Fix it or kill it?

I look at outbound campaigns every day, my own and ones people ask me about on calls.

When one is underperforming, I do not rush to change it.

I work through the same checks every time before I decide.

1. Get enough data

I do not judge a campaign after 50 sends.

Two replies out of fifty does not tell me much. If a few more replies could completely change the result, I keep sending.

2. Check delivery

Before anything else, I check inbox placement, bounces, and mailbox health.

If emails are landing in spam, I am not touching the copy yet.

3. Check the audience

Next, I look at who is replying and what they are saying.

If I keep hearing wrong person, no fit, or no budget, I question the list.

4. Test the offer or message

Once delivery and targeting look good, I start testing the campaign itself.

Offer, opener, CTA. One thing at a time.

Change multiple things together and even if results improve, you will not know what caused it.

When I kill it

I kill a campaign when I have enough data, delivery is healthy, I have tested the main angles, and it still cannot hit the result I need.

At that point, I stop testing the same audience, problem, and offer combination.