Clips Purpose
From LUNARwiki
The LUNAR Board of Directors was considering whether to mail our bimonthy newsletter, LUNAR'Clips, to prospective members. Here's my long contribution to the discussion:
I had a long, scholarly paper planned about newsletters, communications among user groups such as ours, etc. But I don't have time to write that and you probably don't want to read it.... :-)
Richard Hagen wrote:... I'm not sold on the benefit of several reminders and don't respond positively to the unsolicited mail I receive. How about sending them 1 complimentary Clips and then purge them from the list?
First off, the only people added to the list have requested more information about LUNAR. In the case of Maker Faire, they filled out a form titled "LUNAR Mailing List Signup".
The main reason that we want to send them more than one newsletter is that multiple impressions generate the best response rates. In the classic advertising model, it's the repetition that makes it happen. With newsletters and other informational pieces, it's also noted that not everyone opens every newsletter they get. Either because of timing, mood or whatever, folks don't always open or read each newsletter. Sending prospects 3-4 or even 6 newsletters is the most effective marketing approach.
Another reason to do multiple newsletters is that you never know what may attract someone to our group. One issue of the newsletter might focus on building boost gliders but what interests a prospect is high power rocketry. So, over the course of 3-6 newsletters, they ought to be able to find something that attracts them (or not.)
It was suggested to send them one newsletter with an invitation letter stuffed in the middle. I'd argue against this for two reasons - it's not as effective as a run of newsletters. Secondly, it takes more effort. Our finances are not as tight as our manpower. I'd rather that we spent our time and energy on activities with a higher return on investment. Entering prospects into the members db over the year and then flushing them all in January is the easiest means of reaching out.
This discussion also leads to consideration of what is the purpose of our newsletter. When LUNAR was founded almost 15 years ago, virtually the only method of reaching the whole membership was via printed newsletter. Since then, we've added email lists and web sites as means of communicating and archiving information. At the beginning, the only means of publishing the calendar was in the newsletter. The LUNAR website is now used for archiving reference information like the calendar and directions to meetings and launch sites. Email lists are now used to disseminate timely information.
So, how does LUNAR'Clips fit in? It provides an instrument to discuss and promote topics and issues that we want to highlight. In some cases, it's time-sensitive, such as announcements of upcoming meetings, launches and events as well as coverage of recent activities. Other topics that are important to the group are also covered in the newsletter. A recent example is the Pyro3 program.
But if the only readers of LUNAR'Clips were our members, we could find a cheaper and more effective means to provide that service. LUNAR'Clips is also our primary way of conveying to outsiders what we are really about; what the group has been doing recently and what we plan on doing in the future. It gives non-members (and new members) a way to learn about LUNAR that lets them see what we think is important.
Therefore, we should be getting LUNAR'Clips into as many people's hands as possible. Whether they read it and come out to the next launch or maybe the next one after that, it will happen. And some will bring their copy to their next scout or 4H meeting and say "Hey, look at all these groups having fun flying rockets! Why don't we try it too!".
It is not uncommon for groups similar to ours to have mailing lists where the unpaid "prospect" subscriptions outnumber the paid member subscriptions by 2-1 or even 3-1. They know that it is important to keep folks who are possible member informed about the group until they are ready to make a decision.
Okay, so I still ended up writing a dissertation. :-) What I'm trying to point out is that our newsletter is a very effective marketing tool. Let's take advantage of it by mailing it to prospects.
Thanks, Craig
PS - BTW, I do agree that if we were to send unsolicited copies of the newsletter to someone, we should only send one and it ought to include a letter explaining why they got it.
