Email Marketing Setup Checklist

Build and launch an email marketing system that turns one-time customers into regulars. Everything from list building to automation sequences.

25 total items90 minBeginner3 sections

List Building & Platform Setup

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Choose an email platform: Klaviyo (ecommerce), Mailchimp (beginners), or ActiveCampaign (advanced)
Connect your email platform to your website and POS system
Add a signup form to your homepage, footer, and blog sidebar
Create a lead magnet to incentivize signups (e.g., '10% off your first visit', 'Free guide', 'Monthly giveaway entry')
Import your existing customer list and segment by purchase history
Set up double opt-in to keep your list clean and compliant (CAN-SPAM / GDPR)
Add your business address and unsubscribe link to every email template (legally required)
Set up a branded sending domain (yourname@yourbusiness.com) — not Gmail or Yahoo

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Create a welcome sequence: 3 emails over 7 days introducing your brand, story, and best offer
Build a post-purchase/visit follow-up email: send 24 hours after service with a review request link
Set up a win-back campaign: email customers who haven't visited in 60 days with a special offer
Create a birthday email with a discount (collect birthdays on your signup form)
Build an abandoned booking reminder: email within 2 hours of incomplete booking/inquiry
Set up a referral program email: reward customers who refer friends with a discount
Create a VIP tier welcome email when customers hit a purchase threshold

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Send a monthly newsletter (first Tuesday or Thursday achieves best open rates for local businesses)
Segment campaigns by customer type: new, regular, lapsed, VIP
A/B test subject lines on every campaign — minimum 20% list size per variant
Aim for 35%+ open rate for local business emails (industry average is 21%)
Monitor click-through rate (CTR) — aim for 3%+ per campaign
Review unsubscribe rate — if above 0.5%, your content is misaligned with audience expectations
Use preview text (the gray line under the subject line) — always write it intentionally
Include one primary CTA per email — don't ask subscribers to do 3 different things
Send a seasonal campaign for every major holiday relevant to your business
Track revenue per email sent — this is the most important metric for local businesses

Ready to implement?

Book a 30-minute audit with Nataliia. You'll get a personalized action plan for your business — no sales pitch, just strategy.