The American Legion department uses Mailpoet to send a variety of emails and has an open rate of over 45%.
The American Legion Department of Arizona has had significant success with its email campaign system that’s powered by Mailpoet. Our average open rate across all email campaigns is 48%, with the new member welcome newsletter demonstrating particularly high engagement. This data underscores the effectiveness of our approach and the value of consistent, targeted communication. And other departments within The American Legion also can have this same success.
Since implementing this system, we have observed a marked improvement in communication with our members. This is largely due to the strategic use of automated email campaigns, including:
New member welcome newsletter: This automated email provides new members with essential information, resources and encourages them to connect with their local post. See an example.
Monthly newsletter: All new members are automatically subscribed to our monthly newsletter, which provides updates on department activities, events and important announcements. See an example.
Subscription options: Members have the flexibility to customize their email preferences and receive updates at a frequency that suits their needs, including instant article notifications, daily recaps and weekly summaries.
Engagement with high schools: In addition to communicating with our members, we also utilize our email newsletters to reach out to high schools across Arizona. These newsletters, which consistently achieve open rates exceeding 80%, are strategically designed to drive traffic back to our website while keeping those involved informed of program topics and upcoming deadlines. See a newsletter example for counselors and principals. This allows us to promote programs such as Boys State, and we plan to expand this outreach to include the oratorical program, Junior Shooting Sports, and the American Legion Law Enforcement Career Academy.
Also, our orientation email for confirmed Boys State delegates and their parents achieved an 83% open rate. See the Boys State orientation email.
IMPACT
The impact of this system has been overwhelmingly positive. We have seen:
Increased sign-ups for Legionnaire Insurance Trust life insurance: The welcome letter effectively promotes this benefit, resulting in a higher conversion rate.
Greater engagement with local posts: New members are actively reaching out and participating in their communities.
Higher subscription rates: Members are choosing to receive more frequent communication, demonstrating a desire to stay informed.
Improved overall communication: This system has significantly enhanced our ability to connect with members and disseminate important information.
Growth of social media platforms: Articles linked from the emails have driven traffic to our social media platforms, increasing engagement and reach. This, in turn, draws members back to our website, creating a positive feedback loop. Link to social media feeds: https://azlegion.org/social-url/.
Currently, we manage approximately 30,000 subscribers with an annual cost of $2,100. We anticipate this number will soon increase to 40,000, raising the annual cost to $2,500. However, we believe this investment is justified considering the significant return on investment generated by the increased life insurance sign-ups alone. This pricing includes nonprofit discounts.
We are confident that other departments within The American Legion would benefit greatly from adopting a similar email campaign system. By leveraging the power of automation and personalized communication, we can strengthen our connection with members and ensure they are well-informed and engaged.
Frank Hirrill is the Department of Arizona Media & Communications Commission chairman and Boys State IT director, and is a consultant on the National Media & Communications Commission.
- Dispatch