What you may not do with this report: You Do NOT have the right to edit, copy, reprint, or resell this report.

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2 Copyright 2013 by GoodBooks Communications Please share this report with others by: Giving it away to your blog readers Sharing it with your subscribers Giving it away to your customers or clients as a gift Giving it away during a webinar as a learning tool What you may not do with this report: You Do NOT have the right to edit, copy, reprint, or resell this report. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this report may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any informational storage or retrieval system without express written, dated and signed permission from the author. 2

3 10 Steps to a Successful Campaign Your 10 Step Plan for a Successful Campaign 1. Determine your target reader There is no one size fits all solution to . The first step to starting an campaign is to determine: Who you want to reach and how you are going to reach them. Create a buyer or member persona first. Who is your reader? What appeals to them? What is their education, and experience? Why are they signing up for your newsletter in the first place? 2. What content are you going to send? Create a content plan for your s. When you prepare in advance, you can ensure the content is geared towards your audience s needs. If need be, it also gives you a plan for outsourcing content. The type of content you send is also important. In addition to articles, consider useful and practical content that fits your audience s needs. There s an extra bonus if readers find content so useful they send it out to others, thus increasing reach. Examples include: Articles Workbooks Checklists Transcripts Case Studies Product Reviews Product Comparisons Interviews FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) Instructions Product tips Fill-in-the-Blanks Worksheets Spreadsheets coupons Discounts exclusive to subscribers From GoodBooks Communications 3

4 3. How are you going to write your content? Once again, it goes back to your audience. Determine what sort of language your audience prefers, and write accordingly. The words you use, should depend on what your readers are used to. One easy way to decide how to present yourself is to ask the following question: Do I want my reader to see me first and foremost as an expert or as a friend? 4. Use Irresistible Subject Lines Your first goal is to get your subscribers to open your , and the subject line is the first expectation of what readers can expect. If readers don t identify with the subject line, they are less likely to open the . Subject lines should be descriptive, intriguing, informative, and leave a little mystery. Boring example: October newsletter from the Hygiene Association More interesting example: Why flossing isn t enough to save your teeth Which is more likely to be opened? 5. Follow sign up rules How do you get a list of subscribers? To ensure you re following legal guidelines, it s better if your list is composed of addresses your company has obtained from people you ve actually met, including past members or clients. If you buy a mailing list, you don t have a personal connection with those on the list, and they re more likely to resent receiving your s. You also need to be aware of guidelines such as CASL, CAN SPAM and PIPEDA. In Canada, CASL will soon be implemented and will regulate how businesses and associations send out s, as well as how they obtained their 4

5 10 Steps to a Successful Campaign lists. Following sign up rules also means you must make it very simple for someone to opt-out or unsubscribe from your list. In addition, your sign up process should collect only the information you need. In most cases, you ll need no more than an address and their first name. Most people are leery of giving out their address, and many refuse to give out additional contact information unless it s absolutely necessary. 6. Create a process for welcoming your readers To be helpful to your reader, create a series of s that makes them feel welcome. The sequence of s should be: A thank you letter for signup A follow up set for three days later A subscription renewal Your Thank You letter should include: An invitation and contact information on how to get in touch with you, if your new subscriber has questions or Help issues Information on your website especially where to find your FAQ page When your new subscriber can expect the next contact from you: And how regular your s or newsletters are likely to be 7. Keep the Design Simple Your template should be neat and uncluttered. Use headlines, bold text and bulleted lists to emphasize key points. There s no need for sidebars, fancy design elements or excessive graphics. 8. Make your s Shareable Your goal is to get more subscribers, and what better way than word of mouth, or in this case, word of ? Include send to friend links in your , and also include links to social media like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Also ask your readers to share your content. From GoodBooks Communications 5

6 9. Track Your s Your campaigns will never achieve success until you track the following data: Click-through rates Unsubscribe rates Delivery rates Opens Sales For associations this would include member joins, member renewals, registering for events, and also, sales. Use this data to help you refine and hone each new you write. If you noticed a low open or click rate for a particular , you have to experiment to see what your readers would like. Everything that can be sent via can be tested from subject lines to content, to design. 10. Have a growth plan A healthy list is a growing list. An unhealthy list is one where your s get ignored. As in never opened again. Some people think they re a smash success because the numbers are high. The truth may be that subscribers haven t bothered to unsubscribe. If your list is full of people who are ignoring your s, it is static. Sales drop off. Figures are false. No word-of-mouth, no viral buzz, is created. How do you know if your list is active? Feedback in the form of s Feedback in comments of blog posts whose links you ve shared via 6

7 10 Steps to a Successful Campaign Sharing of these same posts in social media Requests, complaints, kudos, questions Contact GoodBooks Communications for a free consultation on how we can help you create successful campaigns. Website: info@goodbooks.ca Phone: From GoodBooks Communications 7