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Higher Conversions:The Anatomy of Engaging Email Campaigns

PRESENTED BY MIKE SNUSZ

TWITTER: @MIKESNUSZ #BBCON

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• 8 yrs working for or with nonprofits

• Sr. Internet Marketing Consultant

• Ride For Roswell: $330k to $1.2 million

• Pro bono consulting for Compass

• NetWitsThinkTank.com

ABOUT ME

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YOUR INBOX: A CLUTTERED, COMPETITIVE PLACE

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• What nonprofits can learn from sophisticated retail email programs

• How to deliver compelling email campaigns

• How to start email testing tomorrow

• Higher conversions: Campaign best practices

SESSION AGENDA

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WHAT NONPROFITS CAN LEARN FROM SOPHISTICATED RETAIL EMAIL PROGRAMS

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• Large budgets, staff, work with agencies

• Sophisticated programs that provide value

• Top programs: Most important value drivers- 71% - build in targeting capabilities*- 82% - test and measure everything*

*2011 Gleanster survey on Email Marketing

ABOUT RETAIL EMAIL PROGRAMS

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PERSONALIZING YOUR EMAIL CAMPAIGN

THEN NOW

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CROCS

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WHOLE FOODS

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AMAZON

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HOW CAN NONPROFITS DELIVER COMPELLING EMAIL CAMPAIGNS?

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• Click-through rates 2x as high first 30 days*

• Open rates (7%) and click-through rates (80%) increased**

• Provide value

• Connection

• Without relevant content, risk:- Level of engagement- Lack of attention- Decreased response- Weakened relationship

*MarketingSherpa "Email Marketing Benchmark Guide 2008”**MailerMailer 2010 Email Marketing Metrics Report

*2009 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study, NTEN & M+R**MailerMailer 2010 Email Marketing Metrics Report

DELIVER TARGETED CONTENT

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SPCA ERIE COUNTY

Campaign Emails Click-through rateEmail #1 1.68%

Email #2 1.98%

Email #3 (personalized) 3.50%

2010 participants

2009 participants

2008 participants

2007 participants

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RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE OF KC

Past attendees

Attended similar event

Audience Click-through ratePast attendees 25.1%

Attended similar event 14.6%

Everyone else 8.6%

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UDM ALUMNI NEWSLETTER

Audience Open rateSchool of Architecture 23.5%

Engineering Grads 18.9%

Non-Personalized 1st Paragraph 11.9%

School of Architecture

Engineering Grads

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TARGETED CONTENT CHECKLIST Divide email list into segments

Discuss relevant content possibilities for segments

Prioritize top 3-5 segments

Content placement

Create and insert personalized content

Send email

Analyze results

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www.KayYow.com

FIND OUT INTERESTS

d

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HIDDEN WAYS TO PERSONALIZE ANY EMAIL

Cultivate• Thank recent donors• Tell how donations were used• Thank recent event attendees• Show photos• Thank recent volunteers

Provide value• Deliver relevant content• Reminders (membership, event fees)• eReceipts• Pay pledges

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HIDDEN WAYS TO PERSONALIZE ANY EMAIL

Solicit• Funding need matches area of interest• Provide past gift info• Planned giving prospects

Data Integrity • Missing information• Verify information

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HOW TO START EMAIL TESTING TOMORROW

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WHAT TO TEST?

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TEST SUBJECT LINES

• Great starting point

Subject line Click-through rateGrab Your Red Shoes and Join Us at Hangar 10 5.45%

Red Shoe Shindig Celebration of 30 Years Helping Families 1.75%

Subject line Open rateDid you forget to do something? 25.7%

Get the Fall season started on the right paw 15.4%

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TEST TIME OF DAY

• 6:00-7:00am (MailChimp)• 6:00-11:00am (MailerMailer)• 9:00am (Marketing Sherpa)• 9:00am (eROI)

TEST DAY OF WEEK

Best?

• Monday (eROI)

• Mon/Sun (MailerMailer)• Thurs (AWeber)

Worst?

• Wednesday (eROI)

• Tues/Wed (MailerMailer)

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TEST CONTENT

• Headline• Positive vs. Negative• Reward• Images/caption• Video screen shot• Signature• PS• Landing page

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TEST CALL TO ACTION• The largest difference between high and low performing email

programs was in email click-through rates*

• Where

• Language

• Images vs. Styled text

• What color

• Incentive

*2010 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study, NTEN & M+R

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HOW TO TEST?

• Start simple• Send 2 tests: Each to ~10%• Wait 1-2 days• Review metrics & check statistical significance

eMarketingDynamics.com

• Send “winning” message to 80%• Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

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HIGHER CONVERSIONS: CAMPAIGN BEST PRACTICES

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• Start earlier!

• Identify specific goal(s) and date(s)

• Discuss segments & relevant content

• Test?

• Incentives?

• Channels: Offline? Social media?

• Review email internally

• Send & review metrics

PLAN YOUR EMAIL CAMPAIGN

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• Pique curiosity & generate intrigue

• Front-load first 30 characters

• Check spam folder

SUBJECT LINES

Not Intriguing IntriguingHelp Maine wildlife 5 things you can do right now for Maine wildlife

April 2010 Alumni eNewsletter Newsletter: Who’s coming to Homecoming and more

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AVOID LARGE OR MANY IMAGES

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SUMMARIZE PURPOSE IN HEADER IMAGE’S ALT TEXT

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• Answer What + Why + Where (or When)

• Instead of images, use table cells with background color

• Include it early, then again

• Track where clicks occur (www.nonprofit.org/donate#intro)

CALLS TO ACTION

Not Compelling CompellingSpeak up now Speak up now to stop the bloodshed in Syria

Donate now Donate now to feed those starving in Somalia

Register Register to ride in honor of cancer patients

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• Gift doubled

• Drawing

• Tax-deductible

• Send an eCard

• Recognition

• Purchase a specific item (Wish List)

USES INCENTIVES TO PROVIDE VALUE

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SCANNABLE CONTENT

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Support the annual campaignSupport those who are homeless this holiday season

Email not displaying? View it in your browser.Can’t see images? Find them here.

Make a tribute giftMake a gift in honor or memory of someone you love

Opt outRemove me from future emails

AVOID NONPROFIT JARGON

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CREATE A WEB-BASED VERSION

*As Seen in the Inbox, Forrester Research, 2009

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ASK FOR A SPECIFIC NEED

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CREATE A COMPELLING LANDING PAGE

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SEND A FOLLOW-UP EMAIL

• Identify who• Did not open?• Did not click-through?• Did not respond?

• Use an alternate approach

2011 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study

*As Seen in the Inbox, Forrester Research, 2009

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ADDITIONAL CAMPAIGN TIPS

• Survey recipients

• Screen shots of video: 2-3x higher clicks*

• Say thank you!

*As Seen in the Inbox, Forrester Research, May, 2009

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• If you’re not personalizing every email, you’re missing an opportunity for better results

• Use email testing to validate assumptions and allow you to make data-driven decisions

• Become mobile-friendly by simplifying email

IMPACT TIPS

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Personalizing content and testing messages are keys to better #nonprofit email results #BBCON

#BBCON TWEET TAKE-AWAY: