Do you know how to check who’s opening and reading your emails? Email tracking gives you real-time information on who has received the email, who has opened it, and who has clicked on your links within the email. It also shows Bounces (email address didn’t work!) and unsubscribes (recipient says ‘no thank you’ to future emails). Here's how you can leverage the information: 1) A low open rate could mean a boring subject line. The solution: Change the subject line to something more catchy and re-send it to the members who didn't open it the first time! (make sure you wait a few days before doing this) 2) People opened it, but they didn't click on your link! The solution: Make the link more clear! Was it a text hyperlink? Make it a Button! 3) Emails Bounced The solution: make sure you have accurate email addresses for the members who bounced. Look for obvious typos (example@gnail.com). This could also mean the recipient's inbox is full. Try resending the email later, or reach out to them about using a different address. 4) High rate of Unsubscribes The solution: Make sure your email is adding value to your recipients. If recipients don't feel they are being served by your correspondence, they will unsubscribe. Remember, no matter how great your message or offer is, if you don't effectively communicate that value, people will unsubscribe. Curious about how your last email did? Find all this information and more on the Email Campaign Admin Page! Create your next email campaign!
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We pride ourselves on being a platform that can be used by a HUGE variety of people for an infinite number of purposes. We say we are for "groups". Trouble is, a broad term like 'Group' is too vague, it's too 'bla', it doesn't make your ears perk up and think "wait that's me!" Is a carpool circle a group? Yes! A homeowners association? Absolutely! A choir? An extended family? A yoga studio, dentist office, or blogger? Yes, yes, yes! Anyone who organizes or communicates to a bunch of other people, whether it is planning an event, coordinating a schedule, or spreading/collecting information, they are leading a group! Think about it, that's probably you, It's probably your neighbor! The trouble is, most people don't automatically think of all those possibilities when they hear the word "group". Even if they are a perfect candidate for the site, the average citizen-leader rarely sees an immediate need to join a "group management" site. (Ugh! and the word "management"!) But this is precisely our conundrum! We sit around with our whiteboard and furrowed brows and brainstorm all the possible ways we can NOT say the word "group". We search for a more specific word that will speak directly to our users, without alienating anyone. But at the end of the day, "groups" are what we do! We let you manage your "group" seamlessly, no matter who you are, or what you hope to accomplish. And we let you do it all for free or very low cost. click here to log in to MemberPlanet! Most of us have group traditions around the holidays, whether it's with your church, your family, friends, or your office. Our office does fun things throughout the year, but we REALLY like to have fun during the Holidays. Each December the whole MP team takes the day off to go to Disney Land! This year we are using our new Events module to keep the trip organized, and we thought we would share! We are always excited when we get to use our own system for fun office stuff, so you can imagine how psyched we were to create an event for a Disney Land field trip! Ok, so here's how we streamlined our trip using the MP system: Create the event It took about three minutes to plug in some quick details, including the location, dates, and general instructions. Check out our example here. Send out invitations We pre-scheduled our invitations to go out about 2 weeks before the event. The system lets you send them immediately, or schedule out in advance. This week everyone in our office received an invitation. Sell tickets! We all go for free, but we included a section where MemberPlanet employees can register and pay for a guest. The new events module lets you sell any type of ticket, service, or merchandise right on your RSVP form. So when is your next event? Create one now on your MemberPlanet Account! Each year, our office does a little "Secret Santa" gift swap around the holidays. This year, we used an MP survey form to organize it! Here's how we got our Secret Santa organized in minutes: We created a survey to be sent out via email to everyone in the office. We included a field for Name and an open response field for "wishlist" items/hints that fit within the designated budget ($10 for us). The Wish List field is particularly helpful if your Secret Santa includes people from multiple departments that don't always know each other well enough to pick out the right gift. We chose to keep it broad, but you can solicit more specific information, like "favorite snack" etc. One person manages the signups- but matches still stay secret! In our office, it was my colleague Andrew. He was in charge of monitoring the Secret Santa registrations and writing everyone's name on a slip of paper. Throughout the afternoon everyone in the office stopped by Andrew's desk to secretly draw a name. Once all the names were drawn, Andrew shot a quick email with a table of all of our wishlist submissions - simple to do right on the MP survey response viewing page. The entire process took minutes, and we were back to work (with our assignments and hints) in no time! Log on now to create a free Secret Santa registration for your office/team/church! Anyone can make a difference, and MemberPlanet is giving everyday folks the tools they need to make a big impact. In 2009 Lynn and her husband Willie saw a news story about a shortage of donations to the local Toys for Tots armory. Wanting to make a difference for the struggling families in their area, they emailed a few friends to rally some donations. The overwhelmingly positive response led them to begin an annual tradition. In 2012 Lynn began using MemberPlanet to take her campaign to the next level, earning a record of $1,800 - enough to fill an entire van full of toys. Excited to see Lynn return this year to host her 2013 campaign, our team wanted to what made her choose MemberPlanet as her fundraising platform... “MemberPlanet has provided me with the benefits that a large fundraising effort can afford, for my small one. It was so straightforward to use and allowed me to set the whole thing up without a lot of time on my part.” It is easy to see a news story about overwhelming hardship and feel ill-equipped to help, but people like Lynn and Willie remind us that anyone can lend a hand. In fact, if you are reading this, you have all the tools you need to begin a campaign of you own. Lastly, we had to ask, what was Lynn’s best advice for first time fundraisers? “The simplest and most transparent approach is the best. If people do not have to jump through a lot of hoops or worry that their hard earned money is being spent inappropriately, they will be more willing to part with it.” So what are you waiting for?? The holidays are the perfect time to begin a campaign. Start small. Every donation counts! We get a lot of questions about Donation Campaigns - here are our best tips for getting results! Use photos and videos. Images and videos capture people’s attention, and they help build a sense of personal connection for donors. People love to feel connected to charitable causes, give your donors something to get excited about! Get social. The internet is an amazing fundraising tool – if you know how to leverage it. Social networks allow you to reach donors anywhere, for free. Begin by posting your campaign on your social networks, and ask your friends and family to share it on theirs as well. The more your campaign is shared, the more potential donors you will reach! Get personal. You have your core circle of supporters. They are your friends, family, and colleagues. These VIPs are your most likely donors, so you need to treat them right! Create a thoughtful personal email campaign to share with your personal circle. Explain why the campaign matters to you on a personal level, and ask them directly for a donation. Offer giving options. Activate the recurring payment option so donors can pay in installments. This option will appeal to donors who are unable to contribute a lot up front, but want to commit a significant amount. Ongoing recurring payments will appeal to donors who want a more long term relationship with your cause. Broadcast your progress. Be sure to activate the donor ticker and goal meter on your campaign. Your donors will get excited to see how their donation bumps you closer to your fundraising goals. The donor ticker is also a great way to get people to share your campaign on their social networks – they will be proud to see their name posted as a contributor! Launch In December. December is a fabulous time to start an online donation campaign. The average American donates around $2,500 per year to charity and 41% of those charitable donations are made in the last few weeks of the year. More importantly, is saves you money! As a holiday gift, MP will process your first $250 for FREE during the month of December! Log in into your MemberPlanet group here to create your Holiday Donation Campaign Click Finance > Donation campaigns > New campaign MemberPlanet makes it incredibly easy to setup your fund-raising initiative, and we want to give you all the support you need to make it even easier. Here are 7 steps to get your Campaign launched! 1. Choose a template We have templates for every type of group. Just click use template and your off and running. 2. Declare your Campaign Goal Create a catchy campaign name along with a clearly defined goal amount. Donors love to learn about how their donations will help, so give them details! Specifics about your goals and initiatives will help your donors feel engaged and invested in your campaign. 3. Create giving levels With average online donations at $125, consider using giving levels of $75, $125 and $200 and higher. 4. Customize your page with eye-catching images and videos A picture is worth a thousand words, right? Create an emotional connection for your donors with photos and videos. 5. Brand your payment form We have pre-populated the basics but feel free to ask for additional information. 6. Customize your donation URL Keep the URL with your Donation campaign name, or change it up to speak to your donors, then simply click publish! 7. Share. Share. Share The most important thing you can do to ensure a successful fundraising campaign is share your page link. Email your campaign, post it to your social networks like Facebook & Twitter, add your cause information to your email signature, the opportunities for spreading news online are endless! Once you get your page out there, your friends, family, and supporters will help you spread the word. Bonus tip: Ask for help! The support team at MemberPlanet is always here for you. Visit our Support Site to browse our support library or to chat with us directly. Create a new group! MemberPlanet makes planning events simple and efficient. Use this checklist to streamline your holiday event! 1) Create your Event Page on MP One great thing about the new MemberPlanet Events module is Event Pages. Event pages function we a webpage for your event. Upload pictures or videos from last years soiree to get guests excited! Don't forget to include the time, date, and location as well. Your guests will always be able to refer to your event page for details about the event, and they will be able to RSVP a guest right from the site. 2) Send Invitations The new Events upgrade now allows you to send RSVP invitations. Use the rich text editor to whip up a festive holiday invitation, and watch as your guest list grows. You can even enable the Events Page to show your incoming RSVPs so your guests can see who else is attending. 3) Plan your Potluck! Create a quick and easy survey where guests can submit the dish they plan to bring. As the date approaches, you can reach out to late responders with the items your potluck is still lacking. 4) Send a Reminder Email In the week leading up to your event, send a reminder email campaign to your guests. This will get them excited about the event, and make sure they remember to prepare their potluck dish! or... Make it a thank-you email! A follow up email is a great way to thank your guests, and share photos from your event! Use the rich text editor to embed some of the best photos from your holiday party, and include a link the the event album. If your guests are members of your MP group, you can even allow them to upload their pictures to the event album for everyone to see! Log on to get started now! |