Start a conversation
Friday, March 6th, 2009Key 1. Provide clear, attractive choices to your users (rather than monopolising the conversation)
Yes, you’re at this party with no girlfriend or wife to rescue you (only males read this) and resigned to the fact that even if you could fit a three letter article somewhere inside the incoming monologue it would probably be a waste of air. So your peripheral vision starts seeking an escape and that little mental book opens to record another name under ‘who-not-to-make-eye-contact-with-at-parties’.
I shall name it ‘Customer Claustrophobia’.
To be honest, I don’t think the party experience is that dissimilar to what many of us experience from the many charities and retailers all vying for the various digits on your credit card.
As I’ve mentioned it’s tiring and, I am convinced, detrimental.
Fig. 1 - Original Email
While I won’t delve into established theories regarding the evolution of the conversation and resurgence of the communal marketplace, working with Dunham + Company and Samaritan’s Purse we’ve finally had the chance to address some of these very common errors.
Clear Choices - The Email
The new email is now enjoying a high open rate with the highest click-through percentage yet seen for a Samaritan’s Purse email (28.5% of people who opened the email clicked a link) and beyond that, those visiting the site read on average over two articles.
What’s changed? Traditionally Samaritan’s Purse’s emails were similar to what many of you may have seen in your inbox from other organisations. Well formatted (we did them) but very singular in their focus - if you were not interested in the primary article there was not any clear idea of what else might be of value/interest.
If your mailing list is of any size you can safely bet there will be wide range of interests seeking accommodation in the material you distribute.
Fig. 2 - Current Email
Back to the party analogy, if your listener isn’t interested in your topic, allow a change of subject. We applied this truth firstly with Samaritan’s Purse via an overhaul of their newsletter email. Our goal was a more visually engaging format (recognising online users low copy-tolerance) and allowing readers to choose the subject they are most interested in.
However, as the copy is removed from the email itself, we needed infrastructure for providing the content on subjects requested. Yet we needed to be wary of the false ‘more-words-means-more-information-in-someone’s-head’ position.
Key 2. Allow conversation (stop yelling with your hands over your ears)
‘Hi, I’m Rob’ - The Site
Like some of you perhaps Samaritan’s Purse didn’t have infrastructure needed to implement a dynamic of this type so we worked closely with Samaritan’s Purse and Dunham + Company to develop an online archive, presentation and correspondence system developed using as a starting point the fantastic WordPress. Many hours later we were happy to see a model emerge where clearly formatted design, quality images, formatted text and user response were facilitated on budget ensuring a valuable experience for all members.
Visit the newsletter site here.
I think Facebook address this well by having made almost everything ‘commentable’. While not entirely applicable in this situation (or maybe yours), the expectation is now interaction.
Changing Samaritan’s Purse’s method of email correspondence required changes in both the email and supporting frameworks. The site and email now complement each other and provide far more opportunity for Samaritan’s Purse to converse with those interested and involved in their work than before.
So again, provide choices and facilitate conversation. Important thoughts I think.
It’s an evolving process with a long way to go, but I think application of these important principles will allow for new growth for Samaritan’s Purse.
Thanks for reading,
Rob
