Creating a high-performing email takes time and the right resources. Most brands spend weeks planning and executing each email they produce. But what’s the secret to building a workflow that enables your team to get higher-quality emails out the door, faster? Using insights from the largest email industry survey of its kind, Litmus’ third annual State of Email Workflows report takes a detailed look at how email teams tackle every stage of the email creation process—from planning and building to quality assurance and sending. In this webinar, Jason Rodriguez and I dive into the report’s key findings and break down the top 5 opportunities to improve your email workflow that you can put into practice immediately. You’ll learn… - How email teams leverage project management software and email briefs to keep email campaigns on track - Why collecting feedback and approvals is the largest drain on time in the email process—and how you can streamline this step in the workflow - Why more brands are embracing modular design, and how this design approach can reduce your production time - And more!

1. Email Workflows that Work
5 Trends to Help You Build Better Emails Faster

2. Litmus surveyed nearly 3,000 marketers
about all aspects of their email marketing
programs, including how they plan, design
and code, maintain quality, review and
approve, and send their emails.
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

3. We published those findings
in our 2018 State of Email
Workflows report, which
provides data-based evidence
of current practices and
trends in email creation.
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

4. The report highlights 5 key action items:
● Adopt content or project management software to
help plan your emails.
● Create an email brief for every email you build.
● Embrace modular email design.
● Streamline your review and approval process.
● Rationalize how many email platforms you use.
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp
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5. Over the next 50 minutes, we’re going to
explore each of those recommendations,
giving you practical how-to advice. We’ll also
share details about how Litmus puts each of
those recommendations into action.
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

6. Your workflow is an expression of the
investment you make in every email.
So let’s talk about how marketers can make
smart investments in their email marketing
workflow to improve efficiencies and the
customer experience.
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

7. Chad S. White
Research Director at Litmus
Author of Email Marketing Rules
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp
Jason Rodriguez
Community & Product
Evangelist, Litmus

8. Content & Project
Management

9. What is project management software?
It’s used for project planning, scheduling, and
resource allocation. It documents progress
and issues, and allows collaboration and
communication between project members.
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

10. Nearly 69% of brands use software other
than or in addition to spreadsheets,
calendars, and docs from the likes of Google,
Microsoft, and Apple to plan their email
content. That’s up from 49% in 2016.
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

11. #LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

12. #LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

13. The shift indicates the…
● Growing complexity of email campaigns
● Growing integration of email with other
channels in omnichannel campaigns
● Growing number of people involved
(directly or indirectly) in email
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp
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14. How does Litmus
manage email projects?

15. The complexity of Litmus has grown
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp
Simple Broadcast
Ad-Hoc Broadcast
Transactional
Weekly
Sales
Notifications
Conference
Webinar
Reports
A few years ago: Today:

16. #LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

17. #LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp
Categories for status:
● New Requests
● Queued
● In Progress
● Completed
● Reporting
● On Hold
● Resources

18. Email Briefs

19. #LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp
What is an email brief?
It’s a description of the goal, audience, key
performance indicators, and other elements of
an email a brand is creating. It keeps
practitioners and stakeholders aligned.

20. #LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

21. Marketers who describe their email
marketing programs as successful are 81%
more likely than those at less successful
programs to create an email brief for every
email they produce (24% vs. 13%).
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

22. Your email brief should answer...
Who should get this message?
What action should subscribers take?
Why will they take that action?
When should they receive the message?
Where are they likely to read the message?
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

23. How will you measure this email’s success?
Is this email part of a series of messages or
a subscriber or customer journey?
Do you have supplemental material that’s
important to answering the other questions?
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

24. For an in-depth look at email
briefs, check out How to Define the
Goal of Your Next Email Marketing
Campaign and download the Email
Planning Workbook discussed.
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

25. How does Litmus create
email briefs?

26. #LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

27. #LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp
Captures:
● Requester
● Title
● Type of Email
● Time Frame
● Target Audience
● Goal
● Reporting Requirements
● Supporting Files
Email Request Form

28. #LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp
Email Brief Docs

29. #LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp
Email Brief Docs Content
Captures:
● Goals
● Tracking Information
● Deadlines
● Audience (List + Suppression)
● From Name
● Subject Line + Preview Text
● Copy
● Conditional Content
● Initial Feedback

30. Modular
Email
Designs

31. What is a modular email build?
It’s a method of creating emails that involves
pre-made code blocks that then get updated
with new content specific to each email.
WYSIWYG modules, snippets, and partials
are the building blocks of modular emails.
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

32. #LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

33. The chief benefits of modular designs:
● Fewer typo errors
● Quicker building
● Standardizes how your team codes
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp
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34. What is a snippet?
Snippets are modules of reusable code that
can be inserted into a new email and then
customized for that particular email.
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

35. The highest voted snippets in
litmus.com/community/snippets:
● Remove Blue Links on Apple Devices
● Hidden Preheader Text
● Remove Download Icon from Images in Gmail
● Bulletproof Button - Border-Based Approach
● Generic Styles for Mobile Hide/Show/Full-Width
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

36. #LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

37. What is a partial?
Partials are global, dynamic, reusable blocks
of code that can be used across multiple
emails. Partials live globally and any change
made to a partial will apply to every single
email where that partial is referenced.
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

38. Partials can be used to update:
● Headers
● Footers
● Seasonal promotion blocks
● Content block of personalized content or
product recommendations
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp
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39. Partials are particularly powerful for
programs with lots of automated emails.
Currently, more than 13% of email programs
generate the majority of their email revenue
from triggered and transactional emails.
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

40. #LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

41. For an in-depth look, check out
Automate Your Email Builds in Two
Ways: Snippets vs. Partials. Find
dozens of useful snippets at
litmus.com/community/snippets
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

42. How does Litmus build
modular emails?

43. #LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp
Header
Body
Copy
Footer

44. #LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp
Module Element Trigger Type Trigger
Header Partial {{header}}
Body Snippet table + TAB
Copy Snippet paragraph + TAB
Footer Partial {{footer-account}}
Mapping Modules

45. #LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

46. Review &
Approval Process

47. What is a review and approval process?
The generally iterative process of collecting
feedback and making changes to an email
until it’s final and ready to be sent.
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

48. #LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

49. Marketers who describe their email programs
as successful are 33% more likely than
those at less successful programs to say
their email review and approval process is
appropriately rigorous (65% vs. 49%).
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

50. Some of the key factors that influence
review and approval processes:
● Involvement of executives
● Involvement of other departments
● Lead times on email approvals
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp
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51. #LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

52. #LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

53. #LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp
Departments that generally
make review processes
more burdensome

54. #LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

55. For an in-depth look, check out
our Litmus’ executive summary on
How to Improve Email Review
Cycles and Email Approvals.
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

56. How does Litmus
approve emails?

58. #LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

59. #LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp
Centralized Approvals with Proof
One tool to rule them all:
● Email-Specific Previews
○ Desktop, Mobile, Plain Text
● Live Emails
● Subject Line + Preview Text
● Version History
● Threaded Comments
● @ Mentions
● User + Group Invitations
● Email Notifications

60. #LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp
Dozens of Slack messages
Dozens of emails
Messy version history
Manual test sends for different
versions of email

61. ESPs
Used

62. While brands continue to have hundreds of
email service providers to choose from, the
ESP industry continues to show clear signs
of consolidation.
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

63. For example, the top 10 ESPs used by our
respondents now have nearly 63% market
share, up from 58% in 2017 and 56% in
2016.
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

64. Moreover, just 21 ESPs have at least 1%
market share among our respondents, down
from 22 in 2017 and 27 in 2016.
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

65. What’s driving the consolidation?
● Continued M&A activity among ESPs
● Declining use of homegrown email
marketing platforms
● Fewer brands using multiple ESPs
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66. #LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

67. For an in-depth look, check out
Litmus’ 2018 State of Email
Service Providers report.
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp

68. How does Litmus use
email service providers?

69. #LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp
Previous Litmus ESP Usage
Broadcast Emails
Transactional Emails
App-Triggered Emails
Ad-Hoc ESPs
Code Editors
Code Repositories
Various Build Tools

70. Current Consolidation
#LitmusLive @ChadSWhite @RodriguezCommaJ @LitmusApp
Broadcast Emails
Transactional Emails
Litmus Builder

71. ❏Project management
software
❏Email briefs
❏Modular designs
❏Streamlined reviews
❏ESP rationalization
#LitmusLive @LitmusApp
RECAP
The Top 5 Email
Workflow
Improvement
Opportunities

72. Questions?
You can find all of Litmus’
State of Email Survey Research at
litmus.com/stateofemail