Research by Hamilton House into the effectiveness of emails to schools has shown huge variations in the success of different emails.
The main factor that influences the success of any particular email is the list itself.
There are four lists available for mailing schools – I list them below the comparing click through rates. This is the percentage of people mailed who have clicked on the main link in the email on to the advertisers web site.
This is a key figure in email marketing. If the percentage figure is low, then the email has not worked very well. If the percentage figure is high, but sales are low, it means the email is working well, but the web site is not doing its job. If sales are good, then everyone is happy.
So, here are some recent typical figures that we have seen from email campaigns we have run, along with the cost of each list
Subscription lists: 35% click through (20p per email address)
Personal lists: 15% click through (18p per email address)
Preference lists: 3% click through (10p per email address)
Generic lists: 0.5% click through (5p per email address)
Each list has its own plusses and minuses, as always. The subscription lists only go to teachers who have subscribed to a news service. Adverts are limited to one a week and some of the lists get booked up quite a way in advance. Also there are not subscription lists available for every subject – and of course not every teacher subscribes.
Personal lists are lists of teachers own personal email addresses at school. These are responsive – although only around half the secondary schools in the UK will give these out. The preference list is the list of schools that won’t give out personal list addresses. They are emailed to the administrator, but with the name of the teacher in the subject line.
The generic lists have the virtue of reaching virtually every school (these addresses just have the school email address and a note on the subject line to say “Attn Head of Maths, or whatever) and they are the cheapest. But the rates are also the lowest.
So, in my opinion, the first decision when emailing schools is, which list to choose. It is only after that decision should one think about the structure of the text etc.
There’s more information about emailing schools on www.yesmail.org.uk/schools.html – or you can email me or call HHM on 01536 399 000.