As the email specialist for a large association I started my role with a lot of email chaos. Emails were going out the same day they were requested, because they were “urgent”. I was constantly in defensive mode just trying to get emails through all the right approvals and out the door no later than 2 pm every day. The idea of doing meaningful A/B testing or data analysis to influence our email marketing strategies was close to non-existent. How could I? I was getting over 50 emails out a month.
Thankfully, my Vice President and boss knew this was a problem, which is why they hired me, because they knew change was needed and they needed someone to become the email traffic controller.
They created a plan, a process, and announced to all staff – if you want an email to go out, you have to tell us at least 3 weeks in advance. Everyone will follow our outlined process. All emails will be scheduled, project managed, designed, tested, and sent by Amber. No more rouge staff sending their own emails.
Did staff jump up and down with joy? Did they all comply on the first day? Absolutely not.
One year later, we were a well-oiled machine. All of our emails were running through the same process, they were all designed and written with the right brand voice. We were making data driven email decisions, we were testing regularly to ensure we knew our members – and we had time to adjust campaigns based on the data! People also looked to me as the email expert, because I was expected to present email data and recommendations for improving the next campaign and it was working.
Why Was This Successful?
First, we had C-Suite buy in and enforcement. The VP of Communications was the one who outlined the plan, unveiled it to staff, and explained why it mattered. Once launched, if someone wasn’t obeying the rules, I’d ask them to stop, if they didn’t listen, they went right to the same VP. He would talk to them to ensure they understood the big picture of why we were doing this, and why it mattered that they helped row the boat in the same direction as the rest of us. And, occasionally, understood that an accommodation was needed.
Second, we had an email schedule and an email process. The email schedule was public to only key staff (the marketing and communications teams). The email process was public to everyone, and provided to any new staff that would need emails created.
Lack of Email Traffic Control is Hurting Associations
I’m now the CEO of Email Maven, I’ve done email audits and strategy planning for over 40 Associations. In every strategy call, I hear one of these things:
On Fire: We’re sending out emails the day they are requested, I’m so overwhelmed with just getting emails out the door, how would I be able to include strategy?
Free For All: We don’t have a centralized marketing or comms department, so everyone just sends out their own emails, we don’t have similar designs, voice or strategy.
Rouge Department: XXX department sends out all their own emails and they don’t follow our designs and don’t care when we’re sending out other emails.
Email Team Gets It: I know what we should be doing, I’m providing feedback to staff on my recommendations for improving emails, including data, but no one takes it seriously, even the C-Suite who keeps asking for better results.
The Solution
If you want your emails to improve, you must have a standard email process and an email schedule with rules that everyone follows, and your C-Suite supports and enforces.
Ideally, you also have one centralized person being the email traffic controller (scheduler) and email executer so it’s easy for one person to see the big picture of email and that is expected to pull data and make recommendations for improvement.
I recognize that full scenario isn’t possible for most Associations but what is possible for all is a clear email process and schedule for everyone to follow.
The Resource
I created our email process and scheduling template to help Associations make this happen. Having these in place is the number 1 strategy in email success. Download the template here: Email Process and Scheduling Template
Have questions or concerns about how your organization could all get on the same page? Set up a free 30 minute consult to chat with me. I’d love to talk about your specific challenges and provide solutions!
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