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Encyclopedia Bestpractica: Difference between revisions
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* '''Use the informational email sparingly'''. If you're emailing people tons of information all the time without asking them to actually do a thing, they'll be much more likely to disengage. | * '''Use the informational email sparingly'''. If you're emailing people tons of information all the time without asking them to actually do a thing, they'll be much more likely to disengage. | ||
* '''Use the same signer''' to establish a consistent voice. For example, if Amira likes to use smiley face emoticons in her emails, use that to establish it as Amira's voice! People are more likely to engage if they feel like a person is talking directly to them and not at them. | * '''Use the same signer''' to establish a consistent voice. For example, if Amira likes to use smiley face emoticons in her emails, use that to establish it as Amira's voice! People are more likely to engage if they feel like a person is talking directly to them and not at them. | ||
* '''Subject line testing'''-- do you have to do it? If your audience is relatively large (more than 5,000 recipients), then yes. If it's less than that, your results won't be statistically significant (which, in non-math speak, means that the numbers are more or less unhelpful).Usually, best practice is to just poll your team and go with what everyone thinks is best. You could even have a "subject line derby" on IRC! Make it fun. :) | * '''The subject line is not an afterthought.''' The subject line is really, really important because it's the point of entry that will likely tip the scale when a user is considering opening your email. Keep it short, and keep it exciting. Lead-ins that hint at information in the email are always good (think of Upworthy headlines). | ||
* '''Subject line testing'''-- do you have to do it? If your audience is relatively large (more than 5,000 recipients), then yes. If it's less than that, your results won't be statistically significant (which, in non-math speak, means that the numbers are more or less unhelpful). Usually, best practice is to just poll your team and go with what everyone thinks is best. You could even have a "subject line derby" on IRC! Make it fun. :) | |||
* '''Keep it evergreen.''' Will the content in your trigger emails ever get stale? You don't want to be sending out email with broken links or outdated content without even knowing you're doing it. Make sure they're timeless. | * '''Keep it evergreen.''' Will the content in your trigger emails ever get stale? You don't want to be sending out email with broken links or outdated content without even knowing you're doing it. Make sure they're timeless. | ||
* '''Check your spelling!''' Have someone else check your spelling! Have a machine check your spelling! | * '''Check your spelling!''' Have someone else check your spelling! Have a machine check your spelling! | ||
''' | * ''' Don't add more than ONE exclamation point'''!!!!!!! If you do, the email client might log it as spam!!!!!!! That is bad!!!!!!! | ||
=== Production steps === | |||
* '''Set a production schedule''' at the outset. Start at the launch date and work backwards, establishing deadlines for drafting, review, approvals, testing; etc. | |||
* In production (putting the text into the email program for launch) -- '''ONLY add FINAL text''' -- the deadlines are important to prevent last-minute editing AFTER the email is put into the system. | |||
* '''HTML wrapper''' for the fancier or more brand-driven of emails: set up along with your other campaign / event collateral if needed. Evergreen wrappers are good. The bottom should have a standardized, legally stipulated unsubscribe or opt-out text. | |||
* '''Should you use fancy HTML to beautify your emails?''' Somewhat counter-intuitively, the answer is oftentimes no. The smaller and more specific the segmentation, the more people actually *prefer* plain text emails. It adds a personal feel that signals to recipient that an actual person is talking to them. | |||
** Example 1-- MoCo's Firefox & You newsletter goes out to millions of users, so the HTML wrapper is a chance to increase brand visibility and awareness. | |||
** Example 2-- If you're sending out a daily newsletter to MoFo employees (like this [http://mozilladailydigest.tumblr.com/ Daily Digest]), they don't really need the fancy branding or wrapping-- they're already a smaller audience that knows a lot about Mozilla. They just want the information they need, as quickly as possible. | |||
* '''When you do need HTML wrappers:''' What wrappers are needed? Request HTML email wrappers for campaigns or other big projects when you request logos; etc. Consult [http://studiomofo.org/ StudioMoFo]. | |||
* Things that might need or benefit from wrappers: | |||
*** Maker Party | |||
*** Evergreen Webmaker | |||
*** Evergreen Science Lab | |||
* '''Follow a Q&A checklist''' to eliminate the risk of human error: | |||
** Draft | |||
** Reviews | |||
** Text Approvals, including the winning subject line (if there were tests) | |||
** Real-world send tests (sending the email in-template to small group) | |||
** Final approvals | |||
** Blind reviewer(s) before launch button-- get people who have no idea about anything in the email to take a look at it. They'll catch things that you'll have missed. This is a very important step! | |||
== Press == | == Press == | ||