1. Best Practices:
Improving email
response rates
Jason Meyers

2. Email is still The King
Despite the hype for Social Media, the
“killer app” is still good ol’ email.
What advertising channels performed the strongest for your company in 2009?
Source: Datran Media - 2010 Marketing and Media Survey

3. Declining Response
advocacy emails
2007 2008 2009
20%
17.0%
16.0%
14.6%
15%
10%
6.3%
5.5% 4.8% 4.5%
4.6%
5% 4.0%
0%
Open Click Action
Source: 2009 NTEN eNonprofit Benchmark Study

4. Engaging Action Alerts
• Part I - Content
• Part II - Timing
• Part III - Your List
• Part IV - Tactics

5. Part I - Content
what to say

6. A letter to a friend

7. Facts are fine, but
email is about emotion
• Anger • Compassion
• Fear • Connection
• Egotism • Hope
• Self Interest • Love

8. Anatomy of an Email
Find the “CRISISTUNITY” in your
campaign
• In order to be effective, you must convey both
Crisis and Opportunity in your email
• E.g. The government has introduced
legislation harmful to our cause (Crisis), but
the opposition parties can defeat it
(Opportunity)
Credit: Ben Brandzel

9. Anatomy of an Email
Develop a “READER FOCUSED
THEORY OF CHANGE”
• A chain of events that begin with your
supporter
• Answer “Why me? Why now?”
• E.g. The Government has introduced
legislation harmful to our cause (Crisis), but
the opposition parties can defeat it
(Opportunity), but only if they get pressure
from you and me (RFTOC)
Credit: Ben Brandzel

10. Anatomy of an Email
Have a specific and focused “ASK”
• The ASK is the actual action that starts the
RFTOC
• E.g. Write a letter to the opposition party
leaders
• Most important...
Credit: Ben Brandzel

11. There can be only one.

12. Anatomy of an Email
Detail “SUPPORTING INFORMATION”
• Some people will automatically be “with you”
after the first few lines, while others will need
more information to be convinced
• Address any weaknesses in your argument
• Good practice to site news articles and other
outside sources of info
• Provide another link after the supporting
information
Credit: Ben Brandzel

13. Anatomy of an Email
Provide a “MOVEMENT STORY”
• If “supporting information” appeals to logic, the
“movement story” appeals to emotion
• Describe “what is really going on” – e.g. "this is about
ordinary people taking back our democracy”
• Describe “what we are doing” - e.g. "we're building a
network strong enough to get our message heard"
• Describe the world we are trying to create – e.g.
"together we can ensure no child goes to bed hungry"
Credit: Ben Brandzel

14. Part 2 - Timing
when to send

15. The moment of relevance
• Watch the media
• Watch your web stats and search queries
• Watch twitter trending topics

16. “enough is enough”

17. Part 3 - Your List
who to send to

18. This isn’t about you
“Help me, help you!”

19. Segmentation
• Stated interests • Geography
• Issue of previous action • Their riding/MP
• Recency of action • Customization of letters
• Number of actions • First contact
• Donation history • Other socio-economic
criteria

20. Part 4 - Tactics
tips to maximize response

21. Email similar to landing page
Credit: FairSay

22. Auto-populate
Credit: FairSay

23. The Ladder of Engagement
Credit: FairSay

24. Ensure your emails are
recognizable when they arrive
Credit: FairSay

25. Easily scannable in preview
pane of email software
Credit: FairSay

26. Keep the formatting simple
Credit: FairSay

27. Tell the story with images
Credit: FairSay

28. Links to action
Credit: FairSay

29. “A big red button”
16%
3%
20%
52%
9%

30. Personalize when possible

31. Summary
• Remember you are dealing with real people who have
complex, personal emotional ties to your issue
• Send email when it makes sense, not on some
artificial schedule
• Create an email you would want to read
• Reduce the barriers to action
• Do your own benchmarking and track effectiveness
over time
• Remember what you are fighting for

32. Jason Meyers
jason@fivestones.ca
fivestones.ca
twitter.com/jasonmeyers
Special thanks to Duane Raymond and FairSay
for the use of Tactics slide material