Email Marketing Operating System

EMAIL PROGRAM STRATEGY

Program Objectives Framework

Objective	KPIs	Targets
List Growth	New subscribers, growth rate	X/month, X% growth
Engagement	Open rate, click rate, CTOR	X%, X%, X%
Conversion	Email-attributed conversions	X leads/month
Revenue	Email-attributed pipeline/revenue	$X/month
Retention	Unsubscribe rate, engagement decay	<X%, <X%

List Strategy

LIST STRATEGY FRAMEWORK

PRIMARY LIST SEGMENTS:
☐ Prospects (not yet customers)
☐ Customers (active)
☐ Churned (former customers)
☐ Partners (ecosystem)

ACQUISITION SOURCES:
☐ Website forms
☐ Content downloads
☐ Webinar registrations
☐ Event attendees
☐ Product trials
☐ Sales-added contacts

LIST QUALITY STANDARDS:
• Minimum data required: [Fields]
• Validation method: [Real-time/batch]
• Engagement threshold: [X days without activity = inactive]
• Sunset policy: [Remove after X months inactive]

Segmentation Architecture

Dimension	Segments	Usage
Lifecycle	Lead, MQL, SQL, Customer, Churned	Program assignment
Engagement	Active, Passive, At-risk, Inactive	Frequency adjustment
Industry	[Your verticals]	Content personalization
Company Size	SMB, Mid-market, Enterprise	Offer customization
Behavior	Product interest, content affinity	Trigger automation

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PROGRAM TYPES

Core Email Programs

Program	Purpose	Frequency	Owner
Welcome Series	Onboard new subscribers	One-time (5-7 emails)	Marketing
Newsletter	Regular value + updates	Weekly/bi-weekly	Marketing
Nurture Sequences	Move leads through funnel	Behavior-triggered	Marketing
Product Updates	New features, releases	As needed	Product Marketing
Promotional	Campaigns, offers	Campaign-based	Marketing
Re-engagement	Win back inactive	Triggered by inactivity	Marketing

Program Calendar Template

Week	Newsletter	Nurture	Promotional	Product
1	✓	(automated)
2	✓	(automated)	Campaign A
3	✓	(automated)
4	✓	(automated)		Product Update

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SEND CADENCE MANAGEMENT

Frequency Limits

Segment	Max/Week	Max/Month	Exception
Active Engaged	4	12	Time-sensitive only
Passive	2	6	High-value content only
At-Risk	1	3	Re-engagement focus
Customers	3	10	Product updates separate

Send Time Optimization

Audience Type	Best Days	Best Times	Avoid
B2B General	Tue-Thu	9-11am, 2-3pm	Mon AM, Fri PM
C-Suite	Tue-Wed	7-8am, 6-7pm	Mid-day
Tech/Dev	Tue-Thu	10am-12pm	Early morning
SMB	Tue-Thu	11am-1pm	After hours

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EMAIL TEMPLATE CHECKLIST

DESIGN:
☐ Mobile-responsive (test on iOS/Android)
☐ Max width: 600px
☐ Font size: min 14px body, 22px headline
☐ CTA buttons: min 44x44px tap target
☐ Alt text on all images
☐ Text-to-image ratio: 60/40 or higher

CONTENT:
☐ Preheader text included (40-100 chars)
☐ Clear hierarchy (H1, H2, body)
☐ Single primary CTA
☐ Legal footer (address, unsubscribe)

TESTING:
☐ Render test (Litmus/Email on Acid)
☐ Link check
☐ Personalization test
☐ Spam check

Template Type	Variants	Usage
Newsletter	1-column, 2-column	Regular sends
Promotional	Hero image, Text-heavy	Campaigns
Nurture	Minimal, Value-focused	Automation
Transactional	Simple, Branded	System emails

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TESTING PROTOCOL

Testing Cadence

Test Type	Frequency	Minimum Sample
Subject line	Every newsletter	1,000/variant
Send time	Monthly	5,000/variant
Content/design	Quarterly	2,500/variant
Segmentation	Quarterly	Segment-based

Testing Priority Matrix

TEST PRIORITIZATION

HIGH IMPACT, LOW EFFORT (Do First):
• Subject lines
• Send times
• CTA button text
• Preheader text

HIGH IMPACT, HIGH EFFORT (Plan for):
• Email length/format
• Personalization
• Segmentation strategies
• Automation triggers

LOW IMPACT (Lower Priority):
• Minor design tweaks
• Font changes
• Image variations

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COMPLIANCE FRAMEWORK

CAN-SPAM Requirements

CAN-SPAM CHECKLIST

☐ From name clearly identifies sender
☐ Subject line not deceptive
☐ Physical postal address included
☐ Unsubscribe mechanism present
☐ Unsubscribe processed within 10 days
☐ Commercial email identified (if required)
☐ No purchased lists used

GDPR Considerations

Requirement	Implementation
Explicit consent	Double opt-in for EU
Right to access	Data export available
Right to erasure	Unsubscribe = full removal option
Data processing record	Document all email processing

Preference Management

Preference Type	Options
Frequency	Daily, Weekly, Monthly
Content type	Newsletter, Product, Promotional
Format	HTML, Plain text
Pause	30 days, 60 days, 90 days

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PERFORMANCE TRACKING

Weekly Email Scorecard

EMAIL PERFORMANCE SCORECARD - Week of [Date]

DELIVERABILITY:
Delivery rate: _____% (Target: 98%+)
Bounce rate: _____% (Target: <2%)
Spam complaints: _____% (Target: <0.1%)

ENGAGEMENT:
Open rate: _____% (Target: ___%)
Click rate: _____% (Target: ___%)
CTOR: _____% (Target: ___%)

CONVERSION:
Clicks to leads: _____
Email-attributed pipeline: $_____
Unsubscribe rate: _____% (Target: <0.5%)

LIST HEALTH:
New subscribers: _____
Net list growth: _____
Active rate: _____%

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