The Ultimate Email Marketing Makeover

Lisa Renneisen, Marketing Manager, Vision 6

Matthew Johnson, Channel Resource Manager, Vision 6

What this competitionwas all about

Meet our winner …

MS Queensland is a non-profit organisation that aims to promote research to cure multiple sclerosis and to facilitate equitable, high-quality and specialised services for the benefit of people with MS.

‘We use email marketing for all of our events, lotteries and fundraisers. It is effective, but I suspect it could

be much more efficient.’

Shannon Molloy | MS Queensland

Step 1: Start with your context

MS Queensland’s Context

• Not for profit organisation

• Limited budget

• Small but dedicated team

Step 2: Look at the areas where you can make an impact

Step 3: Identify the quick wins

Quick wins for everyone

• Spam Compliance

• HTML / Plain Text Emails

• Welcome Emails

• View Online Links

Quick wins for MS Queensland

• Remove permanent bounces

• Include subscribe links in all emails

• Use image alt text

• Link to a Privacy Policy

What are your quick wins?

Step 4: Work through the bigger changes systematically and

logically

Focus 1: List Growth

What we looked at …

• The importance of list growth to MS QLD

• Where and how email addresses were being captured

• How captured addresses are being used

What we discovered …

• There is very little focus on email address acquisition

• Easy acquisition opportunities were being missed

• Everything is strictly in silos

What we recommend …

• Ask for an email address at every opportunity

• Ask recipients if they would like to receive information about other MS activities

• Consider that email might actually be a preference for some recipients

Focus 2: Database Practices

What we looked at …

• Contact Management

• Database Structure

• Database Maintenance

What we discovered …

A new database is being created for every single email campaign• Bounces are not being updated anywhere• Email reporting does not demonstrate any

level of subscriber engagement• Large numbers of unnecessary databases

What we recommend …

InternalDatabase

New EmailDatabase

Send Email

Reports andBounces

Focus 3: Email Message Design

• Many more images throughout

• Articles are clearly separated

• Designed with for reusability and flexibility

Focus 4: Automation (Sending)

What we looked at …

• Where are multiple messages being sent?

• Where does automation make sense?

• Where are similar tasks being conducted?

What we discovered…

• Not much automation currently exists

• Re-capture time by automating event campaigns

• Automation is not “all or nothing”– Start small– Automate a single message

• Less than 50% of email marketers automate their email marketing

What we recommend …

• Difficult• Time consuming to setup• Difficult• Time consuming to setup

• Less than 50% of email marketers automate their email marketing

Invitation A

Invitation B

Invitation C

Invitations

Registered?

Email A Email B Email C

Rider Communications

Email A Email B Email C

Last Chance Messages

Feedback

Post Event

Step 5: Benchmark and review and then keep reviewing

• Acknowledge where you are starting from and use this as your benchmark

• Try to be as rational and scientific as possible in your measurement

• Let go of the ideas that aren't working and move on

To Recap …

Step 1: Start with your context

Step 2: Look at the areas where you can make an impact

Step 3: Identify the Quick Wins

Step 4: Work through the bigger changes systematically and logically

Step 5: Benchmark and review and then keep reviewing

Questions?