This document provides guidance on email marketing best practices in Pardot, including how to import lists, create email templates, test emails, send emails, and track email reporting metrics. The key steps covered are importing lists via CSV, creating email templates using different layout types, ensuring proper use of CSS and variable tags, testing emails before sending, scheduling or immediately sending emails to lists, and accessing email reports to monitor open/click rates and unsubscribes.

1. Partner Certification -
Bronze
Emails

2. Importing a list
•
Import a list in the application by going to Administration
>> Import
•
File must be in CSV format
•
Reserve the first row for the header of the column
•
The only required column in the CSV is email address
•
If syncing with a CRM, an import will force a sync of the
prospects imported
•
During the import, you will have the ability to add the
prospects to a “list” which is used for mailing

3. Email Templates
•
Always a good idea to create an email
template before sending an actual email
•
Allows for email to be copied for future use
•
Email templates are also used for auto-
responders, drip programs, and automation
rules

4. Layout Types
•
Preformatted Layouts – Use one of Pardot’s 30+ layouts
to easily create HTML emails without any coding
knowledge
•
Graphical Editor – Use the WYSIWYG editor to custom
create your email or input your own HTML in the source
tab
•
Source Editor – Input your own source and go to the
next step. No WYSIWYG editor here to make any
changes; must change in HTML
•
Text Only – Create non-HTML emails with no clickable
links. All links and URLs are in plain sight

5. CSS and Emails
•
All CSS must be inline and not referencing external style
sheets
•
CSS gives the email its look and feel
•
For example:
•
Correct: <p style=“font-size:12px; color: #666; font-family:
arial;”>
•
Incorrect: <p id=“paragraph”>
•
Google, among major email clients, does not reference
external stylesheets

6. Variable Tags
•
Allows the email to appear more personalized
•
Commonly used tags include %%first_name%%, %
%last_name%%, and %%company%%
•
Any variable tags beginning in %%user… reference the
sender of the email
•
Use in drip programs and direct 1-to-1 emails to give the
assumption of user actually sent the email

7. Best Practice Tips
•
Keep HTML heavy emails to monthly newsletters and
other marketing focused communication
•
Use variable tags to give the thought that the user
actually sent the email
•
If you must use HTML heavy emails in drip programs,
make the email look like a forward from the sales rep
•
All emails must include the following:
•
Text Version – For those who can not receive HTML emails
•
Unsubscribe Link – To remain Can-Spam compliant and allow
users to opt-out of communication
•
Account Address – Can either be placed using %
%account_address%% or hard coded in the email

8. Testing Emails
•
Test your emails to ensure they look as you wish in your
recipients inbox
•
One step of the email wizards gives the ability to send
the email to an address(es)
•
If you have the Gold Email Package, this step will allow
you to send to the email testing service to check look,
subject line, and spam reporting
•
Note: When testing via the wizard, any variable tags will
not be shown.
•
To test this, create a test list and send a live email to this list

9. Sending the Email
•
You can send your template by going to Marketing >>
Email >> Send New Email
•
Select the email template that you wish to use. Once
selected, next couple of steps will be completed from
the template
•
Have the ability to send the email from “assigned user”,
which if assigned, the email will come from the rep and
not the default sender
•
Choose which list you wish to send the email to. If
multiple list are selected, Pardot will de-dupe the list so
prospects only get the email once

10. Sending the Email Cont…
•
Suppress any list that you wish to not receive the email
at all.
•
Use case of customers that may be still on marketing list
•
Choose when you wish for the email to be sent:
•
Immediately: Email is sent when confirmation is hit on the
confirmation page
•
Schedule: Choose when you wish to send the email in the future.
•
Based on your local time zone
•
Save as a draft: Save and decide later when to send the
email
•
If you edit a scheduled email, it will cancel the send
and you will need to reschedule the email send

11. Email Deliverability Tips
•
Keep a good text to image ratio
•
If spam filters can not read any/much text, they are likely to spam
the message
•
Avoid shouting language
•
NO ONE LIKES TO READ ALL CAPS
•
Don’t buy and send to list
•
This is against Pardot’s Terms of Service and could blacklist your
IP
•
Only send to those you have had previous communication with
•
Have a text version that matches the HTML version
•
Have a clear defined way the prospect can unsubscribe

12. Is My Email/List too
Spammy?
•
Make sure the list has been mailed to within the last
year
•
Use these statistics to live by:
•
Have an unsubscribe rate <1%
•
People do wish to stop receiving emails
•
Have a hard bounce rate <3%
•
People are leaving companies for new jobs all the time, hard
bounces happen
•
Spam complaints <.1%
•
No one should think your email is spam

13. Reporting
•
Access email reports in Reports >> Emails
•
Reports available for Email Templates, Email Blast, Drip
Programs
•
Email Template reports will show the statistics for the
template itself including auto-responders and drip
programs
•
Email Blast report will break down the report for the
individual blast
•
Drip Program report will break down the email in the
different stages of the drip program

14. End of Emails
•
You have reached the end of the email course
•
You will now take a test of what you have
learned. You must score greater than 85% to
pass this portion of the test
•
Good luck!