The Power of Email Marketing - Barack the Vote
The 2008 Presidential Election is a great example of how
understanding social media and e-marketing allows others to spread your
message.
In true AJS fashion, it’s time to of course recommend a book
or two. J If you know nothing about e-blasts you should
really read the two books suggested below.
Patron Mail – Eugene Carr
·
Wired for Culture
·
Sign-Up for Culture
Eugene Carr founded Patron Mail which is a service for
sending e-blasts. DO NOT send e-blasts
through your regular email. When you
send to more that 25 people at a time on a regular basis e-services start to
mark you as spam. USE a service. Patron Mail and ConstantContact are the most
well known.
Carr’s Books talk through the basics of why connecting with
individuals is good for you (duh) but also go through some of the rules you
need to know. Things like spam laws that
you need to obey so your email is not shut down. Again, if you don’t know these things READ
THESE BOOKS. (FYI, both books are light
reads of only about 100 pages.)
So one of the biggest things you need to focus on while
using e-blasts is building your email list.
Again in class / workshop it’s now your turn to come up with 10
ideas. Here are a few from a former
organization I worked for:
- When students register for the Youth Orchestra or Junior
String Ensemble we asked for the student emails, the parent emails, and
private and school teacher emails.
This helps to build 3 to 4 lists within our email distributions.
- When students register for the Hertzog Soloist Competition
we also required an email address.
This competition is geared towards the best of the best in high
school playing abilities. As the
competition is run every year it allowed us to advertise to a core group
we know will have a strong showing at the competition.
- We also required email addresses when professional
musicians register for audition calls.
Like with the Hertzog this helps to keep track of talent and
supply.
- For 1 through 3 the registration process for all of these
is also an online form. As we were
small budgeted the form was created for free through Google Docs and any
required payments were through PayPal.
- We asked for email addresses during all snail mail sales
(Renewals, New Sales, and Solicitations)
- OSFL Subscriptions
- Social fundraising events
- Musicians’ Choice (chamber music)
i. Besides
gaining in our number of email addresses this also created marketing segments.
ii. Everyone
in office was also trained to ask for an email address while helping with a
called in sale.
- Online sales
- As we used PayPal the order comes through from the email
address making the order. We used
this information for future communications and also to requested
information as to if online sales are their preferred method of purchase.
- Sign-Up Form
- On our website and in the SymphonEmail for if people
forward them to a friend.
- From the Arts Council, Chamber of Commerce, and area
Rotaries
- As members of all of these organizations we were giving
email addresses for all the other members. We send introduction emails,
informational only, to find people who want to be a part of our list. (if you have read the books above you’d
know that asking permission is required by law!)
- Through our March Student and Family Ticket Specials
- Each season, to coordinate with Music in the School
Month, we offered tickets at a discounted rate of 60% off to all students
and families who pre-register through their school. Part of the process involves providing
their email and snail mail addresses.
- Program Inserts
- We provided forms currently for sales where the email
address is asked for several times throughout the season but this was
just to specifically ask for email addresses.
- Lobby
- Solicit emails in the lobby of a performance. At almost every concert we staffed at
least one table for sales, a raffle, information, etc. Adding an email location can easily be incorporated
at concerts.
Ok, your turn. What
else jumps to your mind?
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