achieving more
with less
how the ku alumni association increased
open rates with fewer email sends
less segmentation =
lost opportunities
The KU Alumni Association consisted of paid alumni members and non-members who, although alumni, were not part of the paid organizational benefits.
KUAA was sending all email content, invitations and solicitations to all alumni -- regardless of membership status.
Yet the organization was sitting on mounds of constituent data. Degrees, donations, interest with the university, location, family life, etc.
the move to
data-driven email strategy
List Cleanup
Removing individuals who have never (yes, never) opened an email from KUAA. It's a hard pill to swallow, I get it, but just wait...
Segmentation
Splitting up lists based on membership status, location, interest and engagement. Email is not a one-size-fits-all. Is anything?
Personalization
Re-writing content to entice based on behavior and interest. Adding in-depth, relevant content for the most engaged members.
send less,
engage more
When we overcame the heartburn of removing constituents who were straight up, not interested in hearing from us, we immediately improved our sending domain reputation (brownie points with Google) but we also curated a sending list of interested or highly engaged individuals.
Furthermore, creating personalized email products dependent on relevancy, timelines and interest helped to foster a trusting relationship with our constituents.
Open rates increased
22%
from
47%
to
Sending volume decreased
from
12M
to
7M
annually
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efficient, sustainable results
Trusted Reputation
among non-members and members alike (and Gmail)
Increased Engagement
driving awareness and interest among non-members and advocacy among members
Drive Membership + Renewals
greater focus on ideal members and donors