Email Marketing Tips, Tricks and Results

Heather Marsh Director of Digital Marketing, ABD Direct

Email Planning

Create Your Plan ◦ Messaging Mix

Balance of Advocacy, Stewardship and Solicitation

◦ Build in Testing

◦ Control Messaging Quantity

◦ Create a Production Schedule

Email Planning

Sample Production Schedule

Send

out date Message

Draft copy

due

Copy review

due

Final copy

due

Materials

Sent For

Production

Email Tests

Due

Email Edits

Due

Final Tests

Due

Approval

Needed

15-Jan January Appeal 1 – Prospects 12/28/2012 12/30/2012 1/1/2013 1/3/2013 1/5/2013 1/7/2013 1/9/2013 1/11/2013

15-Jan January Appeal 1 - Members 12/28/2012 12/30/2012 1/1/2013 1/3/2013 1/5/2013 1/7/2013 1/9/2013 1/11/2013

15-Jan January Appeal 1 - Stewards 12/28/2012 12/30/2012 1/1/2013 1/3/2013 1/5/2013 1/7/2013 1/9/2013 1/11/2013

22-Jan Wild Alert 1/4/2013 1/6/2013 1/8/2013 1/10/2013 1/12/2013 1/14/2013 1/16/2013 1/18/2013

30-Jan January Appeal 2 - Prospects 1/12/2013 1/14/2013 1/16/2013 1/18/2013 1/20/2013 1/22/2013 1/24/2013 1/26/2013

30-Jan January Appeal 2 - Members 1/12/2013 1/14/2013 1/16/2013 1/18/2013 1/20/2013 1/22/2013 1/24/2013 1/26/2013

Develop Best Practices

Email Testing ◦ What to Test

◦ How to Test

◦ Why to Test

Develop Best Practices

Testing Goals ◦ Improve Open Rate

From Line

Subject Line

Unique Characters

Day and Time

Best Time to Send Emails

Best Time to Send Emails

When They Are Not.

Develop Best Practices

Testing Goals ◦ Click Through Rate

Call To Action

Buttons

Copy

Pictures, Graphics

Develop Best Practices

Testing Goals ◦ Response Rate, Average Gift, Revenue Ask String

◦ Descending vs. Ascending ◦ Dynamic vs. Static ◦ Open Text Box

Copy ◦ Short Form vs. Long Form

Graphics, Photos ◦ Square/Horizontal ◦ None ◦ Very Little Copy/Large Image CTA

From Lines – What Won?

The Wilderness Society

Jamie Williams, The Wilderness Society +7%

From Lines – What Won?

Jamie Williams, The Wilderness Society

Jamie Williams +4%

However, revenue declined by 37%

Call to Action – What Won?

CTR +12%, Revenue -22%

Call to Action – What Won?

CTR +34%, Revenue +141%

Email Management

Test in “Real Life” ◦ Be a Donor, Prospect, Activist

◦ Challenge Your System’s Boundaries

◦ Track Results

◦ Monitor Competitors, Industry Leaders

Sustainers!

Website Conversion

5%

Email Conversion

4%

Email Invite

+3%

Intercept

2%

Intercept

Intercept Details ◦ Low and High Dollar Thresholds

◦ What’s the Ask?

◦ Where and How Will the Upgrade be Displayed?

◦ What Happens When the User Tries to Close the Popup?

◦ Focus on Reducing Form Abandonment

Upgrades

3% RR +$3.40 Avg Gift

Current Sustainers

Communications? ◦ Advocacy

◦ Stewardship/Cultivation

◦ Surveys

◦ Monthly Transaction Acknowledgements

◦ Additional One-Time Asks

Lapsed Sustainers

Lapsed Recapture ◦ Monthly Declined Transaction Emails

◦ TM Calling

◦ Additional Email Invites

Pre-Lapsed Program

Questions