A step in the right direction
When Regina Public Library started Unique’s MessageBee service in July 2021, they made a positive change for their patrons. Gone were the old ILS email notifications that were hard to read and not helpful. Unique replaced the drab messages with eye-popping messages that made people want to read its contents.
At first, the library saw a jump in their email engagement. Their previous notifications sent unlinked, unbranded, and untracked emails. They had no way of knowing if their emails had been opened or clicked on. The new look MessageBee emails were a breath of fresh air for the library and patrons alike.
But something was missing.
Good emails, but not great
The library’s emails were being opened, but not at the typical rate of MessageBee notifications. Unique’s technical team was there to help investigate.
We did a little digging and found that the email template that Regina Public Library was using had some features missing. While Regina sent branded, color coordinated, and trackable emails, it lacked interactive elements for their patrons.
Can you spot the differences?
Striking gold
Unique implemented two clickable elements that had been missing from the original, a menu bar and a “Access your account” button. The links enabled patrons to quickly access their account and transactions. Links to the menu bar also gave interactivity to the library’s collection as well as events at the library. With the two simple additions, the library’s notifications became a touchpoint for more engagement.
Emails before and after
In the graph, you can compare the immediate effect that the changes made after “Week 0.” The click rate went from an average of 2.6% to hitting 3.9% two weeks after Unique’s changes. Adding interactivity to emails can have cascade effect on your patrons. More links lead to more engagement, which leads to more library usage.
What are the click rates on your emails? Are your transactional and mass communication emails trackable and customizable? Does your current email service give you these kinds of insights? We are always eager to hear about your library’s needs.
Read more about MessageBee here.
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