Sending an Email Campaign

Once you've created and finalized your email templates, you're ready to send your first email campaign. This guide walks you through the process step-by-step.

Prerequisites

Before starting your email campaign:

✅ Ensure you have at least one verified sending email address
✅ Create and save your email template(s)
✅ Build your recipient segments or groups
✅ Test your email content for mobile responsiveness
✅ Verify all links and merge tags work correctly

Starting a New Campaign

To begin creating a new email campaign:

Navigate to Campaigns in the main menu
Click the New Email Campaign button

Pro Tip

Schedule your campaigns during business hours (9 AM - 5 PM) in your recipients' time zones for optimal open rates.

Selecting Your Template

The first step is choosing which template to use for your campaign:

Browse through your available email templates
Select the template you want to use for this campaign
Click Next to proceed

Making Last-Minute Edits

After selecting your template, you'll have one final opportunity to make edits:

Review your email content and design
Make any necessary last-minute changes to the template

caution

Any changes made at this stage will only apply to this specific campaign. The original template in your template library will not be affected.

When you're satisfied with how the email looks, click Next

Setting Campaign Details

Now you'll configure the core details of your campaign:

Subject Line Best Practices

Enter a Subject Line for your email
- Keep it under 50 characters for mobile optimization
- Use personalization tokens like {{first_name}} when appropriate
- Avoid spam triggers (ALL CAPS, excessive punctuation!!!, "FREE")
- A/B test different subject lines for better performance

Preview Text Optimization 2. Add a Preview Text that will appear in recipients' inboxes

Use 35-90 characters for optimal display
Complement your subject line, don't repeat it
Create urgency or curiosity to encourage opens
This text appears after the subject in most email clients

Sender Configuration 3. Select your Sending Email Address from the dropdown menu

This is especially important if you have multiple validated sending addresses
Use a recognizable sender name and email
Avoid "no-reply" addresses when possible
Consider using a person's name for higher engagement

Click Next to continue

Selecting Recipients

Next, determine who will receive your campaign:

Choose the Groups or Segments you want to target
- You can select multiple groups or segments
- The estimated recipient count will update as you make selections
Review the estimated number of recipients
Click Next to proceed to scheduling

Scheduling Your Campaign

Now you'll decide when to send your campaign:

Select the Date and Time when you want your campaign to be sent
Choose your sending method:
- Standard Send: Delivers your email to all recipients at the scheduled time
- Smart Send: Begins at the scheduled time but optimizes delivery for each recipient within the next 120 hours
Click Next to continue

Choosing Between Standard and Smart Send

When deciding between sending options:

Use Standard Send when:

Your content is time-sensitive (sales, events, holiday promotions)
Your message has an expiration date
You need everyone to receive the information simultaneously
You're promoting a limited-time offer (like Black Friday sales)

Use Smart Send when:

Your content is not time-sensitive (monthly newsletters, general updates)
You prioritize engagement rates over immediate delivery
You're sending evergreen content
You want to optimize for open rates

Smart Send analyzes when each recipient is most likely to be active in their inbox and delivers your email during that optimal time window.

Finalizing Your Campaign

The last step is to name your campaign and schedule it:

Enter a Campaign Name
- This is for internal use only and won't be visible to recipients
- Use a descriptive name that will help you identify this campaign later
Review all campaign details
Click Send Campaign to schedule your campaign

Viewing Scheduled Campaigns

After scheduling your campaign:

Navigate to Campaigns → All Campaigns
You'll see your newly scheduled campaign in the list
The status will show as "Scheduled" with the planned send date and time

Monitoring Campaign Performance

Once your campaign begins sending:

Go to Campaigns → All Campaigns
Click on your campaign name to view its performance
You'll see metrics such as:
- Open rate: Percentage of recipients who opened your email
- Click rate: Percentage who clicked any link in your email
- Bounce rate: Emails that couldn't be delivered
- Unsubscribe rate: Recipients who opted out
- Delivery status: Real-time sending progress

Understanding Your Metrics

Industry Benchmarks

Average Open Rate: 15-25% (varies by industry)
Good Open Rate: 25-35%
Excellent Open Rate: 35%+

Click-Through Rates

Average CTR: 2-5%
Good CTR: 5-10%
Excellent CTR: 10%+

Warning Signs

High Bounce Rate (above 5%): Clean your email list
High Unsubscribe Rate (above 1%): Review content relevance
Low Open Rate (below 10%): Check subject lines and sender reputation

Understanding Email Attachments in Campaigns

Why PDF Attachments Are Not Supported for Mass Campaigns

SendSquared does not support attaching PDFs or other files to mass email campaigns. This intentional limitation protects your sender reputation and ensures maximum deliverability for your campaigns.

The Problem with Mass Email Attachments

1. Spam Filter Triggers

Major email providers (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo) automatically flag bulk emails with attachments as potential spam
PDF attachments in mass emails are one of the strongest spam indicators
Even legitimate campaigns with attachments often land in spam folders
Spam filters have learned that 70%+ of malicious emails contain PDF attachments

2. Security Concerns

PDFs can contain embedded malware, phishing links, or malicious scripts
Email providers scan attachments aggressively, often blocking entire campaigns
Recipients are increasingly wary of opening attachments from marketing emails
Corporate firewalls frequently block all mass emails with attachments

3. Deliverability Impact

Attachments dramatically increase email size, triggering size-based filters
Large campaigns with attachments can damage your entire domain's sender reputation
ISPs (Internet Service Providers) throttle or block senders who include attachments in bulk mail
Once flagged as a spam sender, it can take months to rebuild reputation

4. Performance Issues

Attachments increase email size by 10-100x, slowing delivery
Recipients on mobile devices may not download large emails
Email clients often block automatic attachment downloads
Increased bandwidth costs for both sender and recipients

5. Compliance and Legal Risks

GDPR and privacy laws require extra consent for sending attachments
Attachments can't be easily unsubscribed from or deleted
Document tracking becomes complex with downloaded attachments
Risk of accidentally sending wrong or outdated documents to thousands

The Individual Email Exception

While mass campaigns don't support attachments, individual emails sent through SendSquared do allow PDF attachments. This distinction exists because:

One-to-One Communication Is Different:

Individual emails with attachments appear legitimate to spam filters
Personal context makes attachments expected and welcome
No risk of mass distribution damaging sender reputation
Recipients are more likely to trust attachments in personal correspondence

When to Use Individual Email Attachments:

Sending contracts or proposals to specific clients
Sharing personalized reports or invoices
Providing requested documents to individual contacts
Following up with specific attachments after a conversation

Better Alternatives to PDF Attachments in Campaigns

Instead of attaching PDFs to your mass campaigns, consider these proven alternatives that maintain high deliverability:

1. Hosted Documents with Link Tracking

<!-- Instead of attachment -->
<a href="https://your-domain.com/resources/guide.pdf" target="_blank">
  Download Our Complete Guide (PDF)
</a>

Benefits:

Full tracking of who downloads your document
Ability to update the document without resending emails
No impact on email deliverability
Can gate content behind forms for lead capture

2. Landing Pages with Embedded Content

Convert your PDF content into a responsive landing page:

Better mobile experience than PDFs
SEO benefits from indexed content
Interactive elements and videos possible
Built-in analytics and conversion tracking

3. Cloud Storage Links

Use services like Google Drive, Dropbox, or your own cloud storage:

Documents always up-to-date
Access control and expiration dates
No email size limitations
Professional appearance

4. Content Blocks Within Email

Include key PDF content directly in your email:

Immediate visibility without downloads
Higher engagement than attachment clicks
Mobile-optimized presentation
Direct call-to-action buttons

5. Resource Centers Create a dedicated resource section on your website:

Central location for all documents
Better user experience for browsing multiple resources
Opportunity for content discovery
Lead nurturing through gated content

Implementation Examples

❌ What Not to Do:

Subject: Monthly Newsletter
Attachment: newsletter_march_2024.pdf (2.5MB)
Body: Please see attached newsletter...
Result: 65% spam folder placement, 12% open rate

✅ Recommended Approach:

Subject: Your March Newsletter - New Resources Inside

<p>Hi {{first_name}},</p>

<p>Your March newsletter is ready with exclusive insights on...</p>

<a href="https://company.com/newsletter/march-2024"
   style="display:inline-block; padding:12px 24px;
          background:#007bff; color:white;
          text-decoration:none; border-radius:4px;">
  Read Newsletter Online
</a>

<p>Prefer PDF? <a href="https://company.com/newsletter/march-2024.pdf">
   Download PDF Version</a></p>

Result: 98% inbox placement, 34% open rate, full download tracking

Technical Considerations

Email Size Limits Without Attachments

Gmail: 25MB total, but flags anything over 102KB
Outlook: 20MB limit, warns at 10MB
Yahoo: 25MB limit, filters large emails aggressively
Corporate: Often 10MB or less, with attachment stripping

With SendSquared's Approach

Average campaign email: 15-50KB
Fast delivery and rendering
No size-based filtering
Consistent cross-platform experience

Industry Statistics on Attachments

Research from major email service providers shows:

Spam Classification: Emails with PDF attachments are 5.6x more likely to be marked as spam
Open Rates: Campaigns without attachments have 23% higher open rates
Click Rates: Link-based resources get 42% more clicks than attachment downloads
Mobile Impact: 68% of mobile users won't download email attachments
Security Concerns: 91% of cyber attacks start with email attachments

FAQ About Email Attachments

Q: But my competitors send PDFs in their email campaigns. Why can't I? A: They're likely experiencing poor deliverability. Track their emails - you'll often find them in spam folders. Just because it's possible doesn't mean it's effective.

Q: What if my PDF is very small (under 100KB)? A: Size isn't the primary issue - it's the presence of an attachment in bulk email that triggers filters.

Q: Can I send PDFs to a small list of 50 people? A: Even small bulk sends with attachments risk spam classification. Use individual emails or hosted links instead.

Q: How do I track engagement without attachments? A: Link tracking provides better analytics than attachments ever could, including download time, location, and repeat access.

Q: What about sending invoices or statements? A: Transactional emails (invoices, statements) should be sent individually through your billing system or as one-to-one emails, not marketing campaigns.

Best Practices for Email Campaigns

Timing Your Campaigns

Consider your audience's time zone when scheduling
Business emails typically perform better on weekdays during business hours
Test different send times to find what works best for your audience

Subject Lines

Keep subject lines under 50 characters
Avoid spam trigger words ("Free," "Act Now," excessive punctuation)
Create a sense of value or urgency
Consider personalizing with recipient's name or location

Campaign Testing

Send test emails to yourself before scheduling
Preview your email on both desktop and mobile devices
Check all links to ensure they work properly
Verify that personalization tokens resolve correctly

Follow-Up

Plan for follow-up campaigns based on engagement
Consider sending a targeted follow-up to non-openers
Analyze performance metrics to improve future campaigns

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Before Sending

❌ Not testing on mobile devices - Over 50% of emails are opened on mobile
❌ Forgetting to proofread - Typos damage credibility
❌ Missing unsubscribe link - Required by law (CAN-SPAM, GDPR)
❌ Using purchased email lists - High bounce rates, spam complaints
❌ Ignoring time zones - Sending at 3 AM local time

Content Mistakes

❌ Image-only emails - Many email clients block images by default
❌ Broken links - Always test every link before sending
❌ Generic messaging - Personalize content for better engagement
❌ Too many CTAs - Focus on one primary action
❌ Misleading subject lines - Damages trust and increases unsubscribes

Technical Mistakes

❌ Not authenticating domain - Poor deliverability without SPF/DKIM
❌ Sending to entire list at once - Segment for better results
❌ Ignoring bounces - Clean your list regularly
❌ Not tracking results - Can't improve what you don't measure
❌ Same sender name always - Test personal vs. company names

Quick Campaign Checklist

Before hitting send, verify:

Prerequisites​

Starting a New Campaign​

Selecting Your Template​

Making Last-Minute Edits​

Setting Campaign Details​

Selecting Recipients​

Scheduling Your Campaign​

Finalizing Your Campaign​

Viewing Scheduled Campaigns​

Monitoring Campaign Performance​

Understanding Email Attachments in Campaigns​

Why PDF Attachments Are Not Supported for Mass Campaigns​

Best Practices for Email Campaigns​

Common Mistakes to Avoid​

Quick Campaign Checklist​