Taking time to review and reflect on your annual performance leads to more intentional and successful email marketing campaigns.

Now, if you haven't started planning for next year, I encourage you to set aside a little bit of time this month to map out some of these steps. You don't have to tackle it all at once. Just start by thinking about your life first priorities and let that guide the rest. Remember, life first, business second.

Takeaway:

• Set aside dedicated time to plan your email marketing strategies for the coming year.
• Use reflections on past campaigns to inform future improvements.
• Prioritize personal well-being to enhance professional performance.

Allowing flexibility in your email marketing plan lets you adapt to new trends and ideas for improved performance.

Be open to it all. For example, let's say I have a goal of $200,000 in revenue for the year. Now, between you and I, that is a realistic stretch goal, as transparently, I'm on track to finish this year at around about 110 in revenue. Once I have the goal in mind, I'll break that down by quarter and then decide how I want to reach that goal. Maybe I'll launch a new product or run a course a few times, but I also make sure to leave room for flexibility.

Takeaway:

• Incorporate flexibility in your email marketing strategies to seize new opportunities.
• Regularly reassess and adjust your campaigns based on performance and new insights.
• Stay adaptable to maintain relevance in a changing market.

Aligning your email marketing campaigns with your personal and business calendar ensures optimal timing and effectiveness.

Finally, once I have a rough idea of my revenue goals and my offers, I sync everything up with my calendar. This is where I look at my life first plan that we talked about at the start, and I map out my business goals around those personal priorities. Syncing it all with my calendar means that I can anticipate busy periods, but also keep my schedule realistic and pretty balanced.

Takeaway:

• Schedule email campaigns during periods when you can devote sufficient attention.
• Align campaign launches with audience behavior and personal availability.
• Optimize campaign effectiveness by considering timing in your planning.

Setting revenue goals based on data ensures your email marketing efforts are aligned with realistic targets.

Once I have the goal in mind, I'll break that down by quarter and then decide how I want to reach that goal. Maybe I'll launch a new product or run a course a few times, but I also make sure to leave room for flexibility. If a new idea comes up mid-year, I want the space to pursue it without feeling locked into a plan.

Takeaway:

• Use past email marketing data to set achievable revenue and engagement goals.
• Plan email campaigns that align with your financial targets.
• Leave room for flexibility to adapt to new opportunities.

Hosting bundles can significantly increase engagement and expand your email list effectively.

I also hosted my first bundle in February, and you guys both know how obsessed I am now and the results that I got. So that was in February. I was a speaker at a summit. I went and saw Ed Sheeran live in concert, which reignited my passion for live music.

Takeaway:

• Consider hosting or participating in bundles to reach new audiences.
• Bundles can boost email list growth and engagement with your campaigns.
• Collaborations amplify your reach and offer value to subscribers.

Considering personal life commitments in business planning ensures a balanced approach that supports overall well-being.

We sometimes map out goals and launches without fully considering our personal lives and other commitments. We'll set up launch dates, deadlines, and big events without thinking about holidays, family events, or even the need for rest. That is not how we build a business that supports our life.

Takeaway:

• Schedule email campaigns and launches around personal commitments for better work-life balance.
• Factor in holidays and peak personal times to optimize campaign timing.
• Recognize the importance of rest to maintain productivity and creativity.

Planning with a long-term vision helps prevent reactive decision-making and promotes strategic growth in your email marketing efforts.

The first common mistake is planning month to month without an overall vision. This can feel a lot like you're just jumping from one shiny distraction to the next. We don't want to spend our time constantly reacting to things as they happen, scrambling each month to figure out what's next, and constantly being in fight or flight mode.

Takeaway:

• Develop a comprehensive annual email marketing plan aligned with your business goals.
• Avoid reactive strategies by setting a clear vision and objectives.
• Stay focused on long-term growth rather than short-term fixes.

Leveraging past data is crucial for making informed decisions and improving future email marketing campaigns.

Now, being the data nerd that I am, this one makes me excited to talk about. Why? Because we're often quick to set new goals, but tend to overlook or even ignore valuable data from the previous year. By reviewing past trends and results in our businesses and even the industry as a whole, we can actually make better decisions.

Takeaway:

• Regularly review and analyze past email campaign performance to inform future strategies.
• Use data to identify what worked and what didn't, optimizing for better results.
• Incorporate industry trends into your planning for a competitive edge.

Planning our life first ensures that our business supports our personal priorities, preventing burnout and fostering true alignment.

Always remember, life first, business second. So before diving into any numbers or strategies, I always grab my calendar, pour myself a nice hot cup of coffee, and start by mapping out my personal priorities for the year before anything else. I block these dates out first. Doing this not only allows me to create a business plan that fits around my life, but also helps me prevent burning out.

Takeaway:

• Use your personal commitments and priorities as the foundation for your business planning.
• Schedule important life events first to ensure your business supports your desired lifestyle.
• Prevent burnout by aligning your business activities with your personal life.