Campaign Best Practices

MarketingAdmin

Learn from proven strategies to create campaigns that engage your members and drive results.

Content Best Practices

Subject Lines That Work

Do:

• Keep it under 50 characters
• Be specific about the value
• Create curiosity or urgency
• Personalize when appropriate

Don't:

• Use ALL CAPS
• Overuse exclamation marks!!!
• Make false promises
• Use spammy words (FREE, ACT NOW)

Subject Line Formulas

Formula	Example
Question	"Ready for Saturday's tournament?"
Number	"5 tips to improve your short game"
Personalization	"John, your handicap update is in"
Urgency	"Last day: Pro shop sale ends tonight"
Curiosity	"The change we're making to hole 7"

Email Content Structure

Follow the inverted pyramid:

┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│        MOST IMPORTANT           │  ← Key message / headline
│          MESSAGE                │
├─────────────────────────────────┤
│      Supporting Details         │  ← Brief explanation
│                                 │
├─────────────────────────────────┤
│    CALL TO ACTION BUTTON        │  ← What to do next
├─────────────────────────────────┤
│   Additional info if needed     │  ← Secondary content
└─────────────────────────────────┘

Put your main message and CTA "above the fold"—visible without scrolling. Many readers won't scroll down.

Writing for Mobile

Over 60% of emails are read on mobile devices:

• Short paragraphs - 2-3 sentences max
• Scannable content - Use headers and bullets
• Large buttons - At least 44px tall, easy to tap
• Single column - Avoid complex layouts

Personalization Beyond Names

Go beyond Hi {{firstName}}:

Data Point	Personalization Example
Last visit	"It's been 3 weeks since your last round..."
Handicap	"Congratulations on reaching single digits!"
Preferences	"New arrivals in your favorite brand, Titleist"
Membership	"As a Gold member, you get early access..."
Location	"Updates for our Westside course"

Timing Best Practices

Optimal Send Times

Campaign Type	Best Days	Best Times
Newsletters	Tue, Wed, Thu	9-11am
Promotions	Thu, Fri	10am-2pm
Event reminders	Day before	9-10am
Weekend content	Thursday	2-4pm
Urgent updates	Anytime	ASAP

Frequency Guidelines

Content Type	Recommended Frequency
General newsletter	Weekly or bi-weekly
Promotional emails	1-2 per week max
Transactional	As needed
SMS campaigns	2-4 per month max

Over-sending is the #1 cause of unsubscribes. When in doubt, send less frequently with higher-quality content.

Avoiding Campaign Conflicts

Before scheduling:

• Check the marketing calendar for other sends
• Don't send multiple emails in the same day
• Space promotions at least 3-4 days apart
• Consider member preferences and segments

Audience Best Practices

Segment Everything

Never send the same message to everyone. Segment by:

Criteria	Example Use
Activity level	Re-engage inactive members
Membership type	Premium-only offers
Interests	Golf vs tennis content
Engagement	Different content for openers vs non-openers
Lifecycle stage	New member vs veteran

List Hygiene

Keep your list healthy:

• Remove hard bounces immediately (automatic)
• Suppress soft bounces after 3 consecutive failures
• Re-engage or remove members who haven't opened in 6+ months
• Honor opt-outs within 24 hours (automatic)

Permission Matters

Only email members who:

• Explicitly signed up
• Haven't unsubscribed
• Expect to hear from you

Quality over quantity. A smaller, engaged list outperforms a large, unengaged one every time.

Design Best Practices

Brand Consistency

• Use your club's colors consistently
• Include your logo in the header
• Maintain consistent fonts and styling
• Use templates for efficiency

Image Guidelines

Aspect	Best Practice
Size	Under 200KB per image
Width	600px max
Alt text	Always include descriptive text
Balance	60% text, 40% images

Call-to-Action Buttons

Element	Best Practice
Color	Contrasting, stands out
Size	Large enough to tap (44px+)
Text	Action-oriented ("Book Now", "Get Offer")
Placement	Above the fold, after key message
Quantity	One primary CTA per email

Dark Mode Compatibility

More members use dark mode. Ensure:

• Logos have transparent or dark backgrounds
• Text remains readable
• Colors don't clash in inverted mode
• Test in both light and dark modes

Testing Best Practices

What to A/B Test

Element	Test Variations
Subject lines	Length, tone, personalization
Send times	Morning vs afternoon, different days
CTAs	Button text, color, placement
Content length	Short vs detailed
Images	With vs without, different images

Testing Rules

1. Test one element at a time - Otherwise you won't know what worked
2. Use significant sample sizes - At least 1,000 per variation
3. Wait for results - Allow 24-48 hours before declaring winner
4. Document learnings - Build knowledge over time

Pre-Send Testing

Always test before sending:

• Send test to yourself
• Check on mobile device
• Verify all links
• Confirm personalization
• Review in email clients (Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail)

Compliance Best Practices

Required Elements

Every marketing email must include:

1. Clear sender identification - Your club name
2. Physical mailing address - In the footer
3. Unsubscribe link - One-click, prominently placed
4. Honest subject lines - No deception

SMS Compliance

• Obtain explicit consent before texting
• Include opt-out instructions in every message
• Respect quiet hours (typically 8am-9pm)
• Identify your club in each message

Privacy Considerations

• Only collect data you need
• Secure member information
• Allow members to update preferences
• Honor data deletion requests

Measuring Success

Key Benchmarks

Metric	Poor	Average	Good	Excellent
Open Rate	Under 15%	15-20%	20-30%	Over 30%
Click Rate	Under 1%	1-2%	2-4%	Over 4%
Unsubscribe	Over 1%	0.5-1%	0.2-0.5%	Under 0.2%
Bounce	Over 5%	2-5%	1-2%	Under 1%

Focus on Trends

Individual campaign metrics matter less than trends over time:

• Is engagement improving?
• Are unsubscribes decreasing?
• Is revenue per send increasing?

Learn from Every Send

After each campaign, ask:

• What worked well?
• What could improve?
• What will I test next time?

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Content Mistakes

Mistake	Solution
Too much text	Edit ruthlessly, use bullets
No clear CTA	One obvious next step
Broken links	Always test before sending
Typos	Proofread, use spell check

Strategy Mistakes

Mistake	Solution
Sending too often	Quality over quantity
Same message to all	Segment your audience
Ignoring mobile	Design mobile-first
Not testing	A/B test regularly

Technical Mistakes

Mistake	Solution
Large images	Compress before uploading
Missing alt text	Always add descriptions
No fallback fonts	Use web-safe font stacks
Broken personalization	Test with sample data

Quick Reference Checklist

Before every campaign:

• Clear, compelling subject line
• Content matches subject promise
• One primary call-to-action
• Mobile-friendly design
• All links tested
• Personalization working
• Unsubscribe link included
• Sent test to yourself
• Appropriate audience selected
• Good send time chosen

Next Steps

• Campaign Analytics - Measure your results
• Creating Segments - Better targeting
• Journey Builder - Automated sequences