Before a campaign
This page is the checklist for marketing and the owner before anything that sends many visitors to the site at once: a newsletter, a sale, a product launch, a press release. It is spread over the weeks before, so the last day is calm. Stores also use Peak season preparation.
The checklist
BEFORE A CAMPAIGN - [campaign name] Date: ________ Owner: ________
GOAL
[ ] What the campaign should achieve, as one measure (orders, sign-ups, form submissions, readers)
[ ] The figure before the campaign noted, to compare afterwards
PAGES (two weeks before)
[ ] Landing page built as a draft and previewed on a phone
[ ] Layout and its rule set to the right pages and period
[ ] Every link on the page tested; no address points at a draft or a hidden page
[ ] A short, readable address for print and social media (URL alias)
[ ] Images with alternative text; page metadata and sharing image set
MAIL (one week before)
[ ] Newsletter sent only to people who opted in
[ ] Test send to the team, opened on a phone and in two mail programs
[ ] Sender and reply address at your own domain; replies reach a person
[ ] Unsubscribe link works
STORE (if you sell)
[ ] Prices and discounts prepared, start and end with a named person
[ ] A test order end to end, with payment
CAPACITY AND SAFETY (with the host)
[ ] Host told the date and the expected scale
[ ] Change freeze agreed for the days around the campaign
[ ] Who to call if the site is slow or down, written down
ON THE DAY
[ ] Landing page published at the agreed time
[ ] The page opens from outside, on a phone
[ ] Mail sent; the first replies and bounces looked at
AFTER
[ ] The measure compared with the figure before
[ ] Discounts and campaign layouts ended as planned
[ ] What to do differently next time, written downWhere each item is done
| Item | Read |
|---|---|
| Landing pages and layouts | The Layouts editor, Landing pages with layouts, Layout rules |
| Drafts and preview | Publishing and versions |
| Addresses | URLs and aliases |
| Metadata and sharing | Metadata and social sharing |
| Newsletter and consent | Sending newsletters, Opt-in and consent |
| Store | Discounts, Peak season preparation |
| Capacity | Peak traffic planning |
Why the change freeze
A change in the days before a campaign is the most common cause of a campaign-day problem, because there is no time left to notice and fix it. Ask your partner and host not to deploy anything in that window unless it fixes a problem, and to tell you first. Postponed work is scheduled for the week after.
Tip
Exponential Layouts rules can target a campaign period, so a campaign layout can be prepared in advance and
apply only while the campaign runs (README.md, "Exponential Layouts": "per subtree, content class, siteaccess or
campaign period"). Ask your partner whether your rules are set up that way.
Related pages
- Peak season preparation
- After an incident
- Promoting your store
- Checklists for owners
- Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.
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