Email Campaigns Overview...2 EXERCISE 4.1: View an Email Message...3 Review: Constituent360 Groups...4 Key Concept: Email Campaigns...6 Email Campaigns...8 Email Calendar...9 Creating a New Campaign... 11 EXERCISE 4.2: Creating an Email Campaign... 14 Managing an Email Campaign... 15 Key Concept: Audience... 17 EXERCISE 4.3: Setting Up Campaign Audience... 21 Creating an Email Message... 22 Testing and Review... 26 EXERCISE 4.4: Creating an Email Draft... 29 Email Campaign Reports... 30 EXERCISE 4.5: Running Email Reports... 33 Objectives Summary... 34
Overview You can use Convio email, like many other email programs, to create formatted content like that of the message below. Unlike other programs, however, Convio goes beyond a basic HTML email program and allows you track responses to your message and its content. Each link you create in a Convio email is trackable, meaning that you can see how many recipients clicked it or took further action where applicable. You can use this information to adjust your strategy going forward, varying your future content based on responses to previously sent content. Objectives By the end of this section, you will be able to: Create an Email Campaign Link Email Campaign to Interest Category Populate Initial Campaign Audience Create and Send Email Messages in HTML and Plain Text Test and Review Email Message Describe Delivery Options Run Reports On a Single Message On a Campaign For Multiple Campaigns 2 2 v. 6.0 Rev 8/09
EXERCISE 4.1: View an Email Message View and Discuss the Elements of a Typical enewsletter 1. From the AHS homepage, click on the Health Monthly picture in the Sign up for our monthly e-news today! section. 2. Click December 2009 from the past issues links on the right-hand side of the page. 3. Identify the email specific elements of the HTML content. 4. In the top left-hand corner of the email, click View Email Elements. Can you think of additional elements you might add to a typical email to constituents?
Review: Constituent360 Groups In Convio, emails are sent to groups, not individuals. Groups enable you to segment your database. Review: Groups By slicing & dicing constituents based on common attributes, you can target email audiences Any Registered User group E-News recipients 4 Constituents can express preferences about the email content they receive from your organization via email interests. Content is filtered and recommended to users via Interests that end-users can select for themselves. Review - Email Interests Email Interests work in conjunction with groups as subscriptions to email publications E-News Opt-in Group 5 4 v. 6.0 Rev 8/09
When creating or modifying Interests, you have the ability to create dynamic opt-in and opt-out groups that are associated with the Interest. For example, if during registration a user checks the enewsletter Interest Category, she will be automatically added the Interest Opt-in Group for that Interest. Review - Email Interests Email Interests work in conjunction with groups as subscriptions to email publications E-News Opt-in Group E-News Opt-out Group 6 If at a later time she decides to deselect that Interest in her profile, she will be automatically removed from the Interest Opt-in Group and added to the Interest Opt-out Group.
Key Concept: Email Campaigns Key Concept: Email Campaigns Email Campaign: Monthly E-News January email February email March email April email 8 In Convio, email campaigns themselves are not messages. An Email campaign is a set or series of related email messages that has a common audience. Oftentimes, it has a dynamic subscription feature, with an associated interst category that users can opt in and opt out of. Benefits of Campaigns vs. Single Emails View program metrics overall: Average open rates click-throughs Audience subscription and unsubscription rates bounce rates 8 Here we are illustrating that you can link your email interest to a campaign and automatically add these dynamically populated groups to your campaign audience. Thus, if someone opts in to the interest, not only is he 6 v. 6.0 Rev 8/09
added to the group, but that group is already targeted to receive email from your campaign, so no action on your part is required to update mailing lists.
Email Campaigns The Email Campaigns module can be found by navigating to Email > Email Campaigns. Email Campaigns 11 This will bring you to the Email Home screen, where you have immediate access to data spanning across all Email Campaigns. Email Campaigns Home Quick links to draft, approved and scheduled email messages High-level summary for all email campaigns. 10 8 v. 6.0 Rev 8/09
Email Calendar You will find both Tentatively Scheduled emails (those not yet approved for send) and emails that are approved and will send automatically (requiring no additional action form the administrator). Please note that clicking on the emails on your calendar will allow you to review or cancel them, but you can not click directly through to edit the email. Email Calendar View all scheduled messages in a glance. Click to view details about the message 13 The Campaigns tab in Email will show you a list of all Email Campaigns created to date. From here you can Manage or Edit your campaign.
Email Campaigns List Create new campaigns A list of all existing campaigns 12 From this screen, you can manage the existing campaingns, or create a new one. In some cases, it may be quicker to copy an existing campaign rather than creating a new one from scratch. 10 v. 6.0 Rev 8/09
Creating a New Campaign Creating a new Email Campaign is a fairly simple process, involving only three steps. Remember, the campaign is merely a method for organizing similar email messages with a common audience. Naming a New Campaign Not public facing 13 1. Enter a name for this Email Campaign to help identify this campaign to administrators who are browsing the list of Email Campaigns. 2. Enter a description for this Email Campaign by typing in a text statement that will help identify the goal or mission of this campaign to other administrators. 3. Select an email Campaign Type from the drop-down menu provided. Setting a campaign Type allows you to compare similar Email Campaigns. 4. Select a Security Category from the drop-down menu that will determine which members of your organization can edit the campaign information, create and send email messages from it, as well as report on results. This category will not affect your constituents ability to receive email from this campaign
Selecting Interests offer dynamic subscription feature 16 1. To optionally enable your constituents to decide if they will or will not receive email messages from this campaign, Select or create an interest category for your campaign by clicking: The Choose an existing value drop-down menu (the radio button is already selected by default) and selecting an existing interest. Or the Enter a new value radio button and typing a new interest category in the space provided. Note that you must have the appropriate administrative permissions to create a new Interest. Note: If you associate the campaign with an Interest Category, the Interest Opt-Out group will always appear in the audience Do Not Mail List for this campaign. You will have the option, in the next step, to decide whether or not to include the Interest Opt-In group in the audience Target List for this campaign. 2. If you have associated an Interest Category with this campaign, choose whether or not to include the Interest Opt-In Group in the audience Target List for this campaign. 12 v. 6.0 Rev 8/09
Setting Optional Features 17 1. To allow email messages sent from this campaign to be viewed on your Web site, click the optional Enable web-viewing of messages checkbox. Selecting this option enables you to provide a link to the full HTML version of messages and can be useful in linking to your latest newsletter or creating an archive of messages. See Displaying an Email Message on the Web for instructions. Setting Optional Features Automatically log people in when they go to your site from this email campaign? 18 2. To remove the default checkmark and prevent the system from creating automatic login links in email messages sent from this campaign, click the Enable autologin links checkbox (which leaves the checkbox blank).
EXERCISE 4.2: Creating an Email Campaign Create a Campaign for your organization s monthly enewsletter: (Your Org) e-news. Link this campaign to an appropriate email interest. Enable online archiving of messages Create an Email Campaign 5. Select Email Campaigns from the Email menu 6. Click Create a New Campaign 7. Enter information for each of the fields 8. Click Next Link This Campaign to an Email Interest 1. Select the AHS Newsletter email interest 2. Leave the box checked next to Yes, Include the Interest Opt-In group in the audience Target List. 3. Click Next Set up Optional Features for this Campaign 1. Check Enable web viewing of messages 2. Check Enable autologin links 3. Click Finish 14 v. 6.0 Rev 8/09
Managing an Email Campaign Now that you have set up your Email Campaign, it s time to start setting up your Campaign Audience and creating email messages. From the Campaigns list page, click Manage to begin. Managing an Email Campaign To create email messages To edit the campaign 21 This will bring you to the Campaign Summary screen, where you can access all of the components associated with managing an email campaign. Managing an Email Campaign Create an email within this campaign High-level metrics summary for all email campaigns within this campaign 22
Each tab in the Email Campaign navigation will direct you to a discrete function related to managing Email Campaigns in Convio. It is important to note that the Email Calendar and Reports, which also appear on the Email Home screen, are relevant only to this particular campaign. Thus, if you were to the Email Calendar from this screen, only emails created as part of this particular campaign would be visible. Managing an Email Campaign Calendar for this campaign only all emails ever created or sent from this campaign Who s going to receive emails from this campaign? 23 Managing an Email Campaign view response statistics for individual messages Reports on one or more messages in this campaign 24 16 v. 6.0 Rev 8/09
Key Concept: Audience The term Audience in Convio Email Campaigns refers to the entire composition of recipients, reviewers, and constituents that are intentionally excluded from receiving this email. If one person belongs to multiple groups in your Target List, Convio will ensure that she only receives the message once. Note that the Interest Opt-in group does not include the option to remove it from the Target List on this screen. The reason for this is that it was automatically added to the Target List by associating the Interest with the Email Campaign. To remove this group, you must Edit this Email Campaign and uncheck the box in Step 2 of the Process Navigator that says, Yes, Include the Interest Opt-In group in the Audience Target List. Audience Lists An Audience is composed of 3 different lists 26
Audience Lists Target Automatically added because Interest is linked 3458 Manually added by using the Add Groups feature 27 Configuring Audience Lists 28 Reviewer lists should be comprised of both staff members who are reviewing content as well as Test Profiles that allow you to view personalized or conditional content. 18 v. 6.0 Rev 8/09
Audience Lists - Reviewers Manually added by using the Add Groups feature 29 The Do Not Mail List is the final filter applied before sending the email message. If a contact record is in a group on this list, under no circumstances will he receive the message. Note that if a discrete person has a duplicate record that is on the Target List but not on the Do Not Mail List, he will receive a message. Audience Lists Manually added by using the Add Groups feature 43 Automatically added because Interest is linked 30 You never need to worry about constituents receiving the same email message twice. For example, if you send out an email and abort midway through because a last minute error is uncovered, you can make the necessary changes and resend the email, confident that no one who already received it will get another one. Stated simply, the rule is one unique contact record can receive one email one time. Note that if you make a copy of an email, and resend it, this is essentially a new message and so all recipients on the Target List will receive it.
Key Concept No Duplicate Messages No constituent will ever receive two copies of the same email. This is true even if: The constituent is a member of multiple groups on the Target List. The message is sent multiple times. Convio matches Message ID & Cons ID to avoid sending the same message twice Message ID: 001 Cons ID: 123 31 20 v. 6.0 Rev 8/09
EXERCISE 4.3: Setting Up Campaign Audience Verify Automatic Groups Were Added During Campaign Set-up 1. From the Campaigns tab, click Manage on the campaign that you set up in EXERCISE 4.1 2. Click Audience 3. Verify that the Target List contains in the Interest-opt in group for the Interest you associated with this campaign in EXERCISE 4.1 4. Click Do Not Mail List 5. Verify that the Do Not Mail List contains the Interest op-out group for the Interest you associated with this campaign in EXERCISE 4.1 Add a Manual Group to Each Audience List 1. Click Target List 2. Click the Add Groups link under Related Actions on the left-hand side 3. On Select Groups screen, scroll to bottom, expand the All Groups folder, and click the Interest Opt-In Groups link 4. Click the checkbox next to all volunteer opt-in groups (make sure to check the box next to all groups that you wish to be included in the Target List 5. Click Add Checked Groups 6. Click Finish 7. Click the Summary Tab to return to the campaign dashboard
Creating an Email Message The Process Navigator will lead you through each of the steps required to create and send an email message. Creating an Email Message Select Create a new message 39 Note that some options in the progress buttons area are available where they apply in the product. For example, the Undo Changes option is only available on steps 4 and 5, in which content editing takes place. Creating an Email Message Process Navigator bar Appears on every screen as you proceed through the workflow Skipping between steps OK, but save the screen you re working on first For content editing screens only 40 The message information in Step 1 is primarily administrative in nature. It is not constituent facing. 22 v. 6.0 Rev 8/09
Adding Message Information internal use only 41 1. Enter a name for this message by typing in a descriptive label that will help identify this message to administrators browsing a messages list. 2. Enter a description for this message by typing in statements that will help identify the purpose of this message to administrators browsing a messages list. 3. Select a type for this message by clicking: The Choose an existing value drop-down menu (the radio button is selected by default) and selecting a message type that the system will use to group this message with other similar messages. Or, the Enter a new value radio button and typing in a new type. 4. (Optional) Specify a Tentative Schedule for your message, using the drop-down menus to set the date and time. Specifying a schedule will cause the message to appear on your email calendar. 5. If you have the Advocacy application installed, you can Associate this message with an Advocacy Alert by selecting an alert from the drop-down menu. For more information, see the Managing Advocacy online help topic.
Adding Envelope Information Replies will go to this address Do not use personalization 42 The information you enter into the email message envelope is what will appear to recipients in their inboxes. Take particular care when crafting the message subject to avoid common Spam triggers, such as all capital letters or first name personalization. Selecting Email Stationery Choose from any stationery that you have created 43 You can create as many email stationeries as you like, and select from them in Step 3 of the Process Navigator. However, avoid clutter or confusion by removing superfluous or outdated stationery. Consistent branding is extremely important to an email marketing strategy. 24 v. 6.0 Rev 8/09
Composing HTML Content Add HTML content 44 Creating HTML content for an email is nearly identical to doing so for a web page. Add images, links and rich styling to engage your consituents. Updating Plain Text Pull in HTML content in its plain text format 45 With more and more people viewing email via PDA devices that render only plain text, it is more important than ever to be sure that your email message is formatted well to be viewed as plain text.
Testing and Review Testing and review is one of the most important processes of email marketing. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most often overlooked. It is important for administrators to understand that content viewed on the Internet or as email may display differently according the technology being used to view it. A common example of this is the case of one user viewing an email in Microsoft Outlook, while another views it in Google s Gmail product. There are likely to be small differences in how the same email renders. The purpose of testing email is not necessarily to eliminate all differences, but to determine which discrepancies are acceptable. Testing & Review Cycle Run Spam Check Report Send test copies to several email addresses Send a test copy to your Reviewers List 46 Testing and review is one of the most important processes of the email message workflow. Unfortunately it is also one of the most overlooked. Be sure to test the email HTML layout in various email clients, both software (Outlook) and web based (Gmail, Yahoo! Mail). It is also important to create test profiles in Constituent360 that mirror any personalization characteristics you are utilizing in your content. For example, if you have personalized content for donors vs. non-donors, be sure you have a test profile with a Donor Status of Donor included in your Reviewer List in the Campaign Audience. 26 v. 6.0 Rev 8/09
Testing & Review Cycle Identify possible Spam triggers Test HTML formatting in different email clients Test personalization 47 The option to send email messages will not be visible until the message has been approved. Messages should not be approved until they have undergone thorough QA processes. There are several delivery configuration options that should be considered before sending the email. After approving the message, click Set Up Delivery to do so. Email Delivery Delivery button appears after the message is approved 48 The Delivery screen is intended primarily to be a review screen. Decisions made earlier in the message creation process are reflected here.
Email Delivery Rebuild dynamic target groups Optional configuration 49 28 v. 6.0 Rev 8/09
EXERCISE 4.4: Creating an Email Draft Create a new email message (your first monthly enewsletter) 1. From the Campaign Summary tab, Click Messages 2. Click Create a New Message 3. Provide information for each of the fields (disregard Associate this message with an Advocacy Action Alert) 4. Click Next 5. Enter message envelope information. (Note that these fields are constituent facing. The message s subject should be composed with avoiding Spam triggers in mind) 6. Click Next 7. Select a stationery 8. Click Next Insert email content from Section 2: WYSIWYG 1. Open the text file containing HTML content that you saved to your desktop in EXERCIES 2.4 2. Ctrl+A to select all of the content 3. Ctrl+C to copy the content to the clipboard 4. Near the bottom of the WYSIWYG editor, click View Source 5. Ctrl+V to paste the content into the WYSIWYG editor 6. Click Normal View to verify that the HTML content displays correctly 7. Click Preview to view the content 8. Click Next Convert to Plain Text 1. Click Update Plain Text to import HTML content into plain text format 2. Reformat the content in a manner that displays the content in a desirable way (keep in mind that some users may view the content using PDA devices, so it is important to clearly delineate spacing for the various sections of the email) 3. Click Preview to view the content Send a Test Copy to an Email Address You Can Access 1. Click Report to run a spam check report and verify that results do not exceed a score of 5 2. Enter a working email address that you can readily check in the field provided for Send Yourself a Test 3. Check the box for Send a separate plain-text copy to my test email addresses 4. Click Send 5. For Send this message to the Reviewer List click Send 6. Access the email account you provided and review the email 7. Discuss any discrepancies that you see
Email Campaign Reports Reporting is your way to quantify the effectiveness of your email marketing strategy. Email Campaign Reports allow you to track metrics and performance for each email message. Even more importantly, you can utilize trending data to understand how performance is evolving over time. Email Campaign Reports Message Response Statistics track what happens, or what constituents do, with an email you send. Open Clickthrough Action Unsubscribe Forward Bounce For a single email, go to the Campaign s Deliveries tab, then click Review next to that message 52 While Unsubscribe, Forward and Bounce statistics are fairly straightforward the three remaining statistic types bear additional explanation. 30 v. 6.0 Rev 8/09
Message Response Statistics Open Rate User opened the email Does not register for: Plain text email Email read in Preview mode w/out being marked as Read Emails that don t download all images (ex: Outlook 2003 security settings) 53 Message Response Statistics Clickthrough Rate User clicked a link in the email which led back to your site Total clicks include same person clicking a link more than once Recipient (unique) clicks filter out multiple click numbers Action User completed the activity represented by the link during a session Examples: Donated, registered, Tell-a-Friend message, submitted a survey or form 54 It is particularly important to track email bounces after significant changes are made to Constituent360 (i.e. a large Constituent upload in which many new records were created or updated). An unusual spike in hard bounces may indicate an error in the upload file.
Message Response Statistics Hard Bounce Will never deliver (e.g. the domain is misspelled) 2 hard bounces in a row flags a constituent by setting email status to BAD Hard Bounce Future emails will skip this constituent When e-mail address is corrected and email is opened, the counter for that constituent is reset to zero Soft Bounce Usually temporary (e.g. inbox full) Mail will be retried for two days Constituent email status will be set to BAD Soft Bounce Future emails will NOT skip this constituent 55 32 v. 6.0 Rev 8/09
EXERCISE 4.5: Running Email Reports Clickthrough Summary Report 1. From the Email Campaigns Home screen, click the Campaigns tab 2. Find the campaign titled Monthly e-newsletters and click Manage 3. Click Reports 4. From the drop down menu select Clickthough Summary Report 5. Click Go 6. Click Add All 7. Click Submit Report (it is not necessary to provide a label for the report) 8. Refresh the screen until the option to view the report appears 9. Click View to see an HTML version of the report results 10. Use the Back button on your browser to return to the previous screen 11. Click Download 12. When the prompt appears, click Open 13. Note that there are substantially more columns provided for the downloaded CSV file, which is due to rendering constraints of browsers Email Response Summary Report 1. Select Email Response Details Report from the Create a New Report dropdown menu 2. Click Go 3. Select AHS September 2004 Convio Appeal on the left and click Add 4. Click Next 5. Enter [Details Report] as the report label 6. Click Submit Report 7. Refresh the screen until the option to view the report appears 8. Click View to see an HTML version of the report results 9. Use the Back button on your browser to return to the previous screen 10. Click Download 11. When the prompt appears, click Open 12. Note that there are substantially more columns provided for the downloaded CSV file, which is due to rendering constraints of browsers
Objectives Summary Objectives By the end of this section, you will be able to: Create an Email Campaign Link Email Campaign to Interest Category Populate Initial Campaign Audience Create and Send Email Messages in HTML and Plain Text Test and Review Email Message Describe Delivery Options Run Reports On a Single Message On a Campaign For Multiple Campaigns 49 34 v. 6.0 Rev 8/09