engaging your community - how to build a huge email list

Engaging Your Community:Engaging Your Community:Emerging Best PracticesEmerging Best Practices

August 29, 2007August 29, 2007

"[The Dean campaign's] emails spawned much more organizing and raised much more money than the Dean blog did... It's just a numbers thing: not all 600,000 Dean email subscribers visited the blog every day. But they did check their email everyday."

Zack Exley, 12/21/04

Massive email communitiesMassive email communities

American Family AssociationAmerican Family Association 3,246,532 3,246,532MoveOnMoveOn 3,200,000 3,200,000ONEONE 2,421,838 2,421,838Hillary ClintonHillary Clinton 1,000,000 1,000,000

Kerry had 250,000 at this point in ‘04Kerry had 250,000 at this point in ‘04

Al GoreAl Gore 500,000 500,000Wake Up Wal-MartWake Up Wal-Mart 381,696 381,696

Most online marketing is viral, unpredictable, and hit-or-miss.

Good e-mail marketing is predictable, with a steady revenue stream.

(But you have to be viral to get the list.)

500,000 x $0.25 x 2 x 12500,000 x $0.25 x 2 x 12

= $3,000,000 / year= $3,000,000 / year

= $6 per member / year= $6 per member / year

ConservativeConservativeaudienceaudience

Self-identifiesSelf-identifieswith your with your

cause; supports cause; supports your issueyour issue

Member of yourMember of yourOrganizationOrganization

Donor / Donor / Super ActivistSuper Activist

Lower the barriers to entryLower the barriers to entry

Get TheirEmail Here!

Tap into a responsive chord. Tap into a responsive chord. Start a petition on a big issue.Start a petition on a big issue.

Splash pages can more than Splash pages can more than double signups.double signups.

Be creative. Set up contests & online events Be creative. Set up contests & online events that that drive media coverage and buzz.drive media coverage and buzz.

Offer incentives to sign up.Offer incentives to sign up. At $6/year, it’s worth it.At $6/year, it’s worth it.

Create a sense of energy and momentum.Create a sense of energy and momentum. Empower your community to meet a big goal. Empower your community to meet a big goal.

Romney campaign Romney campaign goal: goal: 24,000 24,000 supporters in 24 supporters in 24 hourshours

All of these successful examples create low barriers to entry, create the sense that the activist is joining something big and special, and offer a clear value proposition for signing up.

Are you…Are you…

Emailing constituents who have contacted Emailing constituents who have contacted your office with regular updates?your office with regular updates?

Collecting email in every medium (town Collecting email in every medium (town halls, rallies, events, phones)?halls, rallies, events, phones)?

Matching emails on existing members?Matching emails on existing members?

What to do with a list?What to do with a list?

InformInform

EngageEngage

Mobilize Mobilize

FundraiseFundraise

Press Press

ReleasesReleases

Too much emailToo much email

People aren’t as People aren’t as immersed as you are. immersed as you are. Sending news clips Sending news clips

daily to casual users will daily to casual users will kill the list. kill the list.

Too little emailToo little email

Long email silences Long email silences can cause supporters can cause supporters

to lose interest and to lose interest and forget why they forget why they

subscribed. subscribed.

Rule of thumbRule of thumb

Only send when you have something Only send when you have something important to say. Once a week is plenty! important to say. Once a week is plenty!

Getting great open ratesGetting great open rates

(First, build your list organically)(First, build your list organically)

Key factors: Sender, subject line, timingKey factors: Sender, subject line, timing

Subject line Subject line moremore important than copy important than copy

Good subject linesGood subject lines

Short, provocative, intriguing, highly topicalShort, provocative, intriguing, highly topical

Off the Record

You’re Invited

Impeachment?Disgraceful

Fraud and Intimidation

FW: Getting It Done

Fundraising successFundraising success

UrgencyUrgency – tied to actual events – tied to actual events

Goals & deadlinesGoals & deadlines

Recurring donationsRecurring donations

Don’t be shy about Don’t be shy about ASKINGASKING