Broadcast TOOLS AND BEST PRACTICES

Is your communication successful? Why or why not? Have you even thought about it? What is your current process?

How appears to work Select Recipients Compose Message Send Message Sender’s Outbox Message Delivered Message Read Recipient’s Inbox

How actually works Select Recipients Compose Message Send Message Sender’s Outbox Attachments throttling Sender’s Mail Server/Provider

How actually works Blacklist throttling Attachments Spam check Recipient’s Mail Provider Spam check Virus check Message Delivered Recipient’s Inbox

Tips to getting your messages delivered List hygiene Don’t ignore returned messages Remove bounces and invalid addresses Remove inactive accounts and unsubscribes Consistent delivery Sporadic delivery increases the chances of getting marked as spam Recipients will expect your messages throttling – check with your service provider

Getting your opened Why do people open an ? It's from a person or organization that matters to them The content of the subject line is identifies something important How often is too often? Depends on the audience Weekly or monthly should be adequate Special items can be sent anytime but don’t over do it

Best practices for composing Use informative, short, recognizable subject lines More being read on smartphones with smaller screens Don't use ALL CAPS or “spammy” words in the subject line Watch out for trigger words like: urgent, special, etc. Use images sparingly Most clients don’t display images by default Don’t rely on an image conveying your message

Best practices for composing Write for “scanability” Never Center or Right Justify text Bold selectively, never Underline text unless it’s a link Use bullet points Write short concise copy Half of all read on a mobile devices and smartphones Screen size of the device used by your recipient matters

Best practices for composing Include a Call to Action Instruction to provoke an immediate response Can be text or a button Use action words like: Call Now Find out more Download our newsletter

Best practices for composing Stick to basic, cross-platform fonts No more than two sizes Web fonts are not supported by all clients Avoid attachments Reduces the chance of getting caught in a filter Better to link to a file on your website Shortened URL links are not recommended Can be a Spam trap Better to use a link tool in your editor

Best practices for composing Create a footer to display complete contact information including, “unsubscribe link” Test, test, test Check other clients than your primary Make sure that the links work correctly Double-check for spelling and grammar

Review of applications and services Using your client to create a broadcast Paste addresses in the Bcc field Don’t be tempted to attach file(s) because it’s easy This procedure can be susceptible to throttling marketing services simplify entire process HTML editor and templates Manage your subscriber lists Reporting tools

Managing your list of addresses Best if done in one place Redundant lists cause problems in the future How will others in your office gain access if necessary Dealing with people who don’t have Do they receive all communication?

Highly rated services MailChimp Free for up to 2,000 addresses and 12,000 messages per month iContact Free for up to 500 addresses and 2,000 messages per month ActiveCampaign Free for up to 2,500 addresses

More Highly rated services Constant Contact Free 60 day trial, tiered pricing based on number of contacts Flocknote Designed for churches Text messaging and Tiered pricing based on number of contacts Don’t forget to ask for non-profit discounts