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Getting Started with Email Newsletters

Send Your Message to the Masses. WELCOME! Enter your name in the chat window for attendance. Getting Started with Email Newsletters. March 5, 2014 Emily Pitts, CAES OIT. Email newsletter overview. This session will cover: E-newsletter basics Selecting an e-newsletter service

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Getting Started with Email Newsletters

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  1. Send Your Message to the Masses WELCOME! Enter your name in the chat window for attendance Getting Started with Email Newsletters March 5, 2014 Emily Pitts, CAES OIT Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters

  2. Email newsletter overview Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters This session will cover: E-newsletter basics Selecting an e-newsletter service Working with subscription lists Planning your newsletter series

  3. E-Newsletter basics Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters

  4. Basic definitions Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters • HTML email • Email newsletter service • Subscription list • Campaign • Email client

  5. HTML email… Why do it? Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters • 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

  6. What makes HTML email different? Format Email Client Device Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters

  7. How can an e-newsletter service help? Format Device Email Client Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters

  8. What’s so hard about sending bulk email? SPAM! Trash Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters

  9. Email works like this… Ideally. Your Message Your Email Server Recipient’s Email Server Recipient’s Email Inbox Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters

  10. Problem #1: Message never sent ! SPAM ! Your Message Your Email Server Recipient’s Email Server Recipient’s Email Inbox Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters

  11. Problem #2: Message blocked ! SPAM ! Your Message Your Email Server Recipient’s Email Server Recipient’s Email Inbox Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters

  12. Problem #3: Straight to junk mail SPAM! JUNK! Your Message Your Email Server Recipient’s Email Server Recipient’s Trash or Junk Mail Folder Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters

  13. Problem #4: Return to sender BAD ADDRESS! FULL INBOX! Your Message Your Email Server Recipient’s Email Server Recipient’s Email Inbox Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters

  14. How can an e-newsletter service help? Trash SPAM! Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters

  15. Selecting an e-newsletter service Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters

  16. E-Newsletter service Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters • 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

  17. There are so many to choose from! Which service should I use? Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters

  18. Recommended: MailChimp www.mailchimp.com Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters

  19. MailChimpsupport Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters Text-chat Email Online tutorials Webinars Tons and tons of PDFs Support forums

  20. MailChimp account resources Check out the MailChimp website for more information on: • Accounts and price plans - http://mailchimp.com/pricing • Terms and conditions - http://mailchimp.com/legal/terms • Basic overview of features - http://mailchimp.com/features • Resources - http://mailchimp.com/resources • Support Resources - http://kb.mailchimp.com Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters

  21. Understanding subscription lists Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters

  22. What’s in a subscription list? Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters • 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

  23. How do new subscribers get added? Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters • 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

  24. You must have permission for every single address that you enter or import into your list. Working with subscription lists Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters

  25. Recruiting subscribers Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters • 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

  26. Build and maintain relationships Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters 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

  27. Build and maintain relationships Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters Respect Be clear about why they are receiving your message 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

  28. Tips for migrating lists Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters • 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!)

  29. First contact to migrated list Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters How should you contact them? If they agreed to receive your newsletter: send your message from new subscription list. If they are office contacts or very old addresses:send a regular email message with a link to sign-up, use BCC

  30. First contact to migrated list Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters What should your message say?Re-introduce yourself and your newsletter • New newsletter format! • What and why • Method to unsubscribe • Link to update subscription info

  31. Can I subscribe a listserv? Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters No, not the listserv address. • Against MailChimp 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)

  32. Can I subscribe mylistserv? Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters No, BUT you can migrate your subscribers Download the entire list of your subscribers. Import addresses into your new subscription list. Use MailChimp to manage future subscribes/unsubscribes. Shutdown old listserv. Good idea for your listserv? Yes, if your listserv is only for email announcements No, if your listserv is for 2-way communication

  33. Can I subscribe the entire organization? Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters No. Subscribing listserv addresses is not allowed. Email addresses are not easily compiled and maintained. Do: Recruit subscribers from faculty and staff listservs.

  34. How do I recruitlistserv subscribers? Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters 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).

  35. Planning your newsletter series Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters

  36. How often? • Frequency • Ability to produce • To whom? • Targeted audience • Multiple audiences • Archive? • Link to back issues • List back issues on your site Establish a distribution strategy Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters

  37. Primary goals • Email subject • Required info per campaign • Predictable sections • Articles • Voice • Links • Images • Text-only version http://www.caes.uga.edu/unit/octs/resources/email-newsletters/series.html Craft a content plan Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters

  38. Email subject Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters Inviting emails = more opens • Recognized sender • Personalized “to” line • Subject • Call to action • Preview of content • Relevant • No “spammy” language

  39. Required info per campaign Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters

  40. Sections, articles and voice Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters • 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?

  41. Primary goals and links Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters 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.

  42. Images Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters • 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.

  43. Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters

  44. Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters

  45. Text-only version Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters • 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

  46. A few examples… Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters • Walk Georgia (HTML & text-only) • http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/home/?u=4cc31c1fa608a4d5b37d9e142&id=97c6956b22 • 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

  47. MailChimp campaign resources Check out the MailChimp website for more information on: • How can I set up an archive of my campaign?http://kb.mailchimp.com/article/how-can-i-set-up-an-archive-of-my-campaigns • Why bother with plain-text emails?http://kb.mailchimp.com/article/why-bother-with-plain-text-emails • Creating and sending a campaign (see video links on page)http://kb.mailchimp.com/category/getting-started • How do I import a template?http://kb.mailchimp.com/article/how-do-i-import-a-template Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters

  48. What now? Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters

  49. ExtensionTemplate Adjust colors Create banner Adjust typography UGA Extension brand MailChimp stamp EEO statement

  50. Sending your 1st campaign: March 19, 2014 @ 10AM Using MailChimp to Create Extension-branded Newsletters. Send Your Message to the Masses : : Getting Started with E-Newsletters Establish a MailChimp account Set up a new subscription list Create your first campaign Import and modify a template Add your content Preview your newsletter Send your newsletter Monitor success and track problems

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