Single vs multiple CTAs

**Design**:
- Plain text vs HTML
- Image-heavy vs text-heavy
- Button vs text link

---

## Email Platform Setup

### Recommended ESPs (Email Service Providers)

**For Creators/Small Lists (<10K)**:
- ConvertKit (creator-focused)
- Mailchimp (free tier available)
- Buttondown (simple, affordable)
- Substack (if building newsletter business)

**For Growth (<100K)**:
- ConvertKit (best for creators)
- ActiveCampaign (powerful automation)
- Mailchimp (full-featured)
- SendGrid (developer-friendly)

**For Large Lists (100K+)**:
- SendGrid (high deliverability)
- Mailgun (developer-focused)
- Amazon SES (cheapest)

### Essential Automations

- [ ] **Welcome sequence**: 3-5 emails for new subscribers
- [ ] **Re-engagement**: Win back inactive subscribers
- [ ] **Abandoned cart** (if selling): Remind about uncompleted purchase
- [ ] **Birthday** (if collected): Personal touch
- [ ] **Milestone**: Celebrate subscriber anniversary

---

## Compliance & Legal

### Required Elements (CAN-SPAM Act)

- [ ] **Physical address**: Your business address in footer
- [ ] **Unsubscribe link**: Easy to find, works instantly
- [ ] **Accurate from name**: No deceptive sender info
- [ ] **Honest subject line**: Represents email content
- [ ] **Commercial disclosure**: If selling, disclose it

### GDPR Compliance (EU)

- [ ] **Explicit consent**: Subscribers opted in knowingly
- [ ] **Data processing**: Transparent about data use
- [ ] **Right to access**: Subscribers can request their data
- [ ] **Right to erasure**: Easy unsubscribe + data deletion
- [ ] **Privacy policy**: Linked in footer

---

## Tools & Resources

**Email Design**:
- Canva (thumbnail/header design)
- Figma (email templates)
- BEE Free (email builder)

**Testing**:
- Mail Tester (spam score)
- Litmus (multi-client preview)
- Email on Acid (testing suite)

**Analytics**:
- Google Analytics (traffic tracking)
- ESP native analytics
- Fathom/Plausible (privacy-focused)

**List Building**:
- OptinMonster (popups)
- ConvertBox (targeted opt-ins)
- Sumo (free list building tools)

---

**Email marketing = Consistent value + Personal connection + Strategic CTAs. Use this checklist every send.** 🚀

---

**Version**: 1.0.0
**Checklist Type**: Email Newsletter Distribution
