What was the last email split test you ran? Did it yield statistically valid results? Did it provide you with actionable data?

We’re all on the hunt for the golden nuggets that will help us understand user behaviour with emails to the same degree that we understand it with Direct Mail. I often wonder if we’re too critical of our email results, both in terms of test results and overall response. I fear we, as a sector, have historically not afforded the best opportunity for email to succeed.

What it comes down to is whether or not we are building integrated fundraising and marketing strategies and how we are executing them tactically.

The challenge with email – and really online overall – is our access to mounds of data that has never and will never exist with traditional marketing channels. Not only can I know how many people opened my email (not possible in mail), clicked, didn’t click, converted or not, I can also layer on additional measurement tools for heatmapping or knowing how long someone interacted with the email before clicking. The list goes on, and ultimately the question that remains is what will drive improved response?

This doesn’t just apply to fundraising – what we need is a strategic approach to email that is implemented cross-functionally.

So, let’s assume you have the basic email best practices in place: desktop and mobile – check; CASL compliant – check; clean and segmented data – check; system to track basic metrics and donation data – check!

Like with any program, in order to improve, we must test! And I have a challenge for you (and myself!), let’s make 2016 our year for smarter email testing.

1. Bring back tests that failed
   Since I started specializing in digital marketing and fundraising almost 6 years ago, I can’t adequately describe how much everyday technology has changed. The way we interact with each other, the internet, and, by extension, organizations and charities, has evolved. This means behaviour has changed over that time period as well. And if behaviour has changed, then we should be carefully examining tests that we’ve run in the past and retesting in some situations to determine if their results still hold.
2. Test at the segment level
   Yes, sometimes our email address universe is simply too small. However, bringing the same level of detailed segmentation that we apply to Direct Mail and other traditional channels to online / email, even with a small file that is just starting out, will allow you to identify your best prospects, trends and patterns, and facilitate more accurate cross-channel performance analysis.
3. Address email conversion tracking head on
   One of our biggest hurdles has been the inability to track a specific donor from email open all the way to donation completion. This has to stop! We have to be the ones advocating for these systems to change. If the solution you’re using now does not have this out-of-the-box and/or cannot provide a manual fix to this problem, I highly suggest you find one that does and quickly. Though online fundraising is a small slice of the pie today, it will only continue to grow and your new, younger, potential donor will be savvier than any that came before – and they’re going to expect you to be savvy too.
4. One database
   If you want to be serious about all of the above, in 2016, stop storing multiple sets of data in multiple locations without a centralized database. Your email marketing / deployment system is not a true database. Neither is Outlook. You must, either through a manual or automated process, ensure all constituent data is stored in one, regularly updated database.

I look forward to tackling some of these challenges in the coming year and I do hope that you will join me. We simply don’t have any other choice.

Simren Deogun, Director, Digital Innovation, helps ST’s clients exceed their marketing and fundraising objectives through strategic thought leadership. 

She has a proven track record of attracting new donors and supporters to her clients’ cause while making sure existing donors feel even closer to the organizations they’re supporting. From developing strategic campaign plans and leading website builds to launching online and email fundraising and marketing programs, Simren leads the agency’s digital and integrated efforts for all of ST’s clients including Kids Help Phone, Médecins Sans Frontières, Surf Life Saving Foundation, the Canadian Cancer Society, and more.

Simren has established herself as an expert in digital marketing, fundraising, and advocacy in the non-profit sector at large, and as a thought-leader with regular articles in Hilborn’s CharityInfo.ca and other industry publications, webinars and speaking engagements.