Create and Target Email Newsletter (Advocacy)
Updated
What are Email Newsletters?
Email Newsletters act as a communication bridge. Through these, organizations can seamlessly relay timely updates, shareable content, and insights directly to their Advocates, ensuring they remain engaged and informed.
Inclusions in Email Newsletters
Trending/Latest posts: These offer a pulse on what's currently garnering attention. Advocates equipped with trending topics can amplify their reach.
Recommended or promoted posts: Curated by specialists, these posts either resonate profoundly with the target audience or support key organizational goals.
Gamification Announcements: Sharing information about new contests or prizes can reignite passion and drive in advocates, pushing them to achieve more.
Performance Metrics: Quarterly metrics can act as a mirror, reflecting the collective achievements of the advocacy community.
Significance of Email Newsletters
Stirring Competition: Incorporating Leaderboards appeals to the competitive nature of advocates, pushing them to elevate their sharing habits.
Constant Renewal: Fresh content acts as a beacon, attracting advocates and motivating them to disseminate the content further.
Reinforcing Impact: When advocates see the cumulative positive effect of their sharing, it boosts their morale and reinforces loyalty to the organization.
Setting Up Email Newsletters
Connecting the Email Marketing Account:
Contact your Success Manager to get an Email Marketing Account.
In the dashboard, ensure that the 'Email Marketing' option is ready for connection.
Any discrepancies should be immediately reported to Success Manager.
Harnessing Engagement Dashboards:
Setting up Engagement Columns: These columns act as a source, feeding the newsletters with relevant content. They can be tailored to filter content and ensure only the most pertinent pieces make it to the newsletter.
Outbound Columns: Provide a panoramic view of all newsletters in various stages, from drafts to those scheduled and sent.
Crafting Content Templates:
Designing: The process begins in the 'Content Template Builder'. Every component, be it images, texts, buttons, or HTML blocks, should resonate with the brand's voice and the message intended.
Tailoring Inputs: The 'Form Input' tab allows for meticulous detailing, ensuring each newsletter is optimized for its target audience.
Perfecting Audience Targeting:
Segmenting is more than just a strategy; it is an art. By understanding the nuances of your audience, you can craft newsletters that speak directly to them.
Manual Addition: A step-by-step approach involves accessing the Audience Profiles window, downloading a pre-structured template, filling it, and uploading it back to create a profile list.
Rule-Based Segmentation: Community rules, based on certain conditions or behaviours, automatically categorize users into various profile lists that you can later use while curating an email newsletter.
Curating an Email Newsletter: Step-by-Step Guide
After understanding the necessary setup for curating an email newsletter, let us delve into the process of creating one. Follow the steps outlined below:
Click the Quick Publish icon (represented as 'Space Quick Publish Icon') in the top right corner of your navigation bar, and select Create Post from the dropdown.
Click the Maximize icon at the top right to see the expanded version of the Create Post window. If needed, click the Minimize icon to revert to a compact view.
In the Create Post window, find and select your desired Email Marketing Account from the 'Select Accounts' field. For a more refined search, the Advanced Search option offers a variety of filters.
Select desired Content Template under Type of messages. Then, enter your email's Subject and Title.
Select Content Type:
Automated Content: By selecting 'Automated Content from Dashboard', the system automatically chooses content based on your settings. For instance, if you choose 6 posts, the system retrieves the latest 6 entries from your chosen dashboard. Skip to step 8.
Manual Content Selection: If you opt for 'Manually Select Content', proceed to the next step.
Click Select Dashboard, and pick your desired content source. Set your preferred number of posts and columns for the newsletter layout.
Under Content, click Add Content. In the subsequent window, pick your content using various filters. A preview of the chosen posts will be available on the right pane.
Link your content with a campaign via the Campaign dropdown. If desired, set this campaign as your default by clicking Set as Default.
Use the URL Shortener feature to shorten every link that you add to your message.
You can apply specific properties or choose Audience Targeting to designate a particular profile list or user group.
Click Post in the bottom right to dispatch your email. Alternatively, if you wish to refine it later, select Save as Draft.
If you do not want to send immediately, you have the flexibility to schedule your newsletter for a custom time range.
Tips
Introduce Feedback Mechanism through Email Newsletter: Sharing quarterly performance metrics can serve as a feedback loop, guiding advocates on their journey.
Recognize Efforts: Celebrating top performers not only incentivizes them but also motivates the larger community.
Bring Versatility: Newsletters should not be monotonous. From sharing fresh content and platform performance insights to announcing new contests, they should keep the audience intrigued.
Email Newsletters, when curated and targeted correctly, are powerful tools in the arsenal of advocacy programs. They not only inform and engage but also build a sense of community among advocates, pushing the organizational narrative forward. By integrating the steps and best practices detailed above, organizations can significantly elevate their advocacy campaigns.