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SOP Campaign Setup in EmailBison

Overview

This SOP covers the process of getting cold email campaigns set up in EmailBison.

Objective / Definition of Done

Objective:
To configure and QA cold email campaigns in EmailBison so they are fully ready to launch and send without manual intervention.

Definition of Done:
A campaign is considered fully set up and ready to go when all of the following are complete:

  • ✅ Campaign has been created in EmailBison and correctly named > Note: Campaign creation and naming should already be handled by the Lead List Building & Distribution SOP
  • ✅ Leads have been loaded into the campaign > Lead loading and distribution into EmailBison is also handled in the separate SOP
  • ✅ Email sequences have been loaded
  • ✅ All custom variables are placed correctly and tested (e.g., {{first_name}}, {{company}}, {{custom_intro}})
  • ✅ Sequences have been spintaxed for natural variation
  • ✅ Sending accounts have been added to the campaign
  • ✅ Campaign schedule and sending settings (e.g., time windows, daily limits, reply detection) are fully configured
  • ✅ Campaign has been spot-checked and passed QA for copy, variable behavior, sending settings, and account configuration

Step-By-Step Process

Open the Correct Campaign

  • Navigate to the campaign in EmailBison that was created during lead list distribution.
  • Confirm the campaign is present and named according to the naming convention.

Confirm Leads Are Loaded

  • Verify the correct number of leads have been imported.
  • Spot-check a few leads to ensure critical fields (e.g. first_name, company, custom_intro) are populated.
  • If fields are missing or malformed, coordinate with whoever handled list building/enrichment.

Load Email Sequences

  • Add the full cold email sequence into the campaign.
  • Ensure all steps are present, correctly ordered, and mapped to appropriate days/delays.
    • Standard delay: 3-5 days between sequence steps.
  • Check subject lines and body copy for completeness.

Subject Lines

  • EmailBison requires subject lines for all campaign steps to be filled out
  • If you leave a subject line for a threaded follow-up blank, EmailBison should inherit it from the previous sequence step
  • However, sometimes there's a bug where the subject stays blank. If this happens, un-check and re-check the "Thread reply" option and it should fill in the subject.

Place and Verify Custom Variables

  • Insert custom variables (e.g., {{first_name}}, {{custom_intro}}) into the message body and subject lines.
  • Use the preview feature to test how these variables resolve for several sample leads.
  • If any variable is blank or renders incorrectly, troubleshoot before proceeding.

Add Spintax for Variation

  • Add spintax to subject lines, intros, and common phrases where appropriate.
    • Example: {Hi|Hey|Hello} {{first_name}}
  • Spot-check variations in preview to ensure formatting and tone are preserved.

Configure Campaign Schedule

  • Set sending days and time windows. Unless otherwise noted:
    • For campaigns targeting North America: 9am-5pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday
    • For campaigns targeting Europe: 9am-5pm Central European Time, Monday through Friday

Configure Campaign Settings

📬 Maximum Emails per Day

This setting controls the total number of emails (new + follow-ups) that the campaign can send in a given calendar day.

✅ Recommended Default:
Start with 300–500 emails/day depending on how aggressive you want the campaign to be.

Since sending limits are enforced at the inbox level, this setting is mainly used to: - Prevent campaigns from sending too aggressively out of the gate - Avoid overwhelming your warm-up buffer or other parallel campaigns - Maintain consistent pacing

Adjust upward if:

  • Inboxes are fully warmed
  • Deliverability looks clean
  • We're aiming for higher volume

🆕 Maximum New Sequence Starts per Day

This controls how many new leads receive Email #1 each day. Remaining daily sends will be used for follow-up steps from prior days.

✅ Recommended Default:
Set this to 40–60% of your total daily max.

Example: - If your max emails per day = 400 - Then new sequence starts per day = 160–240

Why this matters: - Lets follow-ups go out on time without being blocked - Keeps daily sending behavior more natural - Gives early performance signals without overcommitting on Day 1

Throttle lower (e.g. 30–40%) if: - It’s a brand new campaign or untested list - You're unsure of deliverability - You want to ramp more cautiously

Other Settings

  • Track opens: OFF
  • Plain text emails: ON
  • Unsubscribe link: OFF

Assign Sending Accounts

  • Add the appropriate inboxes to the campaign, either via assigned pool or manually.
    • Unless otherwise noted, each campaign for a given client (or our own outreach) will use all of that client's accounts
  • Confirm inboxes are active and warmed up.
  • Verify signature settings if applicable (e.g., inline or appended automatically).
  • Verify that all accounts have correct sending limits (currently 10/day, may change in the future)

Run Final QA

  • Use the preview tool to review 5–10 sample emails with real leads.
  • Check variable rendering, spintax variation, and formatting.
  • Review each email step’s CTA, tone, and logic.
  • Confirm sending schedule, inbox assignment, and settings are all correct.
  • Look out for typos, broken links, or misaligned messaging.

Mark Campaign as Ready

  • Once everything is confirmed and clean, mark the campaign as "Ready to Launch."
  • Notify the relevant team member if someone else is responsible for launching.
  • Otherwise, launch the campaign.

Tools and Resources

Last updated: 2025-03-30