Proofing Checklist for Error-free Newsletters

Having prepared and sent well over a thousand different newsletters, this is what I know to be true: mistakes happen. There are so many opportunities for error that I still cringe inwardly when I click ‘schedule’ or ‘send’.

This checklist gives you an easy way to remember all of the things to check before you send:

  1. Use a spell-checker and make corrections as necessary, paying attention to American vs. Canadian spelling. (I use Grammarly which runs within the email app.)
  2. Send yourself a test message from within your email service provider account.
  3. In your email inbox, check that the subject line and pre-header text are correct and there are no typos.
  4. Read all the text from top to bottom, including pre-header text, header text, dates, body text and footer text. I suggest reading out loud.
  5. Double-check that any dates, days and times mentioned are the correct ones.
  6. Double-check addresses and phone numbers to ensure there are no typos such as transposed numbers.
  7. Check that the fonts and colours are uniform throughout.
  8. Check that margins are aligned and spacing is consistent.
  9. Click on EVERY link (including links images) and wait for it to load to ensure it goes to the right place.
  10. If you make any corrections, send yourself another test message to check those.