Mike Wilhelm

Newsletter Launch Checklist

4 min read

Signal Lab’s B2B Newsletter Launch Playbook

This checklist outlines the infrastructure steps Signal Lab follows when launching a new client newsletter. It focuses on technical setup, not content strategy.

Get the Google Drive version here.

While every project has unique elements, the core process remains consistent. We adjust details case-by-case, but we always follow these guiding principles:

  1. Preserve deliverability. Repairing a damaged sender reputation is possible but costly, slow, and difficult. In severe cases, full recovery of domain and IP reputation can take 6–9 months.
  2. Protect engagement. Low engagement weakens deliverability, which further reduces engagement. Without intervention, the cycle compounds.
  3. Optimize for opens. Repeat opens are a key performance signal. Despite early concerns, changes by email clients have not made open rates unreliable as a metric.
  4. Actively prune the list. We regularly remove non-openers and slow down delivery to infrequent openers to keep the list healthy.

With these principles in mind, here’s the process we follow to launch and maintain a high-performing newsletter.

If you need help with your newsletter, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Stage 1: Foundation Setup

Define newsletter objectives

  • Clarify primary goal: brand awareness, lead nurture, pipeline acceleration, etc.
  • Write a value promise in 40 words or less. This becomes the expectation-setting message in footers and welcome emails.

Choose and provision your domain

  • Create a subdomain not used for person-to-person email (e.g., @nl.company.com).
  • Set up a sending email with a real inbox (e.g., news@nl.company.com or updates@nl.company.com).
  • Test full two-way delivery and reception to encourage replies and boost deliverability.

Select your ESP / CRM

  • Must integrate with or be part of a CRM. HubSpot is preferred; ActiveCampaign is a solid budget choice.
  • Start on a shared IP. Consider a dedicated IP after reaching ≥ 50k sends/month with <0.1% complaint rate.
  • Plan a 30-day warm-up for new IPs (many ESPs do this during onboarding).

Stage 2: Deliverability, Compliance & Infrastructure

Authentication and DNS Setup

  • Implement SPF, DKIM, DMARC (with enforcement, not just p=none), and BIMI (optional).
  • Register domain with Google Postmaster Tools and Microsoft SNDS.

ESP Configuration

  • Set from-address and link tracking domain to your subdomain.
  • Turn on auto-suppression for hard bounces and spam complaints.
  • Set up real-time email validation (e.g., ZeroBounce, NeverBounce).
  • Auto-unsubscribe invalids and flag risky types (e.g., role addresses).
  • Create a preferences page with at least two types: Newsletter and Promotions.

Deliverability Monitoring

  • Use SendForensics or a similar tool for ongoing scoring.
  • Set up alerts for:
    • Bounce rate > 2%
    • Spam complaint rate > 0.1%
    • Drop in open or click-to-open rates
    • Rising unsubscribe rate (> 0.5%)

Stage 3: Content System & Automations

Newsletter Template Setup

  • Use single-column, mobile-first layout, web-safe fonts, alt-text, semantic headings.
  • Ensure accessibility: ≥14px font, 4.5:1 contrast.
  • Test in dark mode and across clients (HubSpot, Litmus, Email on Acid).

Welcome Sequence (3-part automation)

  • Trigger: Send immediately if explicitly signed up; 2 hours later if via lead magnet.
  • Email 1: Set expectations. Max two links.
  • Email 2: Greatest hits. Drive engagement.
  • Email 3: Ask a reply-worthy question.
  • Email 4 (30 days later): Short survey on subscriber intent.

Inactive Subscriber Re-engagement Workflow

  • Trigger 1: Never opened (short time window).
  • Trigger 2: Opened once, but inactive since (longer time window).
  • Sequence (7-day gaps):
    • “Still interested?”
    • “You’re about to be removed”
    • “You’ve been removed” (wait 7 more days)
  • Each email includes a “Remove Me” CTA.

Stage 4: Tracking, Segmentation & Dashboards

Source Tracking Enhancements

  • Track: utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_creativetype, utm_creativename.
  • Add internal metadata to assess if lead magnets attract your ICP.

Configure Individual Engagement Tracking

  • Store open/click history at contact level.
  • Manual setup may be required (e.g., HubSpot).

Integrate Email Engagement into Lead Scoring

  • Score based on opens, clicks, recency, replies.

Build a Dashboard with Core Metrics

  • List size over time (active / passive / suppressed)
  • Open/click rates by source and contact create date
  • Deliverability health (bounce, complaint, unsubscribe rates)

Stage 5: Connecting to Revenue

Sales Attribution Reporting

  • Track deals created by subscriber cohort.
  • Measure time from first subscription to closed-won.
  • Multi-touch attribution including email.
  • Month-over-month bar chart of email-attributed revenue.

Newsletters can become a core growth channel, but only if the foundation is solid. The steps outlined here are designed to protect deliverability, preserve engagement, and tie email performance to revenue. Signal Lab applies this framework with precision so our clients can focus on content and results, not technical pitfalls.

If you’re planning a newsletter or looking to improve an existing one, we’d be glad to help.

Backlinks