Before you start actively building your detailed email design, what are the step/s that you should always complete?

Before designing an email, it's crucial to have an organized and updated audience. This ensures your message reaches the right people and prevents sending to outdated or irrelevant contacts, which can harm deliverability and engagement. A clear understanding of your marketing objective is also essential. This objective (e.g., drive sales, increase brand awareness, gather feedback) guides all design and content decisions, ensuring the email effectively serves its purpose. Finally, a blueprint or outline of the email helps structure the content, visual hierarchy, and calls to action before diving into detailed design, saving time and ensuring a cohesive message. Three options for CTAs are not a prerequisite; while A/B testing CTAs can be valuable, having multiple options isn't a foundational step before starting design.