Amy Starnes. Keeping Your Out of the Spam Folder. New Media Fundraising Manager Best Friends Animal Society

Transcription

1 Keeping Your Out of the Spam Folder Amy Starnes New Media Fundraising Manager Best Friends Animal Society October 10-13,

2 What are we doing here? Session topics Building a successful program Steps to create effecfve campaigns Tips to improve and grow your program Why do we love ? Cheap Fast Easy to reach large audiences Measurable It s where the people are Even though they can use some work, I s5ll think e- news gets our message to the most people. con5nues to be the top driver of website traffic and event 5cket sales. Our newsle=er is great to get out a mix of 6me- sensi6ve info and some interes6ng links and resources. NTEN Trend Report 2012 October 10-13,

3 Did you know? is the second most popular way donors stay in touch with charifes 27% of donors surveyed will share an from their favorite charity with friends and family NTEN 2012 Benchmarks Study What are the building blocks? Strategy PlaAorm List Groups Campaigns Messages October 10-13,

4 strategy The key quesfons Who is my audience? What content will I send? What are my goals? How o5en should I send ? How do I measure my results? October 10-13,

5 Who is your audience? Surprise: You have several! Donors Adopters Advocates Volunteers Who else? If you know who you re talking to, you can customize your messages, send useful and confidence. What will you send them? content types NewsleXers Fundraising appeals Event registrafon AdopFon promofons Welcome series October 10-13,

6 Some Fps for great content Think about it from your audience s perspecfve Send useful informafon Show your personality Keep it short Make it easy to take an acfon Be inspired! What are your goals? NewsleXer Visit website Share content Appeal Donate Events Register October 10-13,

7 goal: Shop now goal: Make a donafon October 10-13,

8 How o]en will you ? 2013 enonprofit Benchmark Study Average 4.1% s per month for animal orgs (Your mileage may vary) RecommendaFon: At least monthly as a reminder that they opted in to your list BoJom line: Do what works for you and your audience What s your Fmeline? How long will it take you to get out an ? 1. Define your content 2. Write copy, find images, define call to acfon 3. Create your campaign in your mail system 4. Proofread, send tests to yourself and at least one other person 5. Send your message 6. Measure your performance October 10-13,

9 Frequency + Fmeline = calendar Map out your year 1. Pick your campaign content 2. Decide when you ll send 3. Add them to the calendar 4. Don t forget to analyze results A Google or Outlook calendar works well for this How will I know if I m successful? Use your mail program to learn: If you met your goals If your schedule works for your audience If your messaging is speaking to your audience October 10-13,

10 plaaorms Picking an plaaorm to ask What do you need? Mailing list management Easy- to- use interface AnalyFcs What is your budget? What can you manage? October 10-13,

11 only solufons MailChimp FREE opfon for small lists (0-2,000 12,000 s/mo) 5,000-10,000: $15/mo Signup forms Easy interface List segmentafon TesFng and reports Mobile support Constant Contact Starts at $15/mo ( s) 5,000-10,000: $75/mo Signup forms Great interface, lots of integrafon List segmentafon TesFng and reports Mobile support Lots of documentafon, support Integrate with Network for Good fundraising tool /fundraising solufons Blue State Digital 0-5,000: $450/mo Unlimited sends TesFng and reports Signup forms DonaFon forms Mobile- opfmized Quick Donate Event registrafon Advocacy ConsFtuent management Custom domain Blackbaud Online Express 0-5,000: $275/mo 200,000 send limit/year (~3/mo) TesFng and reports Signup forms DonaFon forms ReporFng dashboard Event registrafon (in 2014) IntegraFon with Raisers Edge It s really, really new! October 10-13,

12 Get more MailChimp hxp://mailchimp.com Constant Contact hxp:// markefng hxp://www1.networkforgood.org/for- nonprofits/ - markefng- by- constant- contact Blue State Digital hxp://tools.bluestatedigital.com Blackbaud Online Express hxps:// markefng/online- express/ Building your list October 10-13,

13 Building an list How to build a list Add a signup buxon on your website right now AdopFon applicafons Direct mail Events Social media Offer something: the latest news, cute animal pics, stories about your work. Building an list How NOT to build a list Buy lists Take addresses from anywhere Trade lists from other organizafons Every address you have must be opted in to receive mail from you. October 10-13,

14 A word on opt- in / opt- out Opt- in means you have permission to Opt- out means you do not have permission This is the law. CAN- SPAM Act of 2003 requires unsubscribe opfon on every , and prohibits the use of lists acquired without permission and falsifying sender informafon (and some other stuff). Segment your audience Send the right message to the right people Increase open rates Increase clicks Decrease unsubscribes All- member blasts should be the excep@on, not the rule. October 10-13,

15 Who are your list segments? Donors Adopters Event AXendees Geographic Groups Volunteers Tip: Even if you don t use it at first, start to build these groups today. Building an campaign October 10-13,

16 Anatomy of a campaign Pick Audience Send Targeted Call to AcFon Landing Page Call to acfon Every is a drive to do something, somewhere else Take a survey Register for an event Make a gi] Read a story The call to ac@on is the goal. Always make sure you have one (and usually just one). October 10-13,

17 Campaign examples Campaign example 1 Join the Guardian Angels Monthly Giving Program What: Join our monthly giving program Why: Because you ll help animals like Who: Anyone who has given online in the past 12 months When: Three s, each one week apart Ac@on: Click to sign up and donate Measure: New monthly givers, performance of all three s October 10-13,

18 one: Katelyn s story Audience: Previous donors who were not sustainers Subject: Mega cute with a mega problem From: Best Friends Animal Society Call to acfon: Become a Guardian Angel IncenFve: Free gi] if you give $20+/month two: Madison s story Audience: Donors who were not sustainers (exclude one) Subject: The healing flow starts with you From: Best Friends Animal Society Call to acfon: Become a Guardian Angel IncenFve: Free gi] if you give $20+/month October 10-13,

19 three: Misssy s story Audience: Previous donors who were not sustainers, exclude donors from one and two Subject: Even a superhero needs an angel From: Best Friends Animal Society Call to acfon: Become a Guardian Angel IncenFve: Free gi] if you give $20+/month What we measured Open Rate Conversions Average Gi % 0.13% $ % 0.11% $ % 0.06% $23.14 Outcome: Success! There were 307 new monthly donors with higher than average gi5s. October 10-13,

20 Campaign example 2 Welcome Series for New List Signups What: Deepen engagement with new consftuents Why: Because they ve raised their hand Who: Anyone who has signed up for our list When: First immediately, second within hours Ac@on: one: Drive to website. two: Donate. Measure: New website traffic, new donors Welcome series: one Subject: Thank you for signing up From: Best Friends Animal Society Timing: Immediately a]er signup Goal: Drive traffic to website October 10-13,

21 Welcome series: two Subject: Paladin welcomes you to Best Friends From: Best Friends Animal Society Timing: 24 hours a]er signup Goal: Make a donafon Outcomes Open rates over 55%! one most popular links: Dog adopfons, homepage, explore the Sanctuary two gi5s: Average gi] up $2 from old design with buxon lower in body October 10-13,

22 Content best pracfces DO: Be clear about your point Put your call to acfon high in the Use your branding and voice Make s easy to skim Include great pictures Call your audience by name DON T: Forget a call to acfon Ask for too many things Have a misleading subject Forget to measure, so you know where to try and improve Subject lines Keep it short, descripfve, and to the point Less than 50 characters Be personal (you, your, we, localizafon) Avoid free, help, and reminder Use acfve words (save, help, act) Use a consistent from line Test! 33% of recipients open based on subject line alone* *Convince and Convert via Salesforce.com, 2013 October 10-13,

23 Subject lines Some top performers This is important (Note: probably can't use this one too open!) Hurry to reserve your clinic brick Mega cute with a mega problem Strength in numbers (of kixens) Even a superhero needs an angel Why s get deleted DO: Send to the right people Use your branding and be recognizable Use a truthful subject line Use a trusted sender Personalize your message Send from the same address Use a plaaorm that manages bounce back s DON T: Write in all caps. Ever. Use spam words ($$$, free, act now) Use excessive punctuafon!!! Forget an unsubscribe link Try to trick people or systems October 10-13,

24 Measure your success Measure your success Find to analyze See what worked See what you can improve Plan for next Fme October 10-13,

25 Key metrics Key metrics Open rates Clicks Conversions Unsubscribes Industry benchmarks Open rate: 13% Click- through: 0.42% Response rate: 0.07% Every is different. Measure your results so you know what s typical for you. Other things to measure Performance against your goal What subject lines and messaging works best for your audience At what Fmes and on what dates they are most likely to read messages If you can define it, you can test it. October 10-13,

26 QuesFons? October 10-13,