Signup Best Practices

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Email For Advocacy and

Community Organizing:

Basics, Essentials, and Best Practices

Email Signup Best Practices

These training materials have been prepared by Aspiration in partnership with Radical Designs and ScoutSeven These training materials have been prepared by Aspiration in partnership with Radical Designs and ScoutSeven

Funded by the Community Technology Foundation of California Funded by the Community Technology Foundation of California

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Learning Goals

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Best Practices for Building Email lists

 Online and Offline_{Online and Offline}

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Essential Information to Collect

 Know what to ask for and what you don't need_{Know what to ask for and what you don't need}

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“

Opt In” versus “Double Opt-In”

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Email Signup

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Ways to Build Your List

 Online_Online

 Your web site_{Your web site}

 Make your email messages easy to forward_{Make your email messages easy to forward}

 _Offline_Offline

 Always have sign-up sheets at live events_{Always have sign-up sheets at live events}

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Email Signup

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Use your web site as a primary conduit

 Make it easy for supporters to sign up for emails _{Make it easy for supporters to sign up for emails} on your website

on your website

 Include links or a sign up box “above the fold” on _{Include links or a sign up box “above the fold” on} every page

every page

 Make sure that your sign up forms verify the _{Make sure that your sign up forms verify the} basic syntax of addresses in case of typos

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Email Signup

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Know What to Ask For

 _{Do not require too much information about your}_{Do not require too much information about your}

supporters supporters

 Do you really need their name?_{Do you really need their name?}

 Don't offer a complex form_{Don't offer a complex form}

 They may not follow through with submitting it_{They may not follow through with submitting it}

 Consider sending them an email in a week_{Consider sending them an email in a week}

 Give them a link to login and update their profile_{Give them a link to login and update their profile}

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Email Signup

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Collect geographical information

 _{Geographical data lets you customize and target}_{Geographical data lets you customize and target}

emails to segments of your list emails to segments of your list

 Especially useful when trying to promote an _{Especially useful when trying to promote an} event or target an elected official

event or target an elected official

 Using just a zip code, many tools can lookup the _{Using just a zip code, many tools can lookup the} city, state, and representatives of that person

city, state, and representatives of that person based on the postal code

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Email Signup

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Tell supporters when they are going to be

added to your list

 Any form or tool on your website that collects _{Any form or tool on your website that collects} user info should give an option to join your list user info should give an option to join your list

 Online action center, store, donation tool, event _{Online action center, store, donation tool, event} registration, online petitions, etc

registration, online petitions, etc

 Make sure supporters know that by submitting _{Make sure supporters know that by submitting} the form they will be added to your list

the form they will be added to your list

 Include a pre-checked box that_{Include a pre-checked box that} supporters can opt out with

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Email Signup

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Two methods to add addresses to your list:

 “_“Opt-in” methodOpt-in” method

 Users ask to be added to your list and you add them_{Users ask to be added to your list and you add them}

 _“_“_{Double opt-in” method}_{Double opt-in” method}

 Users request to be added to your list_{Users request to be added to your list}

 You send an email that includes a confirmation link_{You send an email that includes a confirmation link}

 Double opt in _{Double opt in}

 Allows you to verify the validity of the email address_{Allows you to verify the validity of the email address}

 Cuts down on spam complaints and bouncing emails_{Cuts down on spam complaints and bouncing emails}

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Email Signup

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Welcome New Subscribers

 Send welcome message_{Send welcome message}

 Thank the supporter for joining the list_{Thank the supporter for joining the list}

 Give directions for removing themselves in case _{Give directions for removing themselves in case} they were added by someone else

they were added by someone else

 Set expectations about the content and frequency _{Set expectations about the content and frequency} of messages to the list

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Email Signup

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Welcome New Subscribers

 Send welcome message_{Send welcome message}

 Tell them about the organization, inspire them_{Tell them about the organization, inspire them}

 Make them look forward to your emails_{Make them look forward to your emails}

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Email Signup

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Give supporters options

 Allow supporters to choose the topics about _{Allow supporters to choose the topics about} which they wish to receive emails

which they wish to receive emails

 Offer lists that have different levels of traffic_{Offer lists that have different levels of traffic}

 “_“News” or “Announce” vs. “Talk” or “Discussion”News” or “Announce” vs. “Talk” or “Discussion”

 Always offer digest or archive_{Always offer digest or archive}

 The more your supporters can customize their _{The more your supporters can customize their} email experience, the longer they will stay on email experience, the longer they will stay on

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Email Signup

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Be serious about privacy

 Let your supporters know when they sign up that _{Let your supporters know when they sign up that} you take their privacy seriously

you take their privacy seriously

 State that you will not share or sell their personal _{State that you will not share or sell their personal} information

information

 “_“Swapping lists” is never a good tacticSwapping lists” is never a good tactic

 May not be legal_{May not be legal}

 Link to your privacy policy on your website_{Link to your privacy policy on your website}

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Summary

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Remember Best Practices for Building Email

lists

 Online and Offline_{Online and Offline}

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Know the Essential Information to Collect

 Know what to ask for and what you don't need_{Know what to ask for and what you don't need}

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Consider “Opt In” versus “Double Opt-In”

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End Of Section

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Questions?

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Comments?

Thank You!

These training materials have been prepared by Aspiration in partnership with Radical Designs and ScoutSeven These training materials have been prepared by Aspiration in partnership with Radical Designs and ScoutSeven

Funded by the Community Technology Foundation of California Funded by the Community Technology Foundation of California