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Practical guide: 8 steps to launch error-free automated campaigns

4 September 2025 Comments Off on Guía práctica: 8 pasos para lanzar campañas automatizadas sin errores

On numerous occasions on our blog, we have talked about launching automated campaigns. As we well know, automation is one of the great advantages of the email marketing: allows for improved, personalised and optimised communication with customers. However, even the best strategy can fail if mistakes are made in execution that affect user experience or campaign performance.

In this post, we have prepared a essential checklist to help you avoid mistakes that you can follow before activating any automated campaign.

Step 1. Clear definition of the objective

The first step is always to be clear what we want to achieve. Define whether you are looking to sell more, build customer loyalty, recover abandoned carts or welcome new subscribers. Once you have this clear, also set the KPIs to measure the results of the campaigns. 

Therefore, before thinking about design or flows, ask yourself:

  • ¿What I want to achieve with this automation?
    (e.g. to increase sales, build loyalty, recover shopping carts, welcome...)

  • How am I going to measuring success?
    (main KPIs: open rate, CTR, conversions, revenue generated).

Step 2. Segmenting the audience

In this step, we must bear in mind that not all your contacts are at the same stage of the journey and do not have the same interests. That is why it is very important to make sure that your list is updated and segmented correctly. This way, you will avoid sending irrelevant messages and improve conversion rates. Therefore:

  • Verify that the list of contacts is up to date and free of inactive users.
  • Create dynamic segments according to behaviour, language or interests.

Check that the inflow and outflow conditions are correct (e.g. a user should not receive the same series of emails twice).

Step 3. Personalisation and dynamic content

The added value that automation gives you is to be able to speak to each client individually. Check that the dynamic fields work (name, recommended products, language...) and that the content you are giving makes sense with the moment in which the user is. To sum up:

  • Check that the dynamic fields (name, products, preferences) work and do not appear empty.
  • Make sure the creative and copy is aligned with the customer journey phase.
  • Add A/B testing if the platform allows it (topics, CTAs, timing).

Step 4. Design and usability

Thoughtful design can make a difference, but it should also be practical. Before activating the campaign, check how it looks on mobile and desktop, check that links work and make sure images are optimised. Remember that the user experience starts in the inbox.

  • Check out the design at mobile and desktop version.
  • Test the links: each CTA must lead to the right place.
  • Optimise the weight of images and use alternative text.
  • Maintain a balance between attractive design and readability.

Step 5. Technical configuration

The technical details are what ensure that your email reaches its destination. Check that the sender and the reply-to are correct, that the domain is authenticated (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and that the UTM parameters are configured so that the impact can be measured later. This step is very important because a small oversight here can mean a big loss of data.

  • Verify that the sender and reply-to are correct.
  • Make sure the domain is authenticated (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
  • Check that the UTM tracking are configured to measure impact.

Step 6. Timing and frequency

Sending your campaign at the right time can turn an email into a success or an ignored message. Therefore, it is important to define the timing between communications and avoid saturating the user. The key is to find the right balance: enough frequency to maintain interest, but not so much as to generate rejection.

  • Define the best time to send based on the historical behaviour of your audiences.
  • Adjusts the delays in automated flows (e.g. do not send a reminder too early or too late).
  • Avoid overexposure of the same user to several active streams.

Step 7. Test before launch

Testing is the only way to make sure that everything works as expected. Internal testing helps to catch last minute bugs: a broken link, an empty dynamic field or a design error. This step is your way of making sure before sending your campaign to all your contacts.

  • Make an internal test shipment to the team.
  • Check that all dynamic data is displayed correctly.
  • Checks delivery in different mailboxes (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo)
  • Analyses the spam score to avoid blockages.

Step 8. Post-launch monitoring

As we always say in our blogThe work doesn't stop when the campaign is underway. Monitoring in the first hours is key to detect potential problems and react in time. In addition, each campaign is different: analyse results and document improvements to optimise future automations.

  • Review initial metrics in the first hours.
  • Have a plan of action ready in case of incidents (e.g. stop flow or correct links).
  • Document learnings for future automation.

In short, through this post we want to make it clear that an automated campaign can be a very good action to grow your business, but only if it is well planned and carried out. With this checklist, you will have a control framework that will allow you to reduce errors, optimise your deliveries and always offer the best experience to your customers..

At Digital Response we are specialists in email marketing and marketing automation. If you want to ensure that your automated campaigns run flawlessly and deliver results, we can help you implement them strategically and efficiently.