Higher Conversions: The Anatomy of Engaging Email Campaigns / Mike Snusz, Blackbaud

6/13/2012 Footer 1

HIGHER CONVERSIONS:

THE ANATOMY OF ENGAGING

EMAIL CAMPAIGNS

Mike Snusz

Sr. Internet Marketing Consultant at Blackbaud

If you’re Tweeting, use

#EngagingEmail

#mcc2012

Higher Conversions: The Anatomy of Engaging Email Campaigns 2 @mikesnusz | #EngagingEmail #mcc12

• 9 years working at/with nonprofits

• Former fundraiser at Roswell Park Alliance Foundation

• Email, fundraising & online strategy consulting at Blackbaud

• Strategist for Guide Creative

• Contribute: NetWitsThinkTank.com

• Twitter: @mikesnusz

ABOUT ME


THE INBOX: A CLUTTERED, COMPETITIVE PLACE


HOW IMPORTANT IS EMAIL?

35% of online revenue comes from email*

*2012 eNonprofit Benchmark Study (NTEN, M&R)


• Corporate email programs: What can nonprofits learn?

• (Personalized) content is king

• Anatomy of engaging email

• Why you need to test…and what to test

• Best practices for campaign types

• Email campaign example: UNICEF

• Brief Q&A

SESSION AGENDA


CORP ORAT E E MAIL P ROGRAMS : WHAT CAN

NONP ROF IT S L E ARN?


• Large budgets, staff, work with agencies

• Sophisticated programs that provide value

• Data-driven decisions

• Top programs: Most important value drivers

82% - Test and measure everything*

71% - Build in targeting capabilities*

*2011 Gleanster survey on Email Marketing

ABOUT CORPORATE EMAIL PROGRAMS


CROCS


WHOLE FOODS


AMAZON


(P E RS ONAL IZ E D) CONT E NT IS K ING


PERSONALIZING YOUR EMAIL

THEN NOW


• Top tactic to deliver relevant and engaging content*

• Open rates increase 7% & click-through rates increase 80%**

• Click-through rates twice as high first 30 days***

*2011 MarketingSherpa Email Marketing Benchmark Survey

**MailerMailer 2010 Email Marketing Metrics Report

***MarketingSherpa "Email Marketing Benchmark Guide 2008”

WHY (PERSONALIZED) CONTENT IS KING


• Provide value

• Connection

• Without relevant content, risk:

- Level of engagement

- Level of attention

- Decreased response

- Weakened relationship

WHY (PERSONALIZED) CONTENT IS KING


SPCA ERIE COUNTY

Campaign Emails Click-through rate

Email #1 1.68%

Email #2 1.98%

Email #3 (personalized) 3.50%

2010 participants

2009 participants

2008 participants

2007 participants


RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE OF KC

Past attendees

Attended similar event

Audience Click-through rate

Past attendees 25.1%

Attended similar event 14.6%

Everyone else 8.6%


UDM ALUMNI NEWSLETTER

Audience Open rate

School of Architecture 23.5%

Engineering Grads 18.9%

Everyone Else 11.9%

School of Architecture

Engineering Grads


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 reminders)


CULTIVATE: THANK DONORS &

TELL HOW DONATIONS WERE USED


www.KayYow.com

PROVIDE VALUE: DELIVER RELEVANT CONTENT


HIDDEN WAYS TO PERSONALIZE ANY EMAIL

Solicit

• Match areas of interest to funding opportunities

• Provide past gift info

• Planned giving prospects

Data Integrity

• Missing information

• Verify information


ANATOMY OF E NGAGING E MAIL


• Start earlier!

• Identify specific goals and dates

• Discuss segments & relevant content

• Test? Incentives?

• Channels: Offline? Social media? Website?

• Review email internally

• Send & review metrics

PLAN YOUR EMAIL CAMPAIGN


ANATOMY OF ENGAGING EMAIL

Recognizable “From” field

Intriguing subject lines

Concise, relevant content

Compelling call to action


FROM NAME

• Recognizable name – organization name (or celebrity)


• Pique curiosity, generate interest & convey urgency

SUBJECT LINES

Not Intriguing Intriguing

Help Maine wildlife 5 things you can do right now for Maine wildlife

Support the whales Deadline tomorrow: Time running out for whales

April 2010 eNewsletter eNewsletter: Homecoming events announced


• Mobile friendly: Front-load first 30 characters

• Avoid special characters (!, $) and CAPS

• Fastest way to better results: Test!

SUBJECT LINES


USE SCANNABLE CONTENT

• Use lists when possible

• Numbers versus bullets

• Numerals versus words

• More whitespace

• Short paragraphs

• Bold important phrases

• Headlines


AVOID LARGE OR MANY IMAGES


AVOID LARGE OR MANY IMAGES

Images Blocked By Default in:

Hotmail Yahoo Gmail

Blackberry Android Default Android Gmail

Outlook 2003 Outlook 2007 Outlook for Mac 2011

Windows Live Hotmail Windows Mobile 7 AOL Webmail/Desktop

Images Not Blocked By Default in:

iPhone/iPad Outlook Express Apple Mail Lotus Notes

Source: http://awe.sm/5y5lA

http://awe.sm/5y5lA


SUMMARIZE PURPOSE IN IMAGE’S ALT TEXT


• 2-3x higher clicks

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

USE VIDEO SCREEN SHOT IMAGES


ASK FOR A TIMELY, SPECIFIC NEED


CREATE A COMPELLING LANDING PAGE


• Matching gift

• Drawing

• Recognition

• Send an eCard

• Premium

• Honor or Memorial

• Membership

USE INCENTIVES TO PROVIDE ADDED VALUE


• Make links compelling by including:

What + Why + Where/When

CALL TO ACTION LINKS

Not Compelling Compelling

Click here Speak up now to stop the bloodshed in Syria

Donate now Donate now to feed those starving in Somalia

Register Register by Feb. 20th to ride in honor of a

cancer survivor



• 88% check email daily on mobile device

• By the end of 2012, more people will read email on a mobile device

than desktop or webmail

• 63% of Americans would close or delete an email not optimized for

mobile

Source: http://awe.sm/5y8iv

WHY MOBILE-FRIENDLY MATTERS

http://awe.sm/5y8iv


1. 1 column over 2

2. Text: 12pt. Headlines: 20 pt.

3. Make it scannable

4. Call to action link early

5. Don’t crowd links

6. Use smaller images

7. Create web page version

8. Mobile-friendly landing page

9. Front-load subject lines and…

10.Use a pre-header

10 WAYS TO BE MOBILE-FRIENDLY…THURSDAY


EYE TRACKING

From: 'Email Newsletters: Surviving Inbox Congestion' - Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox


MULTI-CHANNEL INTEGRATION

• Which channels are most often integrated with email?

86% - Website

78% - Social media

50% - Events

45% - Blogs

33% - Direct mail

Source: *2011 MarketingSherpa Email Marketing Benchmark Survey


PROMOTE CAMPAIGN IN OTHER EMAILS


SEND A FOLLOW-UP EMAIL

• Avg. Open Rate: 14%*

• Change it with:

• Intro message

• New subject line

• Alternate approach

*2012 eNonprofit Benchmark Study (NTEN, M+R)


TECHNIQUE #1 - IN CASE YOU DIDN’T SEE IT


TECHNIQUE #2 – PROGRESS UPDATE

Update

Urgent Need

Outcome


TECHNIQUE #3 – DEADLINE ALERT


TECHNIQUE #4 – SAME THEME. DIFFERENT OPTIONS


TECHNIQUE #5 – RELATED NEWS OF THE DAY


WHY Y OU NE E D TO T E S T …AND WHAT TO T E S T


WHY TEST?

According to top email programs:

• Email testing is the most important value driver*

• 82% of them test and measure everything*

*2011 Gleanster survey on Email Marketing


MOST EFFECTIVE ELEMENTS TO TEST

1. Target audience

2. Landing page

3. Subject line

4. Call-to-action link

2011 MarketingSherpa Email Marketing Benchmark Survey


TEST CALL TO ACTION

The largest difference between high and low performing email

programs was in email click-through rates*

• Placement

• Incentive

• Language

• What color

*2010 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study, NTEN & M+R


TEST TIME OF DAY?

• 6:00-7:00am (MailChimp)

• 6:00-11:00am (MailerMailer)

• 9:00am (Marketing Sherpa)

• 9:00am (eROI)


HOW TO TEST?

• Send 2 tests: Each to 10%-20%

• Wait 1-2 days

• Review metrics & check statistical significance

• Send “winning” message to remaining recipients

• Repeat, Repeat, Repeat

• Calculator: eMarketingDynamics.com


RECORD TEST RESULTS

• Simple spreadsheet

• Date

• Audience/List

• Variable tested

• Open rate

• Click-through rate

• Conversion rate

• Unsubscribe rate


CAMPAIGN T Y P E S : BE S T P RACT ICE S


EVENT CAMPAIGN BEST PRACTICES

• Build excitement & spread-the-word

• Past event results & impact

• Interesting stories, pictures or videos

• What’s new & benefits of early registration

• 4 emails

• Kickoff: announcement

• Reminder

• Last chance

• Wrap-up: success

• Landing page: Social sharing & Twitter widget



END OF THE YEAR CAMPAIGN BEST PRACTICES

• Campaign theme

• “Bring light into a senior's life this holiday season”

• Campaign narrative

• Compelling need & problem to solve

• Moving personal story

• Why is it timely

• 3 donation levels

• Structure: 3-5 emails

• Kickoff – early Dec.

• Stewardship – 3rd week of Dec

• Last chance – end of Dec.





MONTHLY GIVING CAMPAIGN BEST PRACTICES

• Campaign theme & narrative

• Answer why & use giving levels

• Recognition: benefits, name

• Words to use: partnership, loyalty, team, efficient

• 3 emails

• Kickoff: goals, incentives

• Reminder: progress

• Close: success statement, reminder

• Patience & persistence



E MAIL CAMPAIGN E X AMP L E : UNICE F


EOY CAMPAIGN EMAIL #1 SUBJECT: JUST ANNOUNCED: DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT TO SAVE CHILDREN


EOY CAMPAIGN EMAIL #2 SUBJECT: PLEASE HELP A HUNGRY CHILD


EOY CAMPAIGN EMAIL #3 SUBJECT: WHY YOU MATTER TO A STARVING CHILD


EOY CAMPAIGN EMAIL #4 SUBJECT: DEADLINE: MATCH EXPIRES IN 1 DAY


EOY CAMPAIGN EMAIL #5 SUBJECT: LAST CHANCE MATCH: HOURS TO DEADLINE


IMPACT TIPS

• Personalized content engages email recipients and improves results

• Test email messages to validate assumptions, better understand

recipients and make data-driven decisions


QUE S T IONS ?


RESOURCES

• NetWitsThinkTank.com

• ConnectionCafe.com

• AWeber.com/Blog

• www.Blackbaud.com/Nonprofit-Resources

• www.Blackbaud.com/BlackbaudIndex

• www.Blackbaud.com/Puzzle (June 14th webinar)

• www.GuideCreative.com/Giveaway

Technology

Higher Conversions: The Anatomy of Engaging Email Campaigns / Mike Snusz, Blackbaud