Getting started: Email marketing setup checklist

Ready to get your email marketing up and running? Here's everything you need to work through, in the order that'll set you up for success. Each phase builds on the last, so don't skip ahead — future you will thank you.

Phase 1: Get your account ready

This part sets the foundation for everything else. Your domain and deliverability settings affect every email you send from here on, so it's worth getting right from the start. A few quick checks now will help your emails land where they should.

Set up your custom email domain — authenticate your domain with DKIM, SPF, and DMARC so your emails send from your own address, not a shared Marsello one.
Check which customers qualify to receive Marsello emails— make sure your list is set up so the right customers are reachable.

Phase 2: Create your email campaign

Start here to build the campaign you'll send to your customers.

Create an email campaign — the step-by-step for building and sending a campaign.

Set up UTM tracking — see exactly how your campaigns are driving traffic and sales.

💡Optional step: Want a reusable template?

If you'd rather build a branded template once and reuse it for every campaign instead of starting from scratch each time, do this before you create your campaign:

Customize your email template — set your brand colors, logo, and layout.
Use the drag-and-drop editor — build your email content block by block.
Follow best practices for editing an email image — get sizing and formatting right the first time round.
Follow tips to stop emails from being flagged as spam — subject lines, footer requirements, and content checks to build in while you're designing, not after.

Phase 3: Send your first campaign for approval

Here's what to do once you're ready to send.

⚽ Heads up on approval: your first campaign or automation goes on hold for a Support team compliance review before it can send — this is automatic and applies to every new account. It's usually quick, but build in a few extra days before your intended send date so it doesn't catch you out.

Send your first email campaign — the full walkthrough for your very first send. This guide includes information on the campaign approval process as well.
Test your campaign before sending — check exactly what your customer will see before it lands in their inbox.

Once you're approved, here's how to make the most of your first sends:

Warm up your newly authenticated domain — once you're approved to send, build your sending reputation gradually rather than blasting your full list on day one.
Boost your campaign's performance — tips to lift opens and clicks once you're up and running.

Phase 4: Set up your email automations

Now that your campaigns are sending, it's time to set up your email automations — these run in the background, reaching customers automatically at exactly the right moment.

Follow the setup checklist for email automations — the prerequisites to check before switching automations on.
Customize your Welcome automation — this is a new customer's first marketing interaction with your brand. It's a great opportunity to show them what makes you special.
Set up your Thank first-time customers automation — turn first purchases into repeat ones.
Set up your Abandoned cart recovery automation — win back sales left at checkout.
Set up your Say happy birthday automation — an easy win with a consistently high open rate.
Set up your Reward your best customers automation — recognize your top spenders automatically.
Set up your Win back lapsed customers automation — reconnect with customers who've gone quiet.

Phase 5: Go further with custom automations

Once your core automations are humming along, it's time to build something entirely your own. A custom automation lets you design a flow from scratch and branch it based on real customer behavior, like what they've bought, how they've engaged, or how much they've spent, so every customer gets exactly the right message at exactly the right moment.

Create a custom automation flow — build automations from scratch, beyond the templates.
Add a conditional split to an automation — send customers down different paths based on their behavior.

📖 Learn more

For extra details on email campaigns and automation and for troubleshooting, start here:

Email Automations: common questions
Common automation trigger issues — for when an automation isn't firing the way you expect.
Understand your email bounce report
Why didn't my customer receive the marketing messages? (email)
Target customers who didn't open an email