Going Electric Using ECommunications to spread your message

Going Electric: Using E-Communications to spread your message

Introduction: Hagerty’s e. Newsletter • Hagerty history • Print newsletter • Hagerty’s magazine • Created online “Lifestyle” area to cater to hobbyists • But, “If you build it, people won’t necessarily come” • e. Newsletters are the quickest, least expensive way to directly engage your audience and get them to your site – IF DONE RIGHT • Telling vs. Selling • Hagerty’s e. Newsletters are editorially based; we don’t spam

STARTING POINT: June 2009 Number of subscribers: 59, 079 June: 59, 079 // Visits to Lifestyle site: 20, 358 June: 20, 538 300 000 250 000 200 000 150 000 June 2009 100 000 50 000 0 Subscribers Visits to Lifestyle site

NOW: December 2010 Number of subscribers: 59, 079 June: 59, 079 Dec. : 296, 723 // Visits to Lifestyle site: 20, 358 June: 20, 538 Dec. : 43, 069 300 000 250 000 200 000 150 000 June 2009 December 2010 100 000 50 000 0 Subscribers Visits to Lifestyle site

WHAT HAPPENED? ? Subscription Management In 2009, suffered from: 1. Poor software 2. Poor management 3. Weak content

WHAT HAPPENED? ? Subscription Management In 2009, suffered from: 1. Poor software 2. Poor management 3. Weak content We had 250, 000 emails, but it was only compiling 60, 000 for our sends

WHAT HAPPENED? ? Subscription Management In 2009, suffered from: 1. Poor software 2. Poor management 3. Weak content We had 250, 000 emails, but it was only compiling 60, 000 for our sends We weren’t managing the list effectively, scrubbing subscribers who shouldn’t have been scrubbed

WHAT HAPPENED? ? Subscription Management In 2009, suffered from: 1. Poor software 2. Poor management 3. Weak content We had 250, 000 emails, but it was only compiling 60, 000 for our sends We weren’t managing the list effectively, scrubbing subscribers who shouldn’t have been scrubbed The online content was handled by our marketing department; no dedicated web editor

SOFTWARE and MANAGEMENT: Exact Target Improved software • List management • Cleaned up our lists, adding more than 200 K • Easier to add non-clients to our email lists • Templates • Easier to implement newsletters, novices can work in the system, not IT gurus

CONTENT UPGRADE: Telling, not selling Magazine tie-ins: Deeper dives

CONTENT UPGRADE: Telling, not selling Magazine tie-ins: Deeper dives Print articles

CONTENT UPGRADE: Telling, not selling Magazine tie-ins: Deeper dives Print articles Online

CONTENT UPGRADE: Telling, not selling Encouraging reader interaction

CONTENT UPGRADE: Telling, not selling Encouraging reader interaction

CONTENT UPGRADE: Telling, not selling Encouraging reader interaction

CONTENT UPGRADE: Telling, not selling Lists, lists

CONTENT UPGRADE: Telling, not selling Lists, lists

WHAT WE’VE LEARNED: Tips Subject line • Marketing standards recommend calling out content in subject line to draw in readers • We learned this isn’t the case, at least for us • A/B Testing – Comparing response to two different subject lines with our separate British Car Insider newsletter

WHAT WE’VE LEARNED: Tips Subject line • Marketing standards recommend calling out content in subject line to draw in readers • We learned this isn’t the case, at least for us • A/B Testing – Comparing response to two different subject lines with our separate British Car Insider newsletter June 2010 British Car Insider: Field Meet turns 25, car prices, Grand Tour

WHAT WE’VE LEARNED: Tips Subject line • Marketing standards recommend calling out content in subject line to draw in readers • We learned this isn’t the case, at least for us • A/B Testing – Comparing response to two different subject lines with our separate British Car Insider newsletter June 2010 British Car Insider: June 2010 Open rate: 2, 948 British Car Insider: Field Meet turns 25, car prices, Grand Tour Open rate: 2, 715

WHAT WE’VE LEARNED: Tips Tease the audience • Don’t give away the content “for free” • Offer a “teaser” blurb, and then link back to your site • Make the teaser engaging

WHAT WE’VE LEARNED: Tips Tease the audience • Don’t give away the content for free • Offer a “teaser” blurb, and then link back to your site • Make the teaser engaging Increase traffic to your site Open up space for more content Readers can choose what they’re interested in

WHERE TO GO: Segmentation • Hagerty is fortunate to have a wide subscription base • We can tailor content to different interest groups Hagerty has plans to introduce a muscle car newsletter in 2011.

WHERE TO GO: Advertising • We’ve recently added banner advertising to our newsletter • We minimize their impact to retain the “telling not selling” vibe • Used as a value-add for potential advertisers in the magazine. We have noticed that the click rates on the ads are very small. Our editorial-based content is what readers are really interested in.

WHERE TO GO: Facebook • Hagerty has used its e. Newsletter to drive traffic to its Facebook page • Keep the conversation going

WHERE TO GO: Facebook • Hagerty has used its e. Newsletter to drive traffic to its Facebook page • Keep the conversation going – ask questions, solicit feedback

Going Electric If you’re not already signed up for our e. Newsletters, visit: www. hagerty. com