1. MYCOM E-NEWSLETTER United Methodist
Communications
UMAC E-Newsletter Awards Entry 2012

2. MYCOM OVERVIEW
 Before MYCOM, United Methodist Communications‟ e -newsletters
were mostly used for internal product and program promotions.
The agency provided very little consultative support. Upon
performing several research studies, results showed that local
churches wanted marketing and communications training for
their specific church roles. MYCOM was born out of this need.
 MYCOM provides marketing and communications tips and tools
based on research -identified “interest areas” for church leaders.
 Constituents are at the heart of MYCOM‟s plan. Continual
improvement and surveys of church leaders are paramount.

3. PURPOSE & OBJECTIVES
 MyCom Objects
 To provide consultative support to church
leaders and to offer marketing and
communications tips, tools based on research
identified "interest areas".
 Objectives for continuous improvement:
 Increase Subscriber Membership
 Increase Open and Click Thru Rates

4. TARGET AUDIENCE
The target audience for MyCom is mainly to
pastors but many other church leaders.

5. STRATEGY
 St ra te g y fo r c o n t i n uo us i m provement:
 Continually provide high-quality content:
 Writers
 Continually add e-mail best practices:
 Continuous research and implementation.
 Work on template consistency across all e -mail clients.
 Continue to tweak HTML code using best practices from Campaign Monitor, MailChimp, Exact Target,
etc.
 Improve design and content:
 Fresh, clean look for better readability.
 Add multi-media (videos and article photos).
 Increase visibility of ads.
 Increase interactivity and accessibility:
 Social media & other sharing capabilities.
 Commenting capabilities.
 Reminder e-mails to those who have not opened.

6. MYCOM EXAMPLES

7. 1. MARCH 2012
View As Web Page
http://www.kintera.org/cms.asp?id=29752
04&campaign_id=112513&enString=x

8. 2. MAY 2012
View As Web Page
http://www.kintera.org/cms.asp?id=30775
89&campaign_id=112513&enString=x

9. 3. JULY 2012
View As Web Page
http://www.kintera.org/cms.asp?id=32409
14&campaign_id=112513&enString=x

10. 2009 Original Design
EXECUTION, CREATIVY 2010 Improvements
& RE-DESIGN 2011 Improvements
2012 Improvements

11. 2009 ORIGINAL E-NEWSLETTER DESIGN

12. 2011 E-NEWSLETTER DESIGN

13. 2011 E-NEWSLETTER IMPROVEMENTS
 May: Added „Share on Facebook‟ link in header.
 May: Added Share MYCOM on Facebook, Subscribe to MYCOM
and Send to a Friend links below the fold.

14. 2011 E-NEWSLETTER IMPROVEMENTS
 March: Began sending reminder e -mails to subscribers who had not
opened fir st e -mail.
 Click to open rate average for reminder e-mail is 62%.
 Oct: Added one how -to video per issue.
 December: United Methodist Communications conducted another sur vey
with its audiences to under stand their attitude towards emerging
technology and found that pastor s want to know more about:
 Video simulcast, streaming, editing videos, Vimeo.
 Video conferencing using Skype to bring missionaries into worship.
 Worship presentation: sound, video, equipment & software.
 IPAD, Moodle, HTML e-mail, form creation, forum software, cloud, etc.
 More content being generated around these topics. So far articles written
on these topics getting excellent clicks.

15. 2012 E-NEWSLETTER RE-DESIGN

16. 2012 E-NEWSLETTER IMPROVEMENTS
New features: *
New MYCOM font treatment and
sleek layout.
Added popular interest area tabs:
Outreach, Worship, Website & Social.
 Added article images.
 Increased ad size for better visibility
of relevant resources & charity
discounts.
* These features were just
implemented in March 2012 and we
will continue A/B tests on size and
placement of images for optimum
click rates.

17. 2010 ARTICLE TEMPLATE
The links in the newsletter go to articles hosted on our website.
The article templates show improvements for each year.

18. 2011 ARTICLE TEMPLATE

19. 2011 ARTICLE IMPROVEMENTS
 I m p rov e d r e a d a b i l it y o f a r t i c l e s :
 Increased font size from 11px to 15px.
 Decreased line width.
 Added more subheadings.
 D i s c o n t i n ue d o u t s i d e m a r ket i n g c o n te n t w r i te r s t h a t p e r f o r m e d p o o r l y.
 H i r e d U n i te d M et h o d i s t w r i te r s a n d c o m m un i ca to r s .
 New writers know our audience and include more United Methodist research and
resources.
 Tr a i n e d w r i te r s o n h o w to w r i te f o r w e b .
 Topics included attractive titles, contextual links, front -loaded content and one-idea
paragraphs, and search engine optimization guidelines.
 N ew w r i t i n g p r o c e s s i n c l ud e s f o u r e d i t i n g p h a s e s .
 1. One editor adds United Methodist language & agency resources.
 2. Proof team edits for grammar/structure.
 3. PR team edits for potential red -flags.
 4. After articles are added to web, proof team does final proof.

20. 2011 ARTICLE IMPROVEMENTS
 Share & Discuss box added next to header image.
 Tweet & Share on Facebook buttons.
 Social media share menu added to footer.
 Share on Facebook button.

21. 2011 ARTICLE IMPROVEMENTS
 Added relevant ar ticle images from stock photography websites,
internal press photo archives, and images developed by creative
team.

22. 2011 ARTICLE IMPROVEMENTS
Added Disqus, a robust global commenting
& moderating system at footer of articles.

23. To t a l G r o w t h
M o n t h l y Av e r a g e s
Subscribers
Opens
Open Rates
Clicks
RESULTS Click Rates
Article Clicks
Ad Clicks
Unsubscribes
We b & S o c i a l s
Te s t i m o n i e s
Conclusion

24. SUCCESS METRICS
 Increase in Subscriber Membership
 Increase in Opens and Clicks
 Increase in Open Rates and Click Through Rates
 Increase in Ad Clicks
 Increase in Article Clicks
 Increase in Social Media Article Shares

25. TOTAL GROW TH
JAN 2009 VS. JULY 2012
Benchmark Month Final Month Total
1/09 7/12 Growth
Subscribers 4,169 21,941 17,772
Opens 1,182 9,597 8,412
Open Rates 33% 44% 11%
E-mails Resulting in
Clicks 414 4,296 3,882
Click Rates 35% 45% 10%
Article Clicks 560 6,522 5962
Ad Clicks 50 575 525

26. MONTHLY AVERAGES
1/09 – 7/12
2009 2010 2011 2012
Opens 1,776 4,989 7,621 9259
Open Rates 35% 38% 41% 44%
Clicks 683 2,402 3,806 4,324
Click Rates 38% 48% 50% 47%
Article Clicks 1,002 4,058 4,906 6,291
Ad Clicks 172 463 534 727
Unsubscribes 0.13% 0.15% 0.18% 0.13%

27. SUBSCRIBERS: YEARLY TOTALS
1/09 – 7/12
30,000
27,414
25,000
20,000 19,294
15,000
10,000 9,086
5,000 4,169
0
2009 2010 2011 2012

28. OPENS: MONTHLY AVERAGES
1/09 – 7/12
10,000
9,259
9,000
8,000 7,621
7,000
6,000
4,989
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000 1,776
1,000
0
2009 2010 2011 2012

29. OPENS: YEARLY TOTALS
1 / 0 9 - 7 / 2 01 2
100,000
91,461
90,000
80,000
70,000 64,816
59,874
60,000
50,000
40,000
30,000
21,317
20,000
10,000
0
Jan-Dec 2009 Jan-Dec 2010 Jan-Dec 2011 Jan-July 2012

30. OPEN RATES: MONTHLY AVERAGES
1/09 – 7/12
50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
2009 2010 2011 2013
* The end and beginning months of each year drop in engagement due to
vacation, Christmas, Easter, Lent and Holy Week programming. However, scatter graphs
show that the open/click trend-lines increase as the year goes on.

31. CLICKS: MONTHLY AVERAGES
1/09 – 7/12
E-mails Resulting in Clicks
4500
4,324
4000 3,806
3500
3000
2500 2,402
2000
1500
1000 683
500
0
2009 2010 2011 2012

32. CLICKS: YEARLY TOTALS
1/09 – 7/12
50,000
45,674
45,000
40,000
35,000
28,830 30,269
30,000
25,000
20,000
15,000
10,000 8,195
5,000
0
Jan-Dec 2009 Jan-Dec 2010 Jan-Dec 2011 Jan-July 2012

33. CLICK RATES: MONTHLY AVERAGES
1/09 – 7/12
60%
51%
50% 48%
44%*
40% 38%
30%
20%
10%
0%
2009 2010 2011 2012
* The end and beginning months of each year drop in engagement due to
vacation, Christmas, Easter, Lent and Holy Week programming. However, scatter graphs
show that the open/click trend-lines increase as the year goes on.

34. ARTICLE CLICKS: MONTHLY AVERAGES
1/09 – 7/12
6,000 6,291
5,000 4,906
4,058
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,002
1,000
0
2009 2010 2011 2012

35. UNSUBSCRIBES: MONTHLY AVERAGES
1/09 – 7/12
0.20%
0.18%
0.18%
0.16% 0.15%
0.14% 0.13% 0.13%
0.12%
0.10%
0.08%
0.06%
0.04%
0.02%
0.00%
2009 2010 2011 2012

36. WEB & SOCIALS
Web 2010 2010 2011 2011 2012
1st Half 2nd Half 1st Half 2nd Half
Avg. Time Spent 2.28 3.04 3.25 4.32 5.03
On MYCOM Pages
Social 2010 Jan – Dec Jan – Feb 2012
2011
Facebook E-Newsletter Shares N/A 65 146
Facebook Article Shares N/A 788 1688
 S o c i a l s h a r i n g f e a t u r e s w e r e a d d e d i n l a te 2 01 1 .
 # s a r e c u m ul a t i ve .

37. READER TESTIMONIES
 “ Ve r y n i c e a n d e a s y to q u i c kl y s c a n a n d c l i c k t h r o u g h f o r m o r e i n f o . ”
 Lynn W Miller, Cascade UMC
 “ I n s p i r e d b y t h i s a r t i c l e a n d g o i n g to h o l d o u r C h r i s t m a s D ay w o r s h i p s e r v i c e i n t h e
l o b by o f t h e c i t y ' s h o s p i t al . ”
 Jim Parsons
 “ G R E AT a r t i c l e ! ! ! I a m s h a r i n g t h i s w i t h s ev e r a l c h u r c h e s I k n o w o f . ”
 Jason Weakley, Owner of Rooted Up Communications
 “ Ve r y g o o d i n f o r m a t i o n . I t w a s c l e a r a n d c a n b e u n d e r s to o d b y
a l l a g e g r o u p s l o o k i n g to e n h a n c e t h e i r o n l i n e m i n i s t r ie s .”
 Winston Carhee, Sr.
 “ T h a n k s f o r t h e g r e a t a r t i c l e . w e a r e j u s t g et t i n g s t a r te d w i t h o u r c h u r c h F B p a g e . ”
 Mini Lou
 “ I l o v e t h e a r t w o r k a t t h e to p o f t h e a r t i c l e . . . g r e a t i d e a s i n t h e a r t i c l e a l s o . ”
 Justin Rimondi

38. CONCLUSION
 Based on MYCOM reader sur vey findings, substantial changes were
made to MYCOM‟s template, design and content over the past four
year s.
 As a result:
 Subscription list increased by nearly 520%.
 Opens increased by nearly 660%.
 Open rates increased by over 40%.
 Clicks increased by about 815%.
 Click rates increased by nearly 30%.
 Clicks from articles increased by nearly 655%.
 Clicks from ads increased by over 1,170%.
 Most e-newsletters reduce engagement level as they increase
subscription. For MYCOM, it is the rever se .