Sending Email Campaigns

Tier: Growth 🌱 | Business 💼
Time: 5-10 minutes per campaign
Prerequisites: Created campaign, targeted audience, at least some opted-in guests

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Overview

You've created your campaign, targeted your audience, and personalized your message. Now it's time to send! This guide covers the complete sending process, from final checks to post-send monitoring, ensuring your campaign reaches your guests successfully and achieves your goals.

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Pre-Send Checklist

Before You Click "Send"

Always complete this checklist to avoid mistakes:

☐ Subject line is compelling (not "Newsletter #5")
☐ Preview text is set (first 50 characters of body)
☐ Template variables work ({guest_name} not showing literally)
☐ Unsubscribe link is present (auto-added to footer)
☐ Links are correct and clickable
☐ Images load properly (if any)
☐ Audience filter is correct (use Preview tool!)
☐ Opted-In Only filter is checked (legal requirement for marketing)
☐ Test email sent to yourself and looks good
☐ No typos or grammar mistakes
☐ CTA (call-to-action) is clear
☐ Timing is appropriate (not 2 AM!)

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The Sending Process

Step 1: Navigate to Campaign

1. Go to Campaigns page in left sidebar
2. Find your campaign in the list
3. Click on campaign name to open
4. OR click "..." menu → "Send"

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Step 2: Final Review

Campaign Summary Screen shows:

Subject Line:

Sarah, 20% off your next Beach House stay!

Preview Text:

We miss you! It's been 6 months since...

Recipient Count:

📊 125 recipients
✅ 125 opted-in
❌ 0 opted-out (will be excluded)

Filters Applied:

• Past Guests
• Property-Specific (Beach House)
• Not Emailed Recently (180 days)
• Opted-In Only

From: Your name / property name
Reply-To: Your email address

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Step 3: Preview Audience (Critical!)

Always click "Preview Audience" before sending:

1. Click "Preview Audience" button

2. Preview window opens showing:

   • Exact recipient list (first 25 shown)
   • Full name and email of each recipient
   • Total count
   • Opt-in status summary
   • Property breakdown

3. Spot-check recipients:

   • Do these people make sense?
   • Are they the right audience?
   • Any unexpected inclusions/exclusions?

4. If something looks wrong:

   • Click "Cancel"
   • Adjust filters
   • Preview again

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Step 4: Send Test Email

Before sending to everyone, test:

1. Click "Send Test" button

2. Enter your email address

3. Test email delivers in 1-2 minutes

4. Open on phone AND computer

5. Check:

   • ✅ Subject line displays correctly
   • ✅ {guest_name} replaced with real name
   • ✅ All links work
   • ✅ Images load
   • ✅ Formatting looks good
   • ✅ Unsubscribe link present
   • ✅ Mobile-responsive design

6. If issues found:

   • Go back and fix
   • Send another test
   • Repeat until perfect

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Step 5: Choose Send Method

You have 3 options:

Option A: Send Now (Immediate) ✅

Best for:

• Time-sensitive offers
• Breaking news
• Urgent updates
• Current day is optimal timing

How:

1. Click "Send Now" button
2. Confirmation modal appears
3. Verify recipient count one last time
4. Click "Yes, Send Campaign"
5. Campaign immediately queues for sending

Timeline: Emails start delivering within 1-5 minutes

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Option B: Schedule for Later 📅

Best for:

• Optimal send time in the future
• Batch work ahead of time
• Specific date/time targeting
• Timezone considerations

How:

1. Click "Schedule" button
2. Date picker opens
3. Select date (calendar view)
4. Select time (dropdown or input)
5. Timezone displayed (your account timezone)
6. Click "Schedule Campaign"
7. Confirmation shown

Timeline: Emails send at exact scheduled time

Pro tips:

• Schedule for 10 AM - 2 PM on weekdays
• Avoid early morning (before 8 AM)
• Avoid late night (after 9 PM)
• Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday best days
• Avoid Monday mornings (inbox overload)

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Option C: Save as Draft 💾

Best for:

• Not ready to send yet
• Waiting for approval
• Missing information
• Testing multiple versions

How:

1. Click "Save as Draft" button
2. Campaign saved
3. Returns to Campaigns list
4. Shows "Draft" status

To send later:

1. Open draft campaign
2. Make any final edits
3. Choose Send Now or Schedule

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Sending Confirmation

What Happens After You Send

Immediate:

✅ Campaign Status: Sending...
📊 0 of 125 sent (updating every 10 seconds)
⏰ Started: Nov 3, 2025 10:15 AM

During Send (1-5 minutes):

📧 Sending in progress...
📊 47 of 125 sent (37%)
📫 Delivered: 45
⚠️ Bounced: 2

Send Complete:

✅ Campaign Sent Successfully!
📊 125 of 125 sent (100%)
📫 Delivered: 121 (97%)
❌ Bounced: 4 (3%)
⏰ Completed: Nov 3, 2025 10:19 AM
⏱️ Duration: 4 minutes

Next steps:
- Monitor opens (check back in 24 hours)
- Review bounces
- Track clicks

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Post-Send Monitoring

First 24 Hours: Active Monitoring

What to watch:

Open Rate (Check after 2-4 hours):

Target: 20-30% after 24 hours
Good: 30-40%
Great: 40%+
Low: <15% (investigate)

Click-Through Rate (Check after 24 hours):

Target: 3-5%
Good: 5-8%
Great: 8%+
Low: <2% (weak CTA or offer)

Bounce Rate (Check immediately):

Normal: 2-5%
Concerning: 5-10%
Problem: >10% (list quality issue)

Unsubscribe Rate (Check after 48 hours):

Normal: 0.1-0.5%
Acceptable: 0.5-1%
Problem: >1% (message not resonating)

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How to Check Campaign Performance

1. Go to Campaigns page
2. Find sent campaign
3. Click campaign name
4. Performance Dashboard opens:

Campaign: "Beach House Win-Back"
Sent: Nov 3, 2025 10:15 AM
Recipients: 125

📧 Delivered: 121 (97%)
📂 Opened: 47 (39%) ⭐
🖱️ Clicked: 12 (10%) ⭐
🚫 Unsubscribed: 1 (0.8%)
❌ Bounced: 4 (3%)

Top Links Clicked:
1. "Book Now" button - 8 clicks
2. Property page - 3 clicks
3. Contact link - 1 click

Opens by Time:
[Graph showing opens over 24-48 hours]
Peak: 11 AM - 1 PM (first day)

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Understanding Delivery Status

Delivery Statuses Explained

✅ Delivered (97% typical)

• Email reached recipient's inbox
• Successfully delivered by server
• Doesn't guarantee they saw it (check Opens)

📂 Opened (20-30% typical)

• Recipient opened the email
• Tracking pixel loaded
• Shows engagement

🖱️ Clicked (3-5% typical)

• Recipient clicked a link
• Highest engagement level
• Strong interest indicator

❌ Bounced (2-5% typical)

• Email address invalid or doesn't exist
• Full inbox
• Email blocked by recipient server

Types of Bounces:

• Hard Bounce: Permanent (bad email address)
• Soft Bounce: Temporary (full inbox, server down)

⏸️ Pending (0-1% hours after send)

• Still being processed
• Queued for delivery
• Should resolve within hours

🚫 Unsubscribed

• Recipient clicked unsubscribe
• Will not receive future campaigns
• Respect this decision

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Handling Bounces

What to Do with Bounced Emails

Hard Bounces (Permanent):

1. Go to Guests page
2. Filter by "bounced email" (coming soon) OR manually search
3. Update email address if you have correct one
4. OR mark guest as invalid email
5. Don't send to them again until fixed

Soft Bounces (Temporary):

1. Campaign system auto-retries once
2. If still fails, marked as bounced
3. Try again in next campaign (might work)

High Bounce Rate (>10%):

• ⚠️ Problem with list quality
• Review how you captured emails
• Clean your database
• Remove obvious invalid emails

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Resending to Non-Openers

The Smart Resend Strategy

48 hours after initial send:

Option: Resend with different subject line

1. Original campaign results:

   • Sent: 125
   • Opened: 47 (38%)
   • Not opened: 78 (62%)

2. Create new campaign:

   • Same content
   • Different subject line
   • Filter: Not opened original campaign

3. New subject examples:

   • Original: "20% off your next stay"
   • Resend: "Last chance: Beach House discount ends tomorrow"

4. Send to non-openers (78 people)

5. Combined results:

   • Original: 47 opens
   • Resend: 18 opens
   • Total: 65 opens (52% overall!)

⭐ Increased open rate from 38% to 52%!

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Email Throttling & Deliverability

How Fast Do Emails Send?

GuestLoop sending speed:

• Small campaigns (<100): 100+ emails/minute
• Medium campaigns (100-500): 200+ emails/minute
• Large campaigns (500+): 300+ emails/minute

Why not instant?

• Prevents spam filter triggers
• Ensures high deliverability
• Maintains sender reputation
• Industry best practice

Your campaign:

• 125 recipients = ~1-2 minutes
• 500 recipients = ~2-5 minutes
• 2,000 recipients = ~8-12 minutes

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Maintaining Good Sender Reputation

What affects deliverability:

✅ Good Practices:

• Only email opted-in guests
• Keep bounce rate under 5%
• Unsubscribe rate under 1%
• High engagement (opens/clicks)
• Consistent sending schedule
• Verified "From" domain

❌ Bad Practices:

• Buying email lists
• Emailing non-opt-ins
• High complaint rate
• Sending to invalid emails
• Inconsistent sending (spam then silence)
• Misleading subject lines

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Common Sending Mistakes

Mistake 1: Not Testing First

Problem: Sent campaign with broken link to 500 people

Solution:

• ✅ Always send test email to yourself
• ✅ Click every link
• ✅ View on mobile and desktop
• ✅ Check variable replacement

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Mistake 2: Wrong Audience Filter

Problem: Sent "We miss you" to guests with upcoming bookings

Solution:

• ✅ Preview audience before sending
• ✅ Double-check filter logic
• ✅ Verify recipient list makes sense
• ✅ Send test to small segment first

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Mistake 3: Sending at Bad Time

Problem: Sent at 3 AM, terrible open rate

Solution:

• ✅ Send 10 AM - 2 PM on weekdays
• ✅ Use Schedule feature for optimal timing
• ✅ Consider recipient timezones
• ✅ Test different send times

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Mistake 4: No Clear Call-to-Action

Problem: Good open rate but no clicks

Solution:

• ✅ Include obvious CTA button
• ✅ Make link text clear ("Book Now" not "Click Here")
• ✅ Only 1-2 CTAs (don't overwhelm)
• ✅ Put CTA above the fold

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Mistake 5: Forgetting Unsubscribe Link

Problem: Legal compliance issue

Solution:

• ✅ Unsubscribe link auto-added to footer
• ✅ Don't remove it
• ✅ Must be in every marketing email
• ✅ Required by law (CAN-SPAM)

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Scheduling Best Practices

Optimal Send Times

Best days:

1. Tuesday - Best overall performance
2. Wednesday - Second best
3. Thursday - Good engagement
4. Monday - Moderate (inbox overload)
5. Friday - Lower engagement (weekend mode)
6. Weekends - Lowest (unless property-specific context)

Best times:

1. 10 AM - 12 PM - Peak email checking time
2. 1 PM - 3 PM - Post-lunch checks
3. 8 AM - 10 AM - Morning routine checks

Avoid:

• ❌ Before 7 AM (too early)
• ❌ After 9 PM (too late)
• ❌ Lunch time exactly (12-1 PM)
• ❌ 5-6 PM (commute time)

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Seasonal Considerations

Vacation rental context matters:

Summer (May-Aug):

• Send Mon-Wed for weekend bookings
• Higher urgency messaging
• Last-minute offers perform well

Off-Season:

• More time for planning
• Longer booking windows
• Educational content works

Holidays:

• Send early (30-60 days before)
• Family gathering properties
• Special holiday pricing

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Frequency Management

How Often to Send Campaigns

Recommended schedule:

Minimum: 1 campaign per quarter (4/year)

• Stay top-of-mind
• Not annoying
• Each campaign feels special

Optimal: 1-2 campaigns per month (12-24/year)

• Regular communication
• Build relationship
• Maximize bookings

Maximum: 1 per week (52/year)

• Risk of fatigue
• Only for high-engagement audiences
• Use "Not Emailed Recently" filter

Rule of thumb:

• Marketing emails: Max 2/month
• Transactional emails: Unlimited (confirmations, etc.)

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Troubleshooting

Problem: Campaign Stuck at "Sending"

Causes:

• Server temporarily slow
• Large recipient list
• System queue backlog

Solutions:

1. Wait 10-15 minutes (usually resolves)
2. Refresh page
3. Check Campaigns list for status update
4. Contact support if stuck >30 minutes

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Problem: High Bounce Rate

Causes:

• Imported old/bad data
• Guests typed emails wrong
• Domain-level issues

Solutions:

1. Review bounced emails list
2. Remove obvious typos (gnail.com → gmail.com)
3. Don't send to hard bounces again
4. Clean database regularly

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Problem: Low Open Rate

Causes:

• Bad subject line
• Wrong send time
• Over-emailing fatigue
• Spam filters

Solutions:

1. Test different subject lines
2. Send at optimal times (Tue-Thu, 10 AM-2 PM)
3. Use "Not Emailed Recently" filter
4. Avoid spam trigger words (FREE, !!!, ALL CAPS)

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Problem: Campaign Not Sending

Causes:

• No opted-in recipients
• All recipients bounced previously
• Filter excludes everyone
• Account issue

Solutions:

1. Preview audience (shows count)
2. Check if anyone opted-in
3. Verify filter logic
4. Contact support

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Post-Send Actions

After Campaign Completes

Within 24 Hours:

• Check open rate (goal: 20-30%)
• Review click-through rate (goal: 3-5%)
• Identify bounced emails
• Monitor unsubscribes
• Respond to any replies

Within 48-72 Hours:

• Consider resending to non-openers with new subject
• Update guest records (remove bounces)
• Track bookings from campaign
• Calculate ROI

Within 1 Week:

• Document what worked/didn't work
• Update campaign template
• Plan next campaign
• Segment analysis (which filters performed best)

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Campaign Performance Benchmarks

What "Good" Looks Like

By Industry (Vacation Rentals):

Metric	Poor	Fair	Good	Excellent
Open Rate	<15%	15-25%	25-35%	35%+
Click Rate	<2%	2-4%	4-8%	8%+
Bounce Rate	>10%	5-10%	2-5%	<2%
Unsubscribe	>2%	1-2%	0.5-1%	<0.5%

Your Results Will Vary Based On:

• List quality
• Audience targeting
• Offer strength
• Subject line
• Send timing
• Email frequency

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What's Next?

After sending your campaigns:

1. ✅ Email Performance Tracking - Analyze results in depth
2. ✅ Audience Targeting - Improve targeting for next campaign
3. ✅ Template Variables - Enhance personalization
4. ✅ Creating Campaigns - Build your next campaign

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I cancel a campaign after clicking send?

A: Only if you catch it in the first 1-2 minutes. Contact support immediately. After that, emails are already delivered.

Q: What if I made a typo after sending?

A: Learn from it for next time. You can send a correction email if it's critical.

Q: How long should I wait before resending?

A: Minimum 48 hours. Check results first, then resend to non-openers with different subject.

Q: Can I see who specifically opened my email?

A: Yes! Go to campaign details → Opens tab → See list of guests who opened.

Q: What if someone replies to my campaign?

A: Replies go to your "Reply-To" email address. Respond personally!

Q: Do scheduled campaigns send if I'm offline?

A: Yes! They send automatically at the scheduled time, even if you're not logged in.

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Need Help?

• Video Tutorial: Watch: Sending Your First Campaign
• Support: support@guestloop.com
• Deliverability Issues: Check Email Deliverability Guide
• Best Practices: Download Campaign Launch Checklist

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Preparation + Targeting + Timing = Campaign Success! 📧🚀✨