External Email Marketing Goes MailChimp

External Email Marketing Goes MailChimp!

The Office of Marketing and Communications (MarCom) strives to achieve efficiency and consistency in brand, communications and alignment for HSC Fort Worth. To streamline and optimize external communications, we are centralizing all email marketing efforts into a single process and platform. After much research and testing, the user-friendly and cost-effective platform chosen was Mailchimp. MarCom will own the parent account and departments that opt-in will have a client sub-account. We will have a 3 Phase strategy for contacting communicators to make this happen.

Phase 1 Audience: Assigned academic communicators & any other campus partners currently utilizing newsletter platforms to externally communicate
Phase 2 Audience: All campus partners that externally communicate without platforms
Phase 3 Audience: New campus partner prospects to create newsletters if desired

Departments opting to move to Mailchimp can use either the Essentials Account ($9.99/mo. with more than 2 seats and 500 contacts) or the Standard ($14.99/mo. with 5 user seats) level account. Once created, the number of email addresses should be noted, and the pricing is reflected based on that quantity. Once moved to Mailchimp, it can be paid with the prospective department pcard, tax-exempt. If the department currently has a paid Mailchimp account, it will be included in this process. If the department already utilizes a different email marketing platform, the contract can be finished out and then moved to a Mailchimp Client account. https://mailchimp.com/pricing/compare-plans/

We understand this will be a big transition for everyone and training will be accessible by all users through MailChimp. In order to be more cohesive and consistent, a branded template has been created and will be available in all accounts with the added ability to further identify your school, department and/or program. Please understand this particular platform and strategy is not intended for internal communications, only external. However, a new process for internal email marketing will roll out later this year. For inquiries, email marketing@unthsc.edu.

Why?
1. Email Marketing Compliance: allows ‘unsubscribe’ requests to be honored correctly across HSC.
2. Analytics: All email marketing campaigns can be measured and reported consistently.
3. Brand consistency: pre-approved branded templates and guidelines will be created
4. Messaging coordination & strategy: coordinate emails to decrease the quantity audiences receive
5. Future development: one platform is more cost-effective, labor efficient & more compatible