Checklist your emails

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Your email could be absolutely amazing, but if it has one obvious typo or error, that's all anyone will remember about your message. It's easy to let something simple and obvious slip through if you don't have a system to catch things. Here's a quick checklist you should use at minimum for anything you send:

• Have a proofreader. Always have someone other than the writer proofread the copy of your email to catch the obvious typos you can't catch yourself.
  
  
• Get a clean perspective. Once you've proofed the email, send a sample test of the email to someone who has never seen the email before. Ask them to read the copy, click every link, and take every action to know it works. If you can test it in a few different browsers (say, Gmail/Firefox and Outlook/Internet Explorer), even better. Email on Acid and Litmus are good technology solutions for making sure your email looks great in every inbox.
• Do a final test. Once your proofreader and tester have signed off, go through it again yourself before sending.

Your organization may have additional steps, such as running an email past the legal department, or other specific procedures. But at the very least, I recommend the quick checklist above. The content and your campaign should be the story, not that you used "here" instead of "hear," or sent a broken link. 

What elements does your checklist have? Share in the comments!

Lauren Miller is New Media Director with Elizabeth Warren for Massachusetts, and an NOI trainer and community member