Recently, a colleague tweeted about a new app he was using to view twitter lists. I was intrigued, and while the tool was still in "alpha" at this posting, it looks like an app with a future.
SmallRivers (Switzerland) is the creator of http://paper.li which organizes links shared on Twitter into an easy to read newspaper-style format. Newspapers can be created for any Twitter user, list or #tag.
When you first come to the interface, you are encouraged to create your own newspaper and you don't need to create a new profile to do so - just login with your twitter or facebook account.
What I like about this tool is the way paper.li organizes your information and helps you see things you might have missed otherwise. It is definitely worth exploring, particularly since investors are starting to line up to support this online tool.
Can you improve your email open rates by better maintaining your subscriber list?
I do a lot of work in the area of social media - mainly twitter, facebook, linkedin and email.
Yes, I consider email to be the most basic form of social media. Anyone willing to share their email address with you wants to connect in a meaningful way. Whether a friend, colleague, jobseeker or salesperson, a shared email address is one way people confirm you as a valued connection worth building a relationship with.
There are many ways to improve open rates by improving your email content. But in relying on email software tools to manage our subscriber lists, have we added to the problems inherent in email open rate metrics?
Which brings me to my main point in this post.
I manage a respectable subscriber list for my organization's monthly email digest - around 15,000 subscribers. As we are not a membership organization, this is a sizeable list which been growing for nearly a decade. The digest itself has taken many different forms and used many different email software systems - some more effective than others.
The open rate is one important - and foundational - measure of any email send. How do email software systems know if an email has been opened? A small 1 pixel x 1 pixel graphic (generally invisible to the average person) is inserted into the email that you send and when this image is loaded the email is registered as opened.
The problem is that sometimes the image isn't loaded - this is particularly true for subscribers viewing your email via smart phones. Comm100 has a helpful post on the woes of measuring email open rates. So already you have inaccuracies in open rate metrics.
But I also think lack of proper management of email subscriber lists contributes to problems with open rate metrics. Sometimes we rely to heavily on the software to do the work for us. We need to think like gardeners tending our gardens. We need to seed, feed and weed our email lists.
Because subscriber lists are made up of individuals opting-in to your list, I felt it would be useful to get to know these folks better by seeing how well-connected they are with our organization. Basically, I've checked the subscriber list against institutional partner lists and our friends, fans, and followers via social media. The process and tools I've used to do this will be the subject of future posts.
As I've updated this list, I've noticed some issues which may impact my email open rate:
duplicate email entries from different source lists (yes, there were several). The email system we use is supposed to cross-check email addresses and send only one email but, as we found out, not all email software systems actually do this effectively. So, if a email address gets duplicate emails but only opens one, is the open rate counted against all emails sent or just the email that was opened?
single individuals receiving copies of the newsletter at multiple addresses (work and home). I've been able to match up multiple email addresses with single individuals. Unfortunately, the email systems I've worked with require separate entries for each email. So if one person receives emails at multiple email addresses, but only opens one email at one address that open rate is counted for that one email address only. It makes sense, but wouldn't it be great if one individual could designate two or more email addresses for one recordset? I'm seeing more of this capability, but we've got a long way to go. And this might add further confusion to the metrics.
bounced emails. Whether a hard or soft bounce, these subscribers are often kept on the send list so as the number of bounced email increases, the open rate may decrease. So when should you remove these individuals from the list? You should remove someone with has a hard bounce sooner than later. But when do you remove those subscribers who have soft bounces? Dundeemail has a helpful post about bounced emails.
While many email software systems say they can maintain your subscriber base, there is nothing quite as valuable as personally reviewing and updating the list.
Though any open rate will not provide truly accurate numbers (you need to look at trends over time), I'm hoping that by better personally maintaining my subscriber list, I get a improve the open rate by:
Removing multiple bounced emails for individuals who are not well-connected with our organization.
Removing undeliverable/invalid emails or double-check that they are correct. In several cases I've noticed a error in the email address which I've been able to repair.
Build up a social CRM (and perhaps a survey) methodology to identify those subscribers who are heavily active with us in the social media to determine if they are more likely or less likely to open our email digest.
I'm particularly interested in the social CRM side of things - the further down the social media rabbit hole I travel, the more I realize that we need better tools to help us understand our audiences and connections. I'm starting to see and use some of the free (and useful) tools available in the cloud, but I would like to hear from others.
Social media is the buzzword these days. But it shouldn't be. Just as the computer and the phone are an integral part of the way we communicate, so too are social media tools.
Taking it a step further, your social networks are not only available via the computer, they are available via the phone, television and (sometime soon) your car.
Social media provides a way of connecting, sharing, and building relationship with people who contribute to your goals - whether they are personal, professional or just for fun.
More than anything, social media tools teach us to focus on the basics of communication:
Identify Your Voice - What is it that you are passionate about? On what can issues can you contribute ideas? What kind of information do you seek out online? What will make you stand out in the social media crowd? What will make you fit in? On what issues do you think you can make a difference? What is your goal for being online? Having a clear message and purpose is important for creating and supporting a community over the long-term.
Listen - Always take time to listen to the online conversation - what people are saying about you, your interests, your culture. Active listening (and responding) gives you credibility. Use social media tools to connect with your target audience members and use these tools for audience research. Aggregate RSS feeds from sites and searches related to your target issues. Remember that listening is a two-way street - what you say can benefit (or hinder) those who are listening to you. If you want to someone to listen to you, you better make sure you have something worth listening to.
Understand - Know the people you are trying to engage with and who can help you meet your goals. Also recognize that people get an understanding of who you are by who you do (and don't) connect with. Follow, fan, friend folks relevant to your online purpose and learn more about what they are interested in. Share messages and information that helps them meet their goals (think WIIFM) and recognize contributions that influence your work. Social media provides awesome tools to perform audience research. Create a social CRM (Salesforce Group + SocialCRMTools + Google Email = Inexpensive SocialCRM) and conduct online surveys and polls to engage more with your community. Combine your social media and website statistics to get an idea of what content draws the most interest and where you connect most with your audiences.
Call to Action - It is easy to click on a link. But it is huge to actually make a change in the world. Make sure you generate community and supply them with concrete ways to help you meet your goal. And make sure you measure the success of actions taken and communicate that to your community. Nothing makes people want to take action more than seeing others taking that same action - see Derek Sivers: How to Make a Movement TED talk, below.
As you move forward in your social media push, I encourage you to make sure you are constantly being true to your voice, listening to your community, understand community needs, and call your friends, followers, and fans to concrete and measurable action.
Social analytics is a blossoming field. New ways to measure and identify success in social media are developed on a regular basis.
Yet, those developing a social media strategy will often find the metrics of success evolve over time.
To help the analyst adjust their metrics for online growth, there are some characteristics I'd like to see in all social media metrics -
Social metrics need to be social - they can't be locked behind a tool. They need to be able to mix and mingle with your whole suite of social media metrics. It also helps social media strategists show colleagues the value of working in the social media space.
Social metrics need to be real time - social media is real time, so your metrics should be too.
Social metrics need to be captured and stored for longer-term analysis. You need to show reach and impact over time.
Social metrics need to capture social CRM - a way to keep track of those friends, followers, fans and connections that serve as true customer evangelists so you can better support them. The ultimate goal would be to identify connections to these supporters across social networks.
Social metrics need to go beyond numbers to measure the quality of conversation vs. quantity of followers, friends, fans, etc.
President Obama arrives in Copenhagen. Heads of nation states meet behind closed doors to iron out an agreement. Late in the day President Obama announces "a meaningful and unprecedented breakthrough" is reached by major nations.
CBS News - President Obama arrived at the U.N. climate conference in Copenhagen to cut a climate deal, but as Shiela MacVicar reports, no political agreement has been met.
Clean Skies - President Barack Obama spoke on the last day of climate talks at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. The President called on all major economies to put forward decisive national actions that will reduce their emissions and turn the corner on climate change.
COP15 - Watch highlights from day 12 of the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 (COP15) - recorded on December 18, 2009
Clean Skies - Pres. Barack Obama concludes international climate talks in Copenhagen with a non-binding agreement between the U.S., China, India, Brazil, and South Africa to curb climate change. "Transparency, mitigation, and finance" form the basis of the common approach each nation embraced during negotiations. Obama calls the deal "the beginning of a new era of international action."
NBC News - The full version of Obama's speech in Copenhagen.
Clean Skies - Yvo de Boer Speaks at Final Copenhagen Press Conference. Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC Yvo de Boer provides analysis of the completed Copenhagen Accord. Though impressed with world leaders' ability to engage in drafting an agreement, de Boer focuses on the importance of setting mandatory emissions targets for countries and specific allotments of climate funding worldwide.
NPR news - Copenhagen climate deal hinged on one sentence.
Clean Skies - Clean Skies Sunday reports from Denmark on the final week of the Copenhagen climate change talks. In the end, negotiators came to an agreement, but that resolution is getting mixed reactions.
Guardian UK - Copenhagen: climate of denied opportunity. Guardian environment editor John Vidal examines the final frantic hours of Copenhagen's climate summit, including fury toward the US president and the world's richest countries.
Clean Skies - World Resources Institute President Jonathan Lash cited significant progress in agreements among major world nations, voiced commitment to reducing emissions, as reasons to consider Copenhagen climate talks a "success".
Clean Skies - Copenhagen: Success or Failure? Clean Skies News talks with Worldwatch Institute's Chris Flavin and Jonathan Lash of the World Resources Institute about the Copenhagen Accord and whether it can be called a success.
Heads of State continue arriving and delivering their thoughts on Copenhagen. NGO participation in negotiations is significantly limited. China and U.S. square off. Hillary Rodham Clinton announces U.S. support for a joint $100B global climate change fund.
COP15 - Watch highlights from day 11 of the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 (COP15) - recorded on December 17, 2009.
Clean Skies - As world climate talks wind down in Copenhagen, U.S and Chinese negotiators are facing off in a game of chicken, waiting to see who will give in on a major issue: allowing China to independently monitor its carbon cutting actions under a new treaty.
EUXTV - One day before the arrival of US President Barack Obama, the United Nations on Thursday decided to restrict access to the global climate talks in Copenhagen for non-governmental organisations and it confronted journalists with additional security.
Guardian UK - Crunch time in Copenhagen. Environment editor John Vidal gives us his view on the last-ditch climate talks, and hears from three voices, including Radiohead's Thom Yorke
Grist - Radiohead's Thom Yorke Magically Appears at Climate Talks. Radiohead's Thom Yorke showed up at the last minute at the climate talks in Copenhagen. He wanted to see what was happening firsthand, especially since NGOs have been taken out of the Bella Center, where the talks are being held.
Climate Conference Connie Hedegaard resigns, John Kerry talks about U.S. climate policy and the need for success in Copenhagen, Sir Richard Branson offers his take on the opportunity for airlines, protests and sit-ins intensify.
COP15 - Watch Highlights from day 10 of the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 (COP15) - recorded on December 16, 2009
Clean Skies - Kerry: Countries Must Work Harder for Copenhagen Negotiations. The divide between developed and developing nations is proving difficult to bridge in Copenhagen's climate talks, though some of the biggest names at the summit say an international deal is still within reach.
Clean Skies - Sir Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin, spoke to Clean Skies News about what he would like to see with airline emissions and his impression of the United Nations Climate Change Conference happening in Copenhagen, Denmark.
David Gillette explains the high-level negotiations and ongoing challenges at COP15 - in illustrated essay format.
France24 - Disagreements persisted at Copenhagen as Danish chair of the talks, Connie Hedegaard, stepped down, and Danish PM Lars Lokke Rasmussen took over. With two days left, can the delegates reach an agreement?
EUXTV - Yvo de Boer, the chairman of the United Nations panel on climate change, addresses members of the activist NGO Friends of the Earth to explain to them the upcoming security issues and why the size of the Bella Center necessarily limits the number of people who can attend the rest of the COP15.
EUXTV - Danish police on Wednesday kept thousands of protesters from entering the venue where the United Nations climate talks being held.
Guardian UK - Copenhagen police tackle 4,000-strong climate protest. On a day when NGOs were given limited access to the Copenhagen summit, protesters marched on the Bella centre to reclaim the climate debate back to the people most affected.
Treehugger - As world leaders prepared to pose for a group portrait in the Bella Center's plenary hall, a crowd of youth, activists, indigenous peoples, and perhaps some delegates, began a chant of Climate Justice Now! and Reclaim Power! in the middle of the Bella Center where the Copenhagen Climate Talks are being held. Instantly surrounded by cameras and media, the group began a march out of the center towards the gates of the building where as many as 10,000 people are planning to meet them in what organizers are calling the Reclaim Power action.
CYDCopenhagen - December 16th, 2009, thousands gather to participate in the Reclaim Power march in Copenhagen Denmark. The idea behind the march is to meet delegates who were walking out from the Bella Center, the location of the United Nation's Climate Change Conference (COP15), and host a people's assembly outside. The peaceful march, an act of civil disobedience, turned violent when police attacked protestors pushing to get over the Bella Center fence to meet with delegates from the walk out.
SustainUS - International Youth Sit-In at Bella Center in Copenhagen for a fair, ambitious, and legally binding climate treaty.
SustainUS - Dessima Williams, chairman of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), recounts a story of how in 1995 here in Copenhagen at the World Forum on Social Development she and Nobel Laureate Wangari Mathaai among others held a sit-in for days.
Gopal Dayaneni @ People's Assembly, Dec 16th - Copenhagen. After marching in the cold and snow, thousands reached the gates of the Bella Center where the Climate Summit was being held and where hundreds of accredited delegates were denied entry. Met by police, dogs, multiple fences and moats, a people's assembly was held in the street. Here, Gopal describes the sit ins, marches, demonstrations happening inside the Summit.
COP15 - Watch highlights from day 9 of the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 (COP15) - recorded on December 15, 2009
Clean Skies - Copenhagen Welcomes More World Leaders. Updates from day 9 of U.N. climate talks, where U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change Todd Stern talks emissions taxes, European Union Commissioner Stavros Dimas expresses dislike for the Kyoto Protocol, and an appearance is made by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
David Gillette observes the start of the high-level negotiations at COP15 - in illustrated essay format.
France24 - With government ministers taking part in the discussions, there was a change in pace at the Copenhagen summit Tuesday. But will it be enough for refugees of climate change?
Circle of Blue - Copenhagen: Taking the risk to define a zero carbon, clean energy future. Copenhagen, host of the UN Climate Change Conference, claims to be one of the world's greenest cities. It has extensive public transportation, a strong bicycle culture and plans to be carbon neutral by 2025 with progressive blueprints to reduce carbon emissions 20 percent by 2015 compared to 2005. Klaus Bondam, mayor of technology and sustainability for the city of Copenhagen, explains the city's ethos, commitment to sustainability and its rapid plans to move from coal to wind energy.
UN Foundation turned 52 of the Climate Board's most compelling stories into an It’s Getting Personal deck of playing cards. The card decks were delivered to every country negotiator, all United Nations and government officials, and hundreds of reporters at the Copenhagen climate conference.
Comedian Eugene Mirman, Grist Special Correspondent in Copenhagen, goes to the Bella Center, the epicenter of the U.N. Climate Conference. He unofficially represents the U.S. in this official U.N. conference center. And because he's Eugene, makes friends doing it.
As we move into this second week of the Copenhagen Climate COP15, we see more and more content presented in the form of movies. Here are some of the links to movies premiered to delegates.
European Environment Agency - One Degree Matters follows social and business leaders as they travel to Greenland and experience for themselves the dramatic effects of the melting of the ice cap and come to understand the planetary effects of climate change and the impacts these will have on society and the economy. The film brings to the screen the latest science from the Arctic and shows why a further rise in global temperature of one degree matters for the future of humankind.
NRDC - Acid Test: The Global Challenge of Ocean Acidification. This groundbreaking NRDC documentary explores the startling phenomenon of ocean acidification, which may soon challenge marine life on a scale not seen for tens of millions of years. The film, featuring Sigourney Weaver, originally aired on Discovery Planet Green (September 17, 2009).
Hope in a Changing Climate. The 30-minute version of the film will premiere at COP15 at the Museum of Natural History in Copenhagen on December 17th.
(Hope in a Changing Climate is provided in High Definition. To watch a lower-bandwidth version of the film, de-select the "HD" button on right-hand side of the playbar.)
WeForest Video - Narrated by Stephen Fry. Are you worried about climate change? What if we could actually do something really effective right now to halt it? Watch this how to video and share it with people you care about.
France24 - Representatives of African nations briefly stormed out of talks at the Bella Centre on Monday, while protestors on the streets of Copenhagen called for climate justice.
David Gillette returns to the Bella Center for the final week of COP15 after an active weekend in Copenhagen.
