What do you want? RESULTS! What do you need? DATA!

1. What do you want? RESULTS!What do you need? DATA! Staci Poole | Derek Lavalier July 28, 2014

2. Concordia University, St. Paul • “The mission of Concordia University, St. Paul, a university of The Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod, is to prepare students for thoughtful and informed living, for dedicated service to God and humanity, for enlightened care of God's creation, all within the context of the Christian.” • “Concordia University, St. Paul empowers you to discover and engage your purpose for life, career and service in a dynamic, multicultural, urban environment where Christ is honored, all are welcome, and Lutheran convictions inform intellectual inquiry and academic pursuits.”

3. Concordia University, St. Paul • 3,632 students • 1,344 traditional undergraduate students • 827 adult undergraduate students • 1,461 graduate students • 18,597 degreed alumni (living)

4. Problem • Good offline data wasn’t shared with iModules • July 2012 – iModules import • October 2012 – iModules impact group • July 2013 – SFTP process • High unsubscribes • Low open rates; low reach • Bad data

5. Problem: We had bad data

6. Problem: Bad data is affecting our reach

7. Solutions • Communicate with offline database on a regular, automated basis • Pay attention to how you string your emails • Minimize non-member records • Use reusable and relevant role-based content that draws off of your accurate data • Use email categories to lower unsubscribes • Utilize iModules email reporting tools • E.g. Volleyball. We’re getting too many unsubscribes

8. Solutions: Communicate with offline database

9. Solutions: Communicate with offline database • Suggestion – Think of a time when you need accurate data the most • We sent our monthly alumni e-newsletter on Wednesdays, so we have our file dump on Tuesday evenings • Suggestion – Identify a time in which you need to get updates from iModules into your offline database • All changes are added to our offline database on Monday so the bad offline data doesn’t override the corrected/updated online data

10. Solutions • Communicate with offline database on a regular, automated basis • Pay attention to how you string your emails • Minimize non-member records • Use reusable and relevant role-based content that draws off of your accurate data • Use email categories to lower unsubscribes • Utilize iModules email reporting tools • E.g. Volleyball. We’re getting too many unsubscribes

11. Solutions: Email string • Multiple emails – recognize your issues • We have four different email types (e.g. personal, business, student & fac/staff) in our offline database. Only one is preferred. • Uploading CSV files with un-preferred email addresses caused issues even if the emails were accurate

12. Solutions • Communicate with offline database on a regular, automated basis • Pay attention to how you string your emails • Minimize non-member records • Use reusable and relevant role-based content that draws off of your accurate data • Use email categories to lower unsubscribes • Utilize iModules email reporting tools • E.g. Volleyball. We’re getting too many unsubscribes

13. Solutions: Minimize non – member records • 13,786 non member records • Most were email only – no first or last name • Currently ____ non – member records • Most are ones we can now delete because we no longer have the Church Relations function in our office.

14. Solutions • Communicate with offline database on a regular, automated basis • Pay attention to how you string your emails • Minimize non-member records • Use reusable and relevant role-based content that draws off of your accurate data • Use email categories to lower unsubscribes • Utilize iModules email reporting tools • E.g. Volleyball. We’re getting too many unsubscribes

15. Solutions: Reusable role-based content

16. Solutions: Reusable role-based content

17. Solutions • Communicate with offline database on a regular, automated basis • Pay attention to how you string your emails • Minimize non-member records • Use reusable and relevant role-based content that draws off of your accurate data • Use email categories to lower unsubscribes • Utilize iModules email reporting tools • E.g. Volleyball. We’re getting too many unsubscribes

18. Solutions: Use email categories FY13 FY14

19. Alumni newsletter FY13 • E-newsletter averages • Sent to 13833 • Opens 1659 • Open rate ~12% • Unsubscribes 13

20. Solutions • Communicate with offline database on a regular, automated basis • Pay attention to how you string your emails • Minimize non-member records • Use reusable and relevant role-based content that draws off of your accurate data • Use email categories to lower unsubscribes • Utilize iModules email reporting tools • E.g. Volleyball. We’re getting too many unsubscribes

21. Solutions: Utilize iModules reporting tools

22. Volleyball: Check your opens

23. Volleyball: Deduplicate

24. Volleyball: Upload CSV

25. Volleyball: Check it out!

26. Did it work? Yes. Here’s our proof.

27. Alumni newsletter FY13 • E-newsletter averages • Sent to 13833 • Opens 1659 • Open rate ~12% • Unsubscribes 13 FY14 • E-newsletter averages • Sent to 14425 • Opens 2850 • Open rate ~20% • Unsubscribes 72 • Creating new categories opened up sending to those who previously unsubscribed • Unsubscribes reporting shows unsubscribes, not users who unsubscribed • This number will go down over time

28. Overall Email Open Rate

29. What lies ahead • Increase email reach by improving invalid emails • Email append including … • Those with an open rate of <%10, alum • Alumni with no email • Check valid email address for those with newly changed emails

30. Questions? Derek Lavalier lavalier@csp.edu 651-641-8869 Staci Poole poole@csp.edu 651-641-8821