the effective email tease

There is an old marketing adage, “doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing, but nobody else does.” That piece of common knowledge was originally written in a New York Herald Tribune column in 1956.

Advertising mediums have changed dramatically since then, but advertising precepts and concepts have not. No matter what, we still have to find our audience, and we still have to find a way to not only sit in the spotlight, but get the audience to look over when we wink.

I recently worked with a team to re-brand Jump Management Coaching. We did a complete overhaul of the brand, updating the name, the tag line, the website and blog, e-newsletter, business cards, you name it. But when we started the transformation, we started by talking about the client’s audience. Who are they? What do they need? What do they want? From that conversation we were able to both build a brand and build a re-brand launch strategy that would work for the company and it’s client base.

Jump has a very loyal e-newsletter readership. When most businesses are satisfied with open rates in the 10-20% range, we routinely see open rates that two to three times higher than that. Beyond open rates, we can demonstrate a high level of reader engagement by looking at the high click throughs (as readers click from the e-newsletter to more information on the web site), and extraordinarily high response rates to reader surveys.

Because we had demonstrated success using the e-newsletter to shine a light on the business and make the target audience turn their heads, and because of the nature of the business and the needs/wants of the clients, we opted to use the e-newsletter as the primary tool to launch the new brand.

But how could we up our game? How could we get even more opens than usual? We used the good old fashioned tease.

Instead of sending out the branded email on its usual day, we sent a text only email that looked more like a personal email between the company owner and the readers. It was short, a little funny, and most importantly it teased everyone that big changes were ahead and that they would need to open the next e-newsletter to get the scoop.

Interestingly, this tease email inspired people to reply with personal messages of congratulations on the launch before we launched. They felt connected and involved. Good. When we launched a week later, we saw very satisfying open rates for the launch e-newsletter and recieved more personal messages of congratulations. People specifically commented to me and to my client that they liked the tease and it made them really curious, which they remembered. Excellent.

I should say this launch effort was supported via Twitter and to a lesser extent LinkedIn, but the piece of advertising that did the most heavy lifting was the one 3-line email, which drove more potential clients to the launch e-newsletter, which drove more potential clients to Jump Management Coaching’s newly rebranded blog and website.

Calling all Tweeters to Stop HST

OK this is new. The NDP launched a Twitter campaign today to stop the HST in BC. Whatever side of the issue you come down on, this campaign was very well executed and there are definitely some good social media campaign take aways here. (Congrats to the good minds behind this campaign.)

The call for a Tweet-in went out to party supporters via email and also via Twitter this morning. Supporters who received the email were given links to send BC Liberal MLAs a Twitter message, urging them to stand up for their constituents, because their job is on the line. The emails also included a link for people to sign up to Twitter,  and a call to forward the email campaign so others can spread the word.

Interestingly, when you click on the forward link, instead of getting the usual “forward to a friend” tool that allows readers to forward the email without changing the formatting, readers are sent to the Twitter campaign page on the BCNDP site. There, they have the opportunity to share the campaign via Twitter or Facebook, which is a great way to broadcast the message. However, by not giving people the usual forward to a friend via email option they are missing out on the one on one personal communications that people who tend not to use Twitter and Facebook prefer.

The campaign page has a few strong design elements. Seeing the Twitter stream works well to suggest the high level of activity they have on this issue. (Not sure what it will look like tomorrow post-Tweet-in but today it is very strong.) That design call was a bit of a risk – what if people didn’t Tweet? – but it definitely paid off because right now the speed of the feed is down right frenetic!

Another design point for the page is that there are a lot of options for people who want to do more to support the campaign – possibly a few too many options. It can be good to keep these things simple and focused but everything on the page is campaign related and they get points for not muddying the water with a donation request.

Also it looks to me like the team behind this is nimble. I think they made an on-the-fly-fix. When the campaign launched this AM it didn’t have any hash tags in the  automatically generated Twitter message. I commented on it on facebook and I saw a few other comments and now (within 2 hrs) I see they have not only added a #HST tag but if you click through from the email, the message includes the first 3 digits of your postal code so the MLAs can’t dismiss the tweets and say that they had no way of knowing if the tweets were from their riding. Brilliant!

The Twitter message reads To MLA @DonMcRaeMLA I won’t forget the HST on election day. Stand up for your constituents http://bit.ly/9KrwQ4 #hst #bcpoli #V8T

All this is to say that I think this campaign will stir the HST pot on Twitter today. I’m inspired by the campaign design. And I’m curious about how people will talk about it and what the story will be tomorrow. What do you think?

Engage people with Campaign IT Strategy

Last month, while trying to answer the questions “What is a Campaign?” and “How do I get people to join?” I teased you with only 1 of the Five I’s of campaign strategy. I promised that I would deliver the rest this month.

I’m going to do one better. Well, two better actually.

The first 5 I’s listed here are the classic steps to move people through a campaign. The final I and the T I’ve added. I think they are critical for any type of campaign (marketing, election, outreach, fund raising, etc) but I would argue that they are especially critical if you are mounting an online campaign.

Every campaign starts with people and grows with people. Here’s how.

1. Identify: Research is the cornerstone of a campaign. Who wants what you want? Look around and see who’s really around you. How close are they? Where are pockets of new people who have demonstrated an interest in what you do? Be specific. The more specifically you identify people, and targeted groups of people, the more power you have to reach them.

2. Interest: Think about what it will take to attain and maintain the interest of the people you have identified. And think about how you will know if you have captured their interest. Some identifiers are: people don’t hang up on you, people sign up for your e-newsletters, someone asks you to repeat yourself, online search and activity data.

3. Inform: Get people the information that they need to support you, and connect it to the interest they have demonstrated. Use websites, social networking updates, newsletters, meetings, proposals, fliers, events, ads – once someone has demonstrated an interest it is just polite to keep them well-informed, and it keeps them engaged.

I’m a big fan of e-newsletters because you can continuously feed interested people valuable information that keeps them engaged AND you can track their interest with online stats.

For example, we will be keeping NDP supporters in Oak Bay-Gordon Head informed about the issues and events that they responded to during the election. We will also use the e-newsletters to identify people who can be moved to get involved.

4. Involve: This is where things shift. This is where people start doing something for you. A person can demonstrate their involvement in your campaign by inviting you to speak at an event, by making the effort to come to your office to meet, by volunteering, introducing you to people,  using your service, forwarding an email, opening up a discussion by posting a comment on a blog or retweeting an update on twitter. When people get involved, they are active in your community. Some people will inform themselves with information available and  contact you to ask you how they can get involved, but some people need to be asked.

Once you have identified, interested and informed people, it should be quite natural for you to offer to build that relationship by asking them to get involved.

5.    Invest: When you know someone is ready to buy in, make your ask. Ask for their vote, their donation, their purchase, whatever the ultimate goal is – ask. But make sure you’ve done everything you could to ensure that the only natural response will be “yes”, in other words make sure you have successfully moved them through the previous 4 steps.

Bonus Steps

6.    Inspire: Once people know you, and they have invested in you, encourage them to inspire others to move through the cycle. Donors  become canvassers. Voters drive other voters to the polls. And happy customers sell their friends on your product or service. And so the movement grows. But inspiring people to grow a movement takes really deep engagement,  so don’t skip steps.

Ask them explicitly to inspire others. Teach them how to effectively inspire others. Set up systems that make it easy for them to inspire others.  And don’t fall into the trap of thinking that things just “become” viral these days.

7.    Thank: Always say thank you. Don’t ever stop. If someone gives you the gift of breathing life into your organization, or your cause by sharing a little bit of their life with you, they deserve your appreciation. This is totally non-negotiable. Say thank you. A lot.

What is a campaign? And how do you get people to join you?

What do you think of when you hear the word campaign?

Political? Social justice? Fund raising? Military? Marketing? Save the whales? Sales?
All of the above?

campaign |kam’pān|
noun

a series of operations intended to achieve a particular objective, confined to a particular area, for a specified amount of time and involving a specified form of engagement.

campaign |kam’pān|
verb

to work in an organized and active way toward a goal

Campaigns are dance between people, stories, desires, deeds and time.

When I got my first job in fund raising, I was pretty uncomfortable with the idea of soliciting donations because, gulp someone might say “no”.

Luckily I had a great mentor who put me at ease with this simple statement, “If you are afraid someone will say ‘no’ don’t ask. When you know they are going to say ‘yes’ – ask!”

So how do you know if someone is ready to say yes?

• You know them (their story, desires, abilities & deeds)
• they know you (your story, desires, abilities & deeds)
• you can match their needs with your deeds
• the timing is right (no rushing)
• they are empowered and enabled to act

Moving people to action in any kind of campaign (well OK, maybe not military) requires moving them through: The 5 I’s

1. Identify Find people you know (because you know their their story, desires, abilities and deeds) will take an interest. These are your potential donors, target market, likely voters, etc. Finding them takes time, research and relationship building, but your campaign is no where without these people. (Hint: start with the people who know and love you – lowest hanging fruit.)

For the rest of the 5 I’s, tune in next month – I know I’m terrible. Email me if you (or our campaign) really can’t wait

Michael Ignatieff : The Power of One Email

Michael Ignatieff isn’t the only leader Federal Liberals are following.

Mark Sullivan, co-founder of the Voter Activation Network (VAN) is an American who many hope will reactivate the Canadian electorate. At the Liberal Convention this spring, Sullivan introduced delegates to the key voter database system used by the U.S. Democratic party in the past election.

According to Macleans Magazine, the Liberals have purchased Sullivan’s system, and are taking steps to overhaul their communications and voter database into the electoral machine they will need to take back Leadership.

Today, came the first of what I expect will be a campaign of messages to rally and re-engage the Liberal base. And it came from Michael Igantieff. He made a simple request, and a simple offer.

The stated request: if you aren’t a member,  become a member by clicking here

The stated goal: double the Liberal Membership

The explicit offer: become a member by Canada Day and your riding could be added to Micheal’s policy tour, and you could get Micheal’s ear on policy

The implicit carrot: you matter, and you feel this because Michael Ignatieff matters and he says you have power and that he wants you to get involved.

Since the fall, the Federal Liberals have been slightly more active and attentive with their post-election emails than the other parties but this email is the first I’ve seen from the Liberals that really signals that they are energizing the base to ramp back up. Check out the tone.

Sender: Michael Ignatieff

Subject: The Power of One

Dear Liberal Friend,

It’s time for us to redefine what it means to be a member of the Liberal Party. You and I have an opportunity to build a better Canada – a job that’s made easier with each new pair of hands.

So let’s start by doubling our current membership – one new member at a time.

If you’re not already a Liberal member, please join the party today. If you do so on-line before Canada Day, July 1, 2009, your riding could become one of two special stops being planned as part of my summer tour – a visit that would include an opportunity for you and me to sit down together in a private meeting to discuss your ideas for the future of our party and our country.

The Liberal Party of Canada is more than just a collection of individuals with Liberal values. Our members are part of a proud tradition of public service that reaches beyond our differences towards what unites us. Together, we are moving toward a new kind of politics, where all Canadians can play a part in shaping our future.

Help me build this movement and lead our party and our country. Visit the new membership section of the Liberal website and join the party today.

Yours sincerely,
Michael