2010 Membership, Development, PR & Marketing PAG Spring Workshop. e-Newsletters - Presentation by Cheryl Mattson, Director of Membership, Mystic Seaport, CT

1. Keys to a Successful
eNewsletter Program
Presented by
Cheryl Mattson
Mystic Seaport
The Museum of America and the Sea
May 17, 2010

2. Keys to a Successful
eNewsletter Program
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3. The Plan
• Goal (s)
– Cultivation and Retention
– Events
– Donate/Join
– Visit
• Audience
– Segmentation and Sub-groups
• Member vs. non-member
• New member
• Geographic
• Family
– May look different than offline member group
– What are the key interests of opt-ins
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4. The Plan - cont
• Messaging
– Long range plan for the year
• Holidays
• Key events
• Exhibit openings
– Editorial calendar for next two to three issues
– Decide on tone/style
• Frequency
– Consistency is key
– Weekly, monthly
– Manpower
• Plan for gathering emails (opt-ins)
– Website (tell them what they will receive)
– Membership renewals, events
• Software
– Template Services
• Constant Contact
• iContact
– Good list management software
– eCRM software
• Convio
– In-house
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5. Design
• Keep it simple
– Easier for reader
– Easier for editor
• The Look
– Brand consistent
• logo, color, fonts, compatible with main website’s look and feel
– Ready made templates
– Limit number of fonts
– Limit copy with links to main site
• Key components
– Subject Line
• Tell us what's inside
• Be consistent
• Change for each issue
• Recognizable sender (who)
• Watch the length
– email clients and platforms don't display messages consistently
– Privacy Policy
– Subscribe/Unsubscribe
– Forward to a friend
– Main site link
– Contact information
• Phone numbers,
• Snail mail address
– Logo
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6. Design -cont
• Content
– Key sections, columns
– Calendar of upcoming events
– Soft feature – human interest
– Text is easy to scan – use headlines, subheads, short text
– Any Special languages?
– Style/tone of contributors
– Conditionalize
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7. Design -Cont
• Layout
– Design with email reading habits
• Eye tracking heat maps
– Most important above the fold
– Use sectioning – lines, blocks, colors, what’s in this issue, headlines
– Constant among issues
• Standing columns
• Important dates
– Flexible length
– Printable
• Links
– Use opportunity to link to other areas of interest in the copy
– Set links to open in a separate window browser
– Test the links
– Link text – “Read more…” vs. “Click here…”
• Facilitate action
– Join, Donate, Volunteer
• Refresh
• Conditionailize
– Outlook 2007 Optimization
• Remember images require user to click to view – use copy also
• Forms may not work – better to link to web site (also for flash and animation)
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8. Sample
Branding
Fresh Look
Above the Fold
Feature Column
Sections
Titles
Hyperlinks
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9. Implementation
• Frequency
– Vacations
– Let internal departments know schedule
– Last minute adds
• Proof
– Read standing up and out loud
– Reviewer list
• Consistent group with primary assignments (links, dates, pricings, editing, content)
• Key special project managers
• Resources
– BOOK TIME!
– Images (free: paint.net)
– Copy – web, word docs., new
• Grow list
– Gather emails (opt-ins)
• What are their key interests
• Website, membership renewals, events
– Welcome eNewsletter
• What they will receive and how to manage (opt-out of account)
• Send
– Right format for reader – html or text
– Email feedback and responses
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10. Review/Evaluate
• What is good?
– Jupiter Research Survey found:
• 88% deliverability
• 20% Open rate
• 9.5% click-through rate
• 1.1% conversion rate
• Open Rate
– 1st time, holidays
• Click through rate
– Hyperlinks are key to drilling down to interests
• Email feedback
– Good – bad?
– Listen
• Unsubscribe
– Monitor
• Testing
– A/B testing of messages
• Ongoing questions
– Have key interests changed?
– Do click through links show certain areas of interest?
– Do some groups view email differently?
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11. eMail Response Results
Open Rate by Interest Group
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12. eMail Response Results
Open Rate by eNewsletter
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13. eMail Response Results
Open Rate by Membership Status
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14. eMail Response Results
Summary
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15. eMail Response Results - Key Clickthroughs
January 2010 February 2010 March 2010 April 2010
Our lady in the C oastal Morgan
Top links: 382 Village 546 Gourmet Menu 226 Restoration 706 Latitude 41
Morgan Museum
183 Greece Trip 405 Restoration 166 Purchase Award 221 Steve White
Bus Trip to Bus Trip to
141 New York 203 Maine 130 Greece Trip 188 Greece Trip
118 C hantey Blast 181 C anal Exhibit 125 Futtock 97 Milling Video
Maine trip/ Laser Scanning
169 Greece Trip 99 Shipwrights 86 Video
May 17, 2010 Mystic Seaport Museum 15

16. Summary
• Surveying helps to conditionize
– Give them what they want
• Use eNewsletter to help each reach goals – drive
results
• Use links to inform future eNewsletters, events and
programs
• THANK YOU!
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