email-campaigns

name	email-campaigns
description	Email marketing campaign creation covering subject line optimization, A/B test design, template generation, segmentation strategies, and performance tracking. This skill should be used when Cline needs to create, optimize, or analyze email marketing campaigns — from individual newsletter editions to automated drip sequences and promotional blasts.

Email Campaigns

This skill creates and optimizes email marketing campaigns. It covers subject line crafting and testing, email template design, audience segmentation, A/B test planning, drip sequence design, and performance analysis. Every campaign balances conversion goals with subscriber trust.

When to Use This Skill

• Writing email subject lines that drive opens
• Designing A/B tests for subject lines, content, or send times
• Creating email templates for newsletters, promotions, and transactional emails
• Planning email drip sequences and automation workflows
• Segmenting audiences for targeted messaging
• Analyzing campaign performance and recommending improvements
• Creating welcome sequences, onboarding emails, and re-engagement campaigns
• Writing email copy that converts without being pushy

What This Skill Does

1. Subject Line Optimization: Craft and test high-open-rate subject lines
2. A/B Test Design: Plan statistically valid tests for email elements
3. Template Creation: Build reusable email templates with proper structure
4. Sequence Design: Plan drip campaigns and automated email flows
5. Performance Analysis: Track metrics and optimize based on data

Process

Step 1: Define the Campaign

## Campaign Brief

- **Campaign name**: [Descriptive name]
- **Type**: [Newsletter / Promotion / Welcome / Onboarding / Re-engagement / Transactional]
- **Goal**: [What action should recipients take?]
- **Audience**: [Segment — who receives this?]
- **Send frequency**: [One-time / Daily / Weekly / Triggered]
- **Success metric**: [Open rate / Click rate / Conversion rate / Revenue]
- **Target numbers**: [Specific goal: e.g., 25% open rate, 3% click rate]
- **Sender name**: [Who is this from?]
- **Landing page**: [Where does the primary CTA link?]

Step 2: Subject Line Optimization

Generate and evaluate subject line variants:

## Subject Line Framework

### Variants by Approach

**Curiosity** (what happens next?)
- The one thing your [audience] is missing about [topic]
- I didn't expect this to work (but it did)
- [Number] [things] your competitors already know

**Urgency/Scarcity** (time-sensitive)
- 24 hours left: [offer/benefit]
- [Deadline] is almost here — here's what to do
- Last chance to [action]

**Benefit-Driven** (what's in it for them?)
- How to [achieve outcome] in [timeframe]
- The simple way to [solve problem]
- Get [benefit] without [common obstacle]

**Personal/Social Proof** (human connection)
- How [person/company] achieved [result]
- What I learned after [experience]
- [Number] people already [action] — here's why

**Direct** (for B2B / transactional)
- [Action required]: [what/why]
- Your [thing] is ready
- Update: [what changed]

### Subject Line Checklist
- [ ] Under 50 characters (mobile displays ~40-50)
- [ ] First 20 characters contain the hook (preview text matters)
- [ ] No misleading claims (trust > clicks)
- [ ] No ALL CAPS or excessive punctuation (!!!)
- [ ] Personalization where appropriate (first name, company)
- [ ] Aligned with email content (no bait-and-switch)
- [ ] Preview text complements the subject line (don't repeat)

Step 3: A/B Test Design

## A/B Test Plan

### Test: Subject Line Optimization
- **Variable**: Subject line wording
- **Variants**:
  - A (Control): [Original subject line]
  - B (Challenger): [Modified subject line]
- **Split**: 50/50 of test segment (minimum 1,000 per variant)
- **Duration**: 24 hours (most opens occur in first 4-8 hours)
- **Primary metric**: Open rate
- **Secondary metric**: Click rate (are we attracting the right opens?)

### Test: CTA Design
- **Variable**: Button text and placement
- **Variants**:
  - A: "Learn More" button below main content
  - B: "Get Started Now" button above fold + below content
- **Split**: 50/50
- **Primary metric**: Click-through rate
- **Secondary metric**: Conversion rate on landing page

### Test: Send Time
- **Variable**: Day and time of send
- **Variants**:
  - A: Tuesday 10:00 AM
  - B: Thursday 2:00 PM
- **Split**: 25/25 (hold 50% for the winner rollout)
- **Primary metric**: Open rate + click rate combined
- **Duration**: Test both sends, compare 48-hour results

### A/B Test Rules
1. **Test one variable at a time** — multiple changes = unclear results
2. **Wait for statistical significance** — don't call a test after 100 opens
3. **Segment equally** — ensure both variants see similar audience quality
4. **Document everything** — results, hypotheses, and learnings for future tests
5. **Roll out the winner** — don't leave performance on the table

### Significance Calculator
- Need at least 1,000 opens per variant for reliable results
- A 5-10% difference in open rates is typically meaningful
- Use a chi-squared test or online calculator for formal significance testing

Step 4: Email Template Creation

<!-- Newsletter Template -->
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
  <title>{{subject}}</title>
</head>
<body style="margin:0;padding:0;background-color:#f4f4f4;">
  <table role="presentation" width="100%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color:#f4f4f4;padding:20px 0;">
    <tr>
      <td align="center">
        <table role="presentation" width="600" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background-color:#ffffff;border-radius:8px;overflow:hidden;">

          <!-- Header / Logo -->
          <tr>
            <td style="padding:20px 30px;background-color:#1a1a2e;text-align:center;">
              <h1 style="margin:0;color:#ffffff;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:24px;">
                {{brand_name}}
              </h1>
            </td>
          </tr>

          <!-- Hero Section -->
          <tr>
            <td style="padding:30px;">
              <h2 style="margin:0 0 15px 0;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:22px;color:#1a1a2e;">
                {{headline}}
              </h2>
              <p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;line-height:1.6;color:#444444;">
                {{intro_paragraph}}
              </p>
              <!-- Primary CTA Button -->
              <table role="presentation" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
                <tr>
                  <td style="background-color:#e94560;border-radius:6px;">
                    <a href="{{cta_url}}" style="display:inline-block;padding:14px 30px;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:16px;color:#ffffff;text-decoration:none;font-weight:bold;">
                      {{cta_text}}
                    </a>
                  </td>
                </tr>
              </table>
            </td>
          </tr>

          <!-- Content Section -->
          <tr>
            <td style="padding:0 30px 30px 30px;">
              <h3 style="margin:0 0 10px 0;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:18px;color:#1a1a2e;">
                {{section_title}}
              </h3>
              <p style="margin:0 0 15px 0;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px;line-height:1.6;color:#444444;">
                {{section_content}}
              </p>
            </td>
          </tr>

          <!-- Footer -->
          <tr>
            <td style="padding:20px 30px;background-color:#f8f8f8;text-align:center;">
              <p style="margin:0 0 8px 0;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:12px;color:#888888;">
                {{company_name}} · {{company_address}}
              </p>
              <p style="margin:0;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:12px;">
                <a href="{{unsubscribe_url}}" style="color:#888888;">Unsubscribe</a> ·
                <a href="{{preferences_url}}" style="color:#888888;">Email preferences</a>
              </p>
            </td>
          </tr>

        </table>
      </td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</body>
</html>

Template best practices:

• Use tables for layout (not div/CSS grid — email clients vary wildly)
• Inline all styles (most clients strip <style> blocks)
• Maximum width: 600px (mobile-friendly)
• Alt text on all images (many clients block images by default)
• Always include unsubscribe link (legal requirement: CAN-SPAM, GDPR)
• Test in multiple clients before sending (Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, mobile)

Step 5: Drip Sequence Design

## Welcome Sequence (5 emails)

**Trigger**: New subscriber / signup

**Email 1 - Welcome (Immediate)**
- Subject: Welcome to {{brand}} — here's what's next
- Content: Thank you + deliver lead magnet if promised + set expectations (what they'll receive, how often)
- CTA: Follow on social / join community

**Email 2 - Value (Day 2)**
- Subject: The [thing] most [audience] get wrong
- Content: Quick win or key insight (deliver value before asking)
- CTA: Read related content / try a feature

**Email 3 - Social Proof (Day 4)**
- Subject: How [person/company] [achieved result]
- Content: Case study or testimonial showing transformation
- CTA: See more results / start free trial

**Email 4 - Objection Handling (Day 7)**
- Subject: "I'm not sure if this works for [situation]"
- Content: Address top 2-3 objections directly with evidence
- CTA: Book a call / start trial

**Email 5 - Offer (Day 10)**
- Subject: Ready to [achieve outcome]? Let's do this.
- Content: Clear offer with value stack + deadline or urgency element
- CTA: Buy / upgrade / book

## Re-engagement Sequence (3 emails)

**Trigger**: No opens in 60 days

**Email 1 - Check In (Day 1)**
- Subject: We miss you / Are we still a fit?
- Content: Gentle check-in, ask for feedback, offer help
- CTA: Update preferences / reply with feedback

**Email 2 - Best Of (Day 7)**
- Subject: Here's what you missed
- Content: Top 3 best-performing content pieces from the period they missed
- CTA: Read the top post / re-engage

**Email 3 - Last Chance (Day 14)**
- Subject: Last call — should we update your preferences?
- Content: Honest — if this isn't useful, no hard feelings. Update or unsubscribe.
- CTA: Update preferences / unsubscribe

Step 6: Performance Tracking

## Campaign Performance Report

**Campaign**: [Name]
**Date**: [Send date]
**Segment**: [Who received it]

### Core Metrics
| Metric | Result | Benchmark | Status |
|--------|--------|-----------|--------|
| Delivery rate | [%] | >98% | ✅/⚠️ |
| Open rate | [%] | 20-30% (varies by industry) | ✅/⚠️ |
| Click-to-open rate | [%] | 10-20% | ✅/⚠️ |
| Click-through rate | [%] | 2-5% | ✅/⚠️ |
| Conversion rate | [%] | 1-3% | ✅/⚠️ |
| Unsubscribe rate | [%] | <0.5% | ✅/⚠️ |
| Bounce rate | [%] | <2% | ✅/⚠️ |

### What Worked
- [Insight 1 with data]
- [Insight 2 with data]

### What to Improve
- [Issue 1 with hypothesis]
- [Issue 2 with hypothesis]

### Next Actions
1. [Specific change to test next send]
2. [Segment to try or avoid]
3. [Subject line pattern to iterate on]

Error Handling

• Low open rates: Check sender reputation, subject line clarity, and send time; test subject lines with a small segment first
• High unsubscribe rates: Review frequency, content relevance, and expectations set at signup; segment more precisely
• Poor click-through rates: Improve CTA visibility, reduce email length, clarify the value of clicking
• High bounce rates: Clean the list — remove hard bounces, validate email addresses before adding
• Spam complaints: Check content for spam triggers (ALL CAPS, excessive links, misleading subject); review authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)

Common Pitfalls

• ❌ Buying email lists — always grow organically; purchased lists damage sender reputation
• ❌ Image-only emails — many clients block images; always have text fallbacks
• ❌ One-size-fits-all messaging — segment by engagement, interest, and lifecycle stage
• ❌ Ignoring mobile — 60%+ of emails are opened on mobile; test mobile rendering
• ❌ No unsubscribe link — legally required and builds trust; make it easy, not hidden
• ❌ Testing in only one email client — Outlook rendersvery differently than Gmail

Cline Workflow Notes

1. Install location: Copy this skill directory to .cline/skills/email-campaigns/ (project-level) or ~/.cline/skills/email-campaigns/ (global)
2. Always include unsubscribe: Never create an email template without an unsubscribe mechanism
3. Test before sending: Send a test email to yourself and check rendering across clients
4. Subject lines are half the battle: Spend disproportionate time on subject lines — they determine if anything else matters
5. One CTA per email: Multiple competing CTAs dilute click-through rates; pick one primary action
6. Track everything: Every campaign should have measurable goals tracked from send to conversion
7. Respect the inbox: Email is a privilege, not a right — provide value or lose the subscriber

Dependencies

No external dependencies required. This skill uses Cline's native capabilities with optional integration to email service providers via API.