Ali Walker Davies, Blue State Digital

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BSD+ ECF 2016
Kick-ass welcome
journeys
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2. © Blue State Digital | Proprietary and Confidential© Blue State Digital | Proprietary and Confidential
Today, we’re going to talk about:
1. Introductions (5 mins)
2. A word about email… (15 mins)
3. Welcome journeys: the good, bad + ugly (15 mins)
4. Mapping your welcome journey (30 mins)
5. Review (15 mins)
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1. Introductions

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Introductions
1. My name is….
2. I’m from….
3. My favourite email list is…
4. In the next 1.5 hours I want
to...
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1. My name is Ali Walker Davies
2. I’m from Blue State Digital
3. My favourite email to receive is
(and secretly )
4. In the next 1.5 hours I want to help y’all get
inspired about email journeys.
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2. A word about
email

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Confidential
Email is ubiquitous.
107 trillion emails sent per year
77% of people prefer to receive
permission-based communications via
email than any other channel.
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A word about email

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Email is still the most
powerful tool for engaging
your audience and driving
action.
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A word about email

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Confidential
Email drives
action.
During the 2012
presidential
campaign, Obama for
America raised $690
million online.
70% of it came from
email.
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A word about email

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More than just money.
Email can help you tell
your story, craft your
voice, and:
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A word about email
Distribute compelling
content
Promote and enhance
online efforts
Drive website traffic
Build relationships
Respond to new
developments
Close the feedback loop

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Confidential© Blue State Digital | Proprietary and Confidential 11
A word about email
Every email always includes at least one
action: unsubscribe. So give them
something more productive to do
DONATE SIGN THE PETITION
POST ON FACEBOOK EMAIL YOUR MP
TAKE A SURVEY TWEET
POST A PHOTO SEND A CARD
ATTEND AN EVENT
WATCH A VIDEO
SHARE YOUR STORY
REGISTER TO VOTE

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The relationship checklist:
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A word about email
Get to know your list
Let them shape their experience
Be a good listener
Give them what they want

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Confidential
Learn as much about
your list as you can.
The more you know, the
more relevant your
communications will be.
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A word about email
● Contact info
● Geography
● Age
● Donor history
● Volunteer history
● Preferred social
networks
● Interests and issues

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Confidential© Blue State Digital | Proprietary and Confidential 14
A word about email

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Actions and goals are
what give your data
meaning.
Open rates and click rates mean
nothing without the context of what
you’re trying to achieve, and what
success looks like.
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A word about email

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Before you ask supporters
to take action, define your
objectives.
If you can’t answer these
questions, you shouldn’t
send an email:
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A word about email
What do you want to
accomplish?
What can your list do
to help you get there?
What do you want
someone to do when
they open this email?

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Confidential© Blue State Digital | Proprietary and Confidential 17
3. Why welcome
journeys

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Marco Bertini, Elie Ofek,
and Dan Ariely:
Predictably Irrational

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What would you be happy
to receive in a welcome
journey?
3 mins answers on post-it - 1 per post-it
Think about:
• Any interesting welcomes you’ve had from other organisations, whether that’
s over email, via a membership pack, or something else.
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The importance of a welcome

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They set
expectations
A welcome journey is your
first chance to let people
know what they’ll be
receiving, and what they’ll
be asked to do.
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The importance of a welcome

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They pull
people in
People will quickly decide
whether to stay on your list
or keep reading your
emails based on how they
respond to your welcome
journeys.
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The importance of a welcome

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Confidential© Blue State Digital | Proprietary and Confidential 22
The importance of a welcome

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They showcase
your personality.
The tone of your welcome
journey will give your audience a
better understanding of the
people and mindset behind the
organisation.
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The importance of a welcome

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They
introduce the
organisation.
It’s your first chance to
give people an inside view
of what your organisation
does and why it’s
important to support you.
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Confidential
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The importance of a welcome

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Let’s look at what other
organisations are doing...
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The good...
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Shelter: Welcome journey
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Shelter 1
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Shelter 2
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Shelter 3
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Chubbies Shorts: Welcome journey
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Chubbies Shorts: Sign-up journey
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Chubbies Shorts 1
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Chubbies Shorts 2
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Chubbies Shorts 3
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The ok...
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Graze
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Google+
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The bad...
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American Consumer’s Union
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American Consumer’s Union 2
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The ugly
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Yelp
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4. Mapping your
welcome journey

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What do you want new sign
ups to know?
3 mins answers on post-it - 1 per post-it
Think about:
• What’s the key information that the user needs to know?
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Mapping your welcome journey

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What do you want new sign
ups to feel?
3 mins answers on post-it - 1 per post-it
Think about:
• What’s the emotional response you’re looking to create?
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Confidential
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Mapping your welcome journey

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Confidential
What do you want new sign
ups to do?
3 mins answers on post-it - 1 per post-it
Think about:
• What’s the most valuable thing that a supporter can do for your organisation
right now, and in the future?
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Confidential
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Mapping your welcome journey

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Let’s put that all together...
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Confidential
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Mapping your welcome journey

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Mapping your welcome journey
User signs up to
your mailing list!
What action have they just
taken?
Where did they hear about
you - what platform /
organic / paid / warm /
cold?
User should think:
User should feel:
User should do:
Email core message:
Call to action:
Landing page:
Any segmentation?
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User should think:
User should feel:
User should do:
Email core message:
Call to action:
Landing page:
Any segmentation?
2
User should think:
User should feel:
User should do:
Email core message:
Call to action:
Landing page:
Any segmentation?
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Ask me
anything.
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