FRE-651: CEO coordination notes for founder bio/headshot assets
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marketing/mailchimp-setup-guide.md
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marketing/mailchimp-setup-guide.md
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# Mailchimp Setup Guide - Product Hunt Supporter Outreach
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**Created:** 2026-04-26
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**Owner:** CMO
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**Platform:** Mailchimp Free Tier
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**Goal:** Set up email infrastructure for FRE-643 supporter outreach
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---
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## Account Setup
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### Step 1: Create Mailchimp Account
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**URL:** mailchimp.com
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**Plan:** Free Tier
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- Up to 500 contacts
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- 1,000 sends/month
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- Basic email templates
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- Email support
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- **Cost:** $0/month
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**Required Info:**
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- Email address
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- Company name: FrenoCorp
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- Company size: 1-10
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- Industry: Software/Technology
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### Step 2: Complete Account Verification
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1. Verify email address
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2. Add sender info:
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- From name: "Scripter Team" or "[Founder Name]"
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- From email: hello@scripter.app (or current domain)
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- Reply-to: same as from
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3. Add physical address (required by CAN-SPAM):
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- Use company address or registered agent
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### Step 3: Create Audience
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**Audience Name:** "Product Hunt Launch Supporters"
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**Default Audience Fields:**
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- Email Address (required)
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- First Name
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- Last Name
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- Company/Role (custom field)
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- Tier (custom field - VIP/Active/General)
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**Import Seed Data:**
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```csv
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Email,First Name,Last Name,Company,Tier
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seed1@test.com,Seed,User 1,Beta Tester,VIP
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seed2@test.com,Seed,User 2,Waitlist,Active
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seed3@test.com,Seed,User 3,Waitlist,Active
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seed4@test.com,Seed,User 4,Waitlist,General
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seed5@test.com,Seed,User 5,Waitlist,General
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```
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### Step 4: Create Audience Segments
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**Segment 1: VIP Hunters**
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- Filter: Tier = VIP
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- Count: 10 contacts
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**Segment 2: Active Supporters**
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- Filter: Tier = Active
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- Count: 25 contacts
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**Segment 3: General Network**
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- Filter: Tier = General
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- Count: 15+ contacts
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---
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## Email Template Setup
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### Template 1: VIP Personal Outreach
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**Subject:** Quick favor? Launching on Product Hunt May 7 🚀
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**Preview Text:** Can I count on your support?
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**Body:**
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```
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Hey *|FNAME|*,
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I'm launching Scripter on Product Hunt next Thursday (May 7) and could use your support!
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It takes 10 seconds:
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1. Go to [PH link] at 12:01 AM PT Thursday
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2. Click the upvote button
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3. Optionally leave a comment or share
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Product Hunt is huge for early visibility. Your upvote in the first hour especially matters.
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Can I count on you?
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Thanks!
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[Founder Name]
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P.S. Happy to return the favor on your next launch!
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```
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**Personalization:**
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- Use *|FNAME|* for first name
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- Send from founder's email
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- Personal subject line variation per recipient
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---
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### Template 2: Active Supporter Email
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**Subject:** Scripter launches on Product Hunt - need your help!
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**Preview Text:** You're on our waitlist, and we need your support
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**Body:**
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```
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Hey *|FNAME|*,
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You're on our waitlist for Scripter, and I wanted to give you a heads up!
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We're launching on Product Hunt next Thursday, May 7. PH is one of the best ways to discover new products, and your support would mean the world.
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How to help (takes 10 seconds):
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1. Go to [PH link] on May 7
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2. Click the upvote button
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3. Share with 2 screenwriter friends
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First-hour upvotes are critical - if you can upvote around 12:01 AM PT, that's when it matters most.
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Any questions about the product? Happy to answer!
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Thanks for being part of the journey,
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[Founder Name]
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P.S. Free Pro account for anyone who refers 3+ signups on launch day!
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```
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---
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### Template 3: General Network Social Post
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**For Twitter/X + LinkedIn:**
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```
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🚀 Launching on @ProductHunt next Thursday!
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Scripter is the modern screenwriting platform:
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✨ Real-time collaboration
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✨ Industry-standard formatting
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✨ 33% faster than WriterDuet
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✨ Free tier available
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Set a reminder and please upvote! 🔗 [PH link]
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#ProductHunt #Screenwriting #IndieDev
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```
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---
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### Template 4: Follow-Up Reminder
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**Subject:** Re: Product Hunt launch (2 days left!)
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**Preview Text:** We're at [X] upvotes - can you help?
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**Body:**
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```
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Hey *|FNAME|*,
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Quick reminder - Scripter launches on Product Hunt in 2 days (Thursday, May 7)!
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If you haven't already, please:
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1. Upvote: [PH link]
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2. Share with screenwriter friends
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We're at [X] upvotes so far - trying to hit 500!
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Thanks for the support,
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[Founder Name]
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```
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---
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### Template 5: Launch Day - We're Live!
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**Subject:** 🚀 We're LIVE on Product Hunt!
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**Preview Text:** Upvote now - we need you!
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**Body:**
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```
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Hey *|FNAME|*,
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We're live! Scripter is officially on Product Hunt!
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🔗 Upvote here: [PH link]
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⏰ Launch day ends at 12:01 AM PT
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Current ranking: #[X] of the day
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Goal: Top 5
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Every upvote counts. Please share with 2 friends!
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Thank you,
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[Founder Name]
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P.S. Respond to this email with questions - doing a live AMA in the comments!
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```
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---
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### Template 6: Thank You (Post-Launch)
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**Subject:** We did it! Thank you 🎉
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**Preview Text:** Here's what we accomplished together
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**Body:**
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```
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Hey *|FNAME|*,
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WOW. Thank you!
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Thanks to supporters like you, Scripter launched on Product Hunt with:
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- [X] upvotes
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- [Y] comments
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- [Z] signups on day one
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- Top [N] product of the day
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This is just the beginning. We're committed to building the best screenwriting platform ever.
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Start writing free: [link]
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With gratitude,
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[Founder Name]
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```
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---
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## Campaign Schedule
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Load these into Mailchimp as scheduled campaigns:
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| Campaign | Date | Time | Audience | Template |
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|----------|------|------|----------|----------|
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| VIP Personal | April 28 | 9:00 AM PT | VIP (10) | Template 1 |
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| Active Email #1 | April 29 | 10:00 AM PT | Active (25) | Template 2 |
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| General Social | April 30 | 12:00 PM PT | Social posts | Template 3 |
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| Follow-up #1 | May 2 | 10:00 AM PT | Non-responders | Template 4 |
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| 2 Days Left | May 5 | 9:00 AM PT | All 50+ | Template 4 variant |
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| Tomorrow! | May 6 | 12:00 PM PT | All 50+ | Founder email |
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| We're Live! | May 7 | 12:05 AM PT | All 50+ | Template 5 |
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| Progress Update | May 7 | 2:00 PM PT | All 50+ | Social post |
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| Final Hours | May 7 | 8:00 PM PT | All 50+ | Urgency variant |
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| Thank You | May 8 | 10:00 AM PT | All 50+ | Template 6 |
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---
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## Testing Checklist
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Before launching campaigns:
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### Pre-Launch Tests
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- [ ] Send test email to own address
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- [ ] Check personalization (*|FNAME|*) works
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- [ ] Verify all links work (PH link, scripter.app)
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- [ ] Test on mobile device
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- [ ] Test in Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail
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- [ ] Check spam score (Mailchimp has built-in checker)
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- [ ] Verify sender info displays correctly
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- [ ] Check email renders correctly (dark mode, light mode)
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### Seed Data Test
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- [ ] Import 5 seed emails
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- [ ] Send test campaign to seed data
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- [ ] Track open rate (should be 100% for seed)
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- [ ] Track click rate (should be 100% for seed)
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- [ ] Verify segmentation works (VIP vs Active vs General)
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---
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## Success Metrics
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### Email Performance Benchmarks
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| Metric | Industry Avg | Our Target |
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|--------|--------------|------------|
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| Open rate | 20% | 40%+ (personal outreach) |
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| Click rate | 2-3% | 10%+ (clear CTA) |
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| Response rate | 1-2% | 15%+ (VIP personal) |
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| Unsubscribe | <0.5% | <1% |
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| Spam complaints | <0.1% | 0% |
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### Launch Day Targets
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| Metric | Target |
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|--------|--------|
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| VIP commitments | 10/10 (100%) |
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| Active commitments | 20/25 (80%) |
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| General commitments | 10/15 (67%) |
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| **Total supporters** | **40+/50 (80%)** |
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| Launch day upvotes | 500+ |
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| First-hour velocity | 50+ |
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---
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## Troubleshooting
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### Common Issues
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**Issue:** Emails going to spam
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**Fix:**
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- Verify sender domain (add SPF, DKIM records)
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- Avoid spam trigger words ("free", "guarantee", etc.)
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- Include physical address (required)
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- Add unsubscribe link (Mailchimp auto-adds)
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**Issue:** Low open rates
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**Fix:**
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- Improve subject lines (personal, urgent, curious)
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- Send from person, not company
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- Test send times (Tuesday-Thursday mornings best)
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- Segment by engagement
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**Issue:** Links not working
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**Fix:**
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- Double-check PH link before scheduling
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- Use link shortener for tracking (bit.ly)
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- Test all links in preview mode
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---
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## Budget
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**Mailchimp Free Tier:** $0/month
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- 500 contacts (we need 50)
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- 1,000 sends/month (we need ~200)
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- Basic templates
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- **Upgrade option:** Essentials $13/mo for more features
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**Total Cost:** $0 (free tier sufficient)
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---
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## Next Steps
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1. **Create Mailchimp account** (CMO - 15 min)
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2. **Verify sender info** (CMO - 5 min)
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3. **Import seed data** (CMO - 10 min)
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4. **Create segments** (CMO - 10 min)
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5. **Build email templates** (CMO - 30 min)
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6. **Send test to seed data** (CMO - 10 min)
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7. **Founder reviews VIP list** (Founder - 20 min)
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8. **Load VIP emails** (CMO - 10 min)
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9. **Schedule campaigns** (CMO - 20 min)
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**Total Time:** ~2 hours setup
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---
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## Resources
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- Mailchimp Docs: docs.mailchimp.com
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- Email Best Practices: mailchimp.com/resources
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- CAN-SPAM Compliance: ftc.gov/business-guidance
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**Related Docs:**
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- `/marketing/product-hunt-supporter-outreach.md` - Full outreach strategy
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- `/marketing/product-hunt-supporter-tracker-live.md` - Live tracker sheet
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- `/marketing/email-marketing-strategy.md` - Email best practices
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---
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**Status:** Ready to execute
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**Owner:** CMO
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**ETA:** Complete setup within 2 hours
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