Welcome to the email business! The new IUAA partnership with Constant Contact is a great
opportunity for you to be directly in touch with your group. We want you to develop a sense of
ownership of your communications plan. And we trust you with the awesome privilege of access
to alumni data.
Your messages will be received in the personal inboxes of alumni and friends of Indiana
University. So you’ll be playing an important role in their views and perceptions of IU. You’re
helping to shape our brand and our reputation.
We’ve placed very few “official” rules on these accounts. No limit on number of sends, no official
approvals. However, we trust you to adhere to policies, and use best practices.
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Your guide to sending & crafting effective email messages
E M A I L R U L E S !Frequency
A good rule of thumb is to send emails about your topic as frequently as you might like to receive a call from a telemarketer. If you want to send a reminder about an event, try sending only one. Look at your open and click-‐ through rates. If they are reasonable, then the event may not have the appeal you anticipated. Are there guerilla marketing tactics you could use to promote it — an “ask-‐a-‐friend” chain of personal calls or emails or a Facebook event or advertisement might be viable options for your cause.
Content
Photos, logos, and words are important. Remember that you’re an official representative of IU. For example, if you send an email inviting alumni to a “pub crawl” there are liability concerns to keep in mind. We’d ask you to consider the event’s title, the purpose, and how it’s being billed.
Use the checklist on the right and refer to the style and policy guides included here to help you stay on track.
When planning and drafting your emails, consult
this checklist:
q
The template fits with our IUAA brand personality,
colors, and fonts.
q
This message is relevant, timely, and written in a
friendly, warm tone.
q
The content focuses on the needs and interests
of recipients.
q
The subject line is fresh (not a repeat), short,
descriptive, and entices recipients to read further.
q
This is new information. Sending too frequently
causes open rates to drop, and this is especially
true when recipients see the same information
repeatedly.
q
The reader has a call-to-action. Information leads
to our website, form, or events calendar.
q
This email is brief and to the point. It includes a
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CLIP ART
Selecting the right art to support your messages is very important. Often, you’ll be in a situation where there is not a photo to illustrate your event. Constant Contact offers a bevy of clip art and photography options. Please use care when selecting images. Think about how they represent the institution. Is IUAA’s mission to serve big beers? The beer mug clip art may not be the right fit. When possible, use images provided to you by IUAA (such as the spirit icon at left) or request images that you can upload to your image library.
LOGOS
Official logos, such as the Big Ten logo at right, may be used only with express permission. Logos other than the IUAA logo should never be larger than the IUAA’s mark unless the group shares equal ownership or sponsorship of an event.
PHOTOS
Photos that you did not take with your own personal camera are likely covered by intellectual property laws. Always request permission to use images of IU athletics, IU buildings, or other private venues/properties. Often, there will be no issue. Other instances might require you to include a photo credit or copyright message.
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W E ’ V E G O T S T Y L E
The IU Alumni Association’s online and interactive communications follow a brand strategy. That strategy outlines a brand personality and style. To help us communicate with the same look, feel, and message, please use this style guide in your emails. If possible, stick to the template campaigns we’ve placed in each Constant Contact account.
I U A A C O L O R P A L E T T E
Use the six “hex” numbers below if you are customizing a pre-‐existing template rather than using the templates IUAA has created for you.
1. IU Crimson / Hex #7d110c 2. IU Midnight / Hex #2d637f 3. IU Leather / Hex #c78036 4. Ash / Hex #dcdace 5. White / Hex #ffffff 6. Charcoal / Hex #352e24
I U A A T Y P O G R A P H Y
The following font families are preferred fonts for use in new media applications for the IU Alumni Association. The IUAA uses the special fonts in its online designs and applications. These fonts are not system fonts, so require special purchase. You probably won’t use them regularly, but may see them in graphics that IUAA provisions.
• Lato
• Just Another Hand • Trade Gothic • Officina Serif
In Constant Contact, you should use these “new media” fonts.
• Georgia • Franklin Gothic • Arial
• Trebuchet MS
When in doubt, we always refer to the IU visual identity. We adhere to this guide. It includes a secondary palette and other acceptable fonts.
⇒ http://visualidentity.iu.edu/media
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E M A I L R U L E S !
Policies
We’re asking you to keep some important policies in mind when sending emails and promoting your official IU group. Event promotion and other sensitive issues are governed by the following policies. You’ll find links to each of these on the IUAA website’s Volunteer Leaders Intranet.
Policies and guidelines: ⇒ Religious Holidays
⇒ Promoting third-‐party events and events that involve alcohol ⇒ Political activity under the IU name
⇒ Soliciting monetary support
⇒ Promoting events with a Big Ten affiliation
Also, please always feel free to contact your IUAA liaison for assistance when you’re not sure what to do or if you’ve got a gut feeling to double-‐check something.
Lists
Our “subscribers” are our most important asset. Now you have a role in protecting them.
To be given access to alumni information, you must adhere and agree to follow the IU Volunteer Access to Data policy. In addition, you must follow the following best practices:
Get permission
• Obtain an explicit “opt-‐in” from a reader before updating or changing contact information. Share that new email address with the [email protected] immediately upon receiving it.
• Use only the lists provided to you within Constant Contact. Use only the most updated and recent list. This will allow us to honor unsubscribes in keeping with our legal obligation to do so.
Use and share information carefully
• Do not ever share an email list via your personal email account. You are the sole owner and have a one-‐time-‐use license for any lists shared with you for IU business.
• Use a secure file sharing system such as IU’s slash tmp service if you must share data with another volunteer. http://slashtmp.iu.edu
• Never download an email list and keep it on your personal computer.
Request special lists through the IUAA
• We will upload any special lists directly into your Constant Contact account.
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No one is perfect, and no one wants to make mistakes publicly. Establish a system for sending and create an internal test list so that an extra set of eyes is looking at your email before it sends. Your IUAA liaison may be willing to help you with this.
F O L L O W I N G T H I S P R O C E S S C A N H E L P Y O U A V O I D M I S T A K E S :
1. Draft
o Select a template.
o Set up content, images, and hyperlinks.
2. Proofread/Review
o Consult the checklist. o Look for grammatical errors.
o Double-‐check dates, times, and locations. o Verify all names.
3. Test
o Before final send, send the email to a test list.
o Send to yourself and establish one or two other “test” addresses. (Your IUAA liaison may be willing/able to review tests with you.)
o Look at the email in your inbox to be sure it’s coming through correctly.
4. Final changes (if needed) + Final Review
5. Send 6. Review
Look at statistics one week from send to see engagement with the email. Look for opens, clicks, and unsubscribes.
Apply what you learn to future emails.
Find policies and more in the Volunteer Leaders Intranet on the IUAA website.
