Do you want to send a newsletter to your clients via email and are not sure where to start? This presentation covers the ins and outs of using an e-newsletter service, including the logistics for setting up a new list, establishing a distribution strategy, building a subscriber base, crafting a content plan, monitoring success and more. Tips and legal requirements to avoid being labeled as SPAM are also included.
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Email newsletter overview
This session will cover:
E-newsletter basics
Selecting an e-newsletter service
Working with subscription lists
Planning your newsletter series
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
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Basic definitions
HTML email
Email newsletter service
Subscription list
Campaign
Email client
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
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HTML email… Why do it?
Visually appealing
Include your logo
Include pictures
Help focus attention
Professional
Message straight to user’s inbox
No additional software
No attachments necessary
Link to more info or include it all in the message
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
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What makes HTML email different?
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
Email Client DeviceFormat
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How can an
e-newsletter
service help?
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
Email Client
Device
Format
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What’s so hard about sending
bulk email?
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
TrashSPAM!
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Email works like this… Ideally.
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
Your
Message
Your
Email Server
Recipient’s
Email Server
Recipient’s
Email Inbox
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Problem #1: Message never sent
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
Your
Message
Your
Email Server
Recipient’s
Email Server
Recipient’s
Email Inbox
!
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Problem #2: Message blocked
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
Your
Message
Your
Email Server
Recipient’s
Email Server
Recipient’s
Email Inbox
!
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Problem #3: Straight to junk mail
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
Your
Message
Your
Email Server
Recipient’s
Email Server
Recipient’s
Trash or Junk
Mail Folder
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Problem #4: Return to sender
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
Your
Message
Your
Email Server
Recipient’s
Email Server
Recipient’s
Email Inbox
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E-Newsletter service
Permission-based tool for mass e-mailing
Subscriber management
Unsubscribes, deletes, edits
Segmentation
Profile information
History of interaction
Campaign creation tools
Tracking success and monitoring problems
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
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Which service
should I use?
There are so many to choose from!
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
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How do I pick?
Budget
Scalability
Immediate results
Freebies and features
Simplicity
Customization
Vendor advertising
Reliability
Survey tools
Invitations / announcements
Support
Integration
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
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What’s in a subscription list?
List name
Your contact info
Permission reminder
Per subscriber
Basic info: email address
Additional info: first and last name
Detailed information: birthday, address,
phone, etc.
Interest groups: ANR, 4-H, FACS, special
events, specific topics, etc.
Sign-up forms
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
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How do new subscribers
get added?
Via web form
Subscriber adds self
You subscribe individual
Double opt-in
Import list of individuals
From written sign-up form
From migrated listserv
As a text document
As an excel spreadsheet
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
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Working with
subscription
lists
You must have
permission
for every single
address that
you enter or
import
into your list.
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
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Recruiting subscribers
Link to sign-up forms
On your website
From Facebook page
In email signature
In targeted messages
Sign-up sheet at office/event
Invitation over the phone
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
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Build and maintain relationships
Trust
Use transparent language
Use email addresses only as explicitly written at sign-up
Don’t share email addresses with other people or lists
Do consider sharing a message for other people
Don’t pick up email addresses from other sources
Do consider asking other sources to plug your newsletter
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
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Build and maintain relationships
Respect
Introduce yourself in your campaign
Reintroduce yourself if a lot of time has passed between
campaigns
Allow subscribers to change their preferences
Always allow people to unsubscribe
Make unsubscribing a simple process
Be clear about why they are receiving your message
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
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Tips for migrating lists
Did these people agree to hear from you via email?
About this subject? For this purpose?
How old is your list?
Will they remember you?
Will the addresses bounce? Be blocked?
Clean it up! Look for:
Old email addresses
Mistyped email addresses
Generic email addresses
Duplicates sometimes okay
(be wary if different names on same address though!)
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
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First contact to migrated list
If they agreed to newsletter –
send message from new subscription list.
If they are office contacts or very old addresses –
send from your email and include sign-up link.
Re-introduce yourself and re-introduce your list
New newsletter format!
Here’s what we do and why you want to hear from us.
Method to unsubscribe
Link to update subscription info
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
NOTE: If you mass email random people from your email account, be respectful
of their privacy. Always use BCC to hide addresses in mass emails.
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Can I subscribe a listserv?
No.
Probably against terms of service
One person’s actions from a listserv affects
everyone on the listserv
Change of address
Unsubscribe
SPAM (100% sure way to be blacklisted)
NOTE: If you are the listserv owner, consider migrating list to
email newsletter service for distribution and management.
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
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Can I subscribe the entire
organization?
No.
Subscribing listserv addresses may not be allowed.
Email addresses may not be easily compiled and maintained.
Do:
Recruit subscribers from faculty and staff listservs.
Include link to sign-up form on your email signature.
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
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How do I recruit listserv
subscribers?
Send occasional message asking people
to sign up (monthly, seasonal).
Include what the newsletter does, why they
should get it, how to subscribe.
Send teaser with issue information.
Include a link to the sign-up form.
Include a link to sample newsletter (do not
forward actual newsletter).
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
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Establish a
distribution
strategy
How often?
Frequency
Ability to produce
To whom?
Targeted audience
Multiple audiences
Archive?
Link to back issues
List back issues on your site
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
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Craft a
content plan
Email subject
Required info per campaign
Predictable sections
Articles
Voice
Primary goals
Links
Images
Text-only version
Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview June 12, 2013
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Email subject
Inviting emails = more opens
Recognized sender
Personalized “to” line
Subject
Call to action
Preview of content
Relevant
No “spammy” language
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
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Required info per campaign
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
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Articles and voice
Most important article first
Sections: like with like
Subject-related (i.e. program areas)
Action-related (i.e. event calendar)
Formula for your layout
Article placement
Newsletter info placement
Features
Standard approach
Link out to articles?
Include all content?
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
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Primary goals and links
Clear actions = more clicks
Make it easy to pick out actions
Keep an eye on how many links
you include
Monitor which ones are clicked,
ignored, etc.
Standard links to: your site, your
facebook page, etc.
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
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Images
Image visibility
Most emails will be delivered with images OFF
Images MUST have alternative text
Once open, rely on text (not images) to convey message
Placement – with every article? sidebar?
Consistency – size, shape, style
Reuse – banner, section, etc.
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
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June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
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June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
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Text-only version
Organize and clean it up
Issue information
Table of contents at top
Indicate headings
Separate with lines or asterisks above and below heading
Allow a few extra line breaks after the end of each section
Don’t forget standard newsletter info at bottom
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
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A few examples…
Walk Georgia (HTML & text-only)
http://us1.campaign-
archive1.com/home/?u=4cc31c1fa608a4d5b37d9e142&id=97c6956
b22
Environmental News (HTML & text-only)
http://www.caes.uga.edu/unit/oes/news.cfm
Galleries
http://www.beautiful-email-newsletters.com
http://www.email-gallery.com
http://mailchimp.com/features/email-template-gallery
June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
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June 12, 2013Send Your Message to the Masses : : Email Newsletter Overview
Questions?
Emily Pitts
epitts@uga.edu
706-542-0811
Visit www.caes.uga.edu/unit/octs
for more resources and WIMBA archives.