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When it comes to keeping your target audience engaged, consistent communication is key. A well planned and executed communications strategy will help build more trust that may help improve Indigenous community participation and involvement.
One of the more effective communication channels is email.
In Canada, email is one of the more receptive methods to receive information. In fact, according to Insider Intelligence, 85% of Canadians use email with a whopping 75% opting in to receive email campaigns. When it comes to email campaigns, Canadians prefer news and information (54%), followed by entertainment information (38%) and travel information (26%).
Let's face it. Email is a relatively low cost option to traditional mail and it is very simple to use. Simply draft up a message, add your email recipients and hit send. It is very simple to use with next to no cost.
Traditional, offline engagement strategies can be costly. This includes travel, venue, meals, time, accommodations and other resource consuming logistics. In some instances, these types of activities are necessary but what if there was a digital engagement strategy that can help keep your project "top of mind" while improving your engagement participation?
Let me ask you a question. Have you ever opted in to receive more information (via email) about something you were passionate about? Maybe it was for a product line or perhaps it was a short video guide on how to improve your golf game.
Once you opted in, you received your value added content but over time you received more value added information that you were very interested in.
For example, let's say you opted in to get a short video on how to add 30 yards to your golf drive (via email). You instantly receive the guide and love the material. Sure enough, you
implement the tips and your drive instantly improves.
The next week you get another email and it's a video on how to improve your short game using 3 simple tips. You read and implement these tips and again, it helps improve your golf game.
Over the course of 4 weeks, you get more tips and valuable content which you start to look forward to. You've come to trust the information that is being sent to you and now, are much more receptive to product recommendations. Let's say you receive the following emails:
Week 1: How to add 30 yards to your drive instantly
Week 2: How to improve your short game using 3 simple tips
Week 3: How to add back spin to your ball so you never bounce off the green again
Week 4: How to putt like a pro with 3 simple tips
Week 5: How to get par on every hole!
Week 6: The best golf shaft grips to use for added distance and control
Week 7: The best balls for distance and control
Week 8: The best golf footwear for beginner, intermediate and advanced golfer!
Week 9: Take this simple survey to win a dream golf trip to Florida!
With each passing email you get more value. More value equals more trust. By the time the 9th email comes you take action no matter what. You are much more receptive to fill out the
survey for your chance to win a dream trip to Florida. You keep this brand top of mind and actually look forward to receiving more information. (Related: Digital Indigenous Engagement Guide)
The beauty of this strategy is that these emails are all automated. They have been created in such a way that when a person opts in to receive information, they are added to
the email list and automatically sent content over a specific period of time.
This same strategy can be used for digital Indigenous engagements. With a bit of creativity and planning, your company or oganization can target those members who are genuinely interested in the project. Over time, your project will be top of mind increasing participation and ultimately stronger calls to action.
Here's an example of using this type of email engagement strategy. Let's use a new community bridge as an example.
Automated email strategy:
Day 1 First email: What this bridge means for you and the community (opt in to receive more emails)
Day 3 Second email: Meet the team and who to contact if you have questions
Day 5 Third email: The cost and impact of not having a bridge and having a bridge
Day 7 Fourth email: Who's paying for the bridge and where the money is coming from
Day 9 Fifth email: How long with the bridge take to be built
Day 12 Sixth email: We need your help! Fill out this quick survey for your change to win an Apple iPad
Day 15 Seventh email: Jobs and benefits for our community with the Bridge
Day 17 Eighth email: Pro's and con's...we need your input!
Day 20 Ninth email: Community meeting this Friday about the bridge at the community centre
This is a very simple example but it helps get the point across about how a targeted email strategy can save time, money and resources while potentially improving engagement
and participation.
To set up this email strategy, you will need a specialized software designed for this task. These are often called "autoresponder software" and are dedicated to email marketing
campaigns.
We recommend Aweber because of it's simplicity and power.
At CIPS we set up a dedicated web page designed for this purpose. On this page there will be a short explanation of what the project is and what the participant can expect to recieve
at the onset and over the course of the project duration.
A participant will fill out a short form, usually their name and email address and hit submit.
Once the person hits submit they're information has been added to the subscription list. They will be instructed on next steps (depending on the complexity of the project) and when
to expect additional content (emails).
At its core, this type of email engagement strategy is very basic but has the power to increase your reach and engagement while reducing costs, time and resources.
At CIPS we have dedicated digital marketing experts who can set this up for you and your organization. We are Indigenous Engagement experts that can design offline and online digital engagement strategies to help ensure your project is efficient, effective and worry free.
Call us today at (705) 657-1126 or email: spirit@indigenousaware.com
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