So you want to run smarter email campaigns that don’t just go out into the void? This guide’s for you. Whether you’re a marketer, small business owner, or just the unlucky soul who drew the short straw at work, I’ll walk you through running targeted email campaigns using Scoreboardbuzz.
We’ll cover the real steps—skip the hype—so you can actually put this stuff to use. Let’s get into it.
1. Get Your Audience in Shape
Before you even log in to Scoreboardbuzz, you need a decent list. Not a random pile of emails, but real people who want to hear from you. If you’re still buying lists or scraping emails, stop. It doesn’t work and gets you flagged as spam.
What you need: - A list of email addresses with permission (customers, newsletter signups, event attendees, etc.). - Basic info like name, location, or interests. Even one extra field helps with targeting.
Pro tip: If all you have is a spreadsheet, that’s fine. Scoreboardbuzz will let you import it—just make sure your columns are labeled clearly.
2. Import and Organize Contacts
Once you’re in Scoreboardbuzz, head to the Contacts section. You can usually upload a CSV or connect another tool (like Shopify, Mailchimp, etc.). Here’s how to make it less painful:
- Clean your list first: Remove obvious junk, duplicates, and anyone who never opted in.
- Map your fields: Scoreboardbuzz will ask what each column means (email, name, etc.). Don’t skip this—messy imports cause headaches later.
- Tag or segment: If you know that some people are customers and some are leads, tag them now. You’ll thank yourself when it’s time to target them differently.
What to ignore: Fancy custom fields and automations you don’t need yet. Start simple.
3. Build Your First Campaign
In Scoreboardbuzz, a “campaign” is just a batch of emails with a shared goal. Don’t get overwhelmed by all the options—here’s how to keep it simple:
a. Pick a goal - Are you launching a product, sending a newsletter, or nudging people to finish sign-up? - Write this down somewhere. It’ll keep your email focused.
b. Choose your segment - Use your tags/fields to pick who this goes to. “All contacts” is rarely a good idea. - Examples: “People who bought in the last 30 days,” or “Newsletter signups who never purchased.”
c. Create the email - Most people overthink templates. Clean and clear beats flashy. - Use Scoreboardbuzz’s editor—drag and drop if you must, but don’t go wild with fonts and colors. - Write like a person, not a robot. If you wouldn’t say it out loud, don’t write it.
What works: - Personalization tokens (like “Hi {{first_name}}”)—as long as your data isn’t full of blanks. - One clear call to action. If you ask for five things, nobody will do any of them.
What doesn’t: - Sending image-only emails (many people won’t see the images). - Overly clever subject lines. Clarity beats cute.
4. Set Up Targeting and Personalization
This is where Scoreboardbuzz earns its keep. Targeted emails beat “blast everyone” emails every time.
How to target: - Use filters to include/exclude people by tag, segment, or any custom field. - Example: Only send to people in “California” who haven’t opened your last two emails.
Personalization basics: - Insert first name, company, or other info into your email copy. - Scoreboardbuzz will show you a preview—actually look at it. Broken personalization (“Hi ,”) makes you look sloppy.
Don’t overdo it: Personalization helps, but too many “custom” fields just look weird. Stick to one or two.
5. Test Before You Send
Mistakes in email are forever (or at least until someone screenshots them on Twitter). Scoreboardbuzz has preview and test-send features—use them.
- Send a test to yourself and a colleague. Double-check for typos, broken links, and weird formatting.
- Check on mobile: Most people read email on their phones now. If it looks bad, fix it.
- Don’t trust the preview alone: Sometimes, real inboxes do funky things to your email.
6. Schedule or Send
You can schedule emails in Scoreboardbuzz or send immediately. Here’s what to consider:
- Time zones matter: If your audience is global, stagger your sends or pick a time that’s not 3am for most people.
- Avoid Fridays at 5pm or Mondays at 9am: Unless you like being ignored.
- Start small: If you’re new, send to a test segment first. If nothing explodes, send to the rest.
7. Track Results—But Don’t Obsess
Scoreboardbuzz gives you open rates, click rates, unsubscribes, and more. Here’s how to actually use them:
- Opens: Useful, but Apple Mail and Gmail make these less accurate now. Don’t live or die by this number.
- Clicks: Much better. If people are clicking your links, your email is doing its job.
- Unsubscribes: If you’re getting lots, your targeting or content is off. Take the hint.
What to ignore: “Industry benchmarks” that don’t match your audience. Your list isn’t “industry average”—it’s yours.
8. Iterate and Improve
Here’s the honest truth: your first campaign probably won’t be a home run. That’s normal.
- Tweak one thing at a time: Change your subject line, call to action, or segment. Don’t change everything at once or you’ll never know what worked.
- Ask for feedback: If you know some recipients personally, ask them what they thought.
- Keep your list clean: Remove bounces and people who never open anything. It helps deliverability.
Pro Tips and Pitfalls
- Don’t buy lists. Seriously, it’s not worth it.
- Resist “trendy” design: Use a single column, big text, and clear buttons. It works better everywhere.
- Automate only when ready: Scoreboardbuzz has automation features, but get the basics right first.
- Legal stuff: Always include an unsubscribe link. It’s the law, and it keeps your sender reputation safe.
Wrapping Up
Targeted email campaigns aren’t rocket science, but they do take real effort. Start with a clean list, keep your message clear, and let Scoreboardbuzz handle the heavy lifting. Don’t chase shiny features—do the basics well, see what works, and improve from there.
Keep it simple. Iterate. You’ll get better results—and fewer headaches—every time.