• Replies 4 replies
  • Subscribers 415 subscribers
  • Views 27 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Related

Testing Direct Mail

Jess Levy
$organization

Hi

We are looking to test two packages in our upcoming direct mail solicitation and I am wondering how other organizations track their testing. My initial thought on how to track the different test packages was to break each segment (which has its own source code) into two segments (each with their own source code). However, the problem with doing it that way, is that there is no way to easily see just how the test package performed vs how the traditional package performed - we would need to remember which source codes were test and which were not and run reports on those specific source codes. We also would not have an easy way of looking at each segment as a whole.

Does anyone have a better way of tracking this?

Thanks

Jess Levy

San Francisco Opera

  • $organization

    Hi Jess,

     

    This is a great question, and I’m curious to see the responses you get. I’ve never seen testing like this done any other way than breaking out the source codes, and I’m having a hard time coming up with a solution that doesn’t involve dividing each segment into two.

     

    However, you might be able to make reporting easier by using a naming convention for each package, so your source codes would be named something like ‘A – Lapsed Donors’ and ‘B – Lapsed Donors.’ That would make it easier to group and subtotal them when you’re doing analysis. Without knowing your naming conventions, though, it’s hard to say whether or not this would be practical for you. Other options would be to distinguish your packages through source group or media, which would also give you the option of grouping each package together or looking at the segment as a whole.

     

    Hope that helps!

     

    …Alex

     

    Alex Harris

    Senior Manager - Development Operations | Seattle Opera

    1020 John Street, PO Box 9248 | Seattle, WA 98109

    (p) 206.676.5532 | (f) 206. 389.7651

    www.seattleopera.org

     

    From: Tessitura Development Forum [mailto:forums-development@tessituranetwork.com] On Behalf Of Jess Levy
    Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2012 3:57 PM
    To: Alex Harris
    Subject: [Tessitura Development Forum] Testing Direct Mail

     

    Hi

    We are looking to test two packages in our upcoming direct mail solicitation and I am wondering how other organizations track their testing. My initial thought on how to track the different test packages was to break each segment (which has its own source code) into two segments (each with their own source code). However, the problem with doing it that way, is that there is no way to easily see just how the test package performed vs how the traditional package performed - we would need to remember which source codes were test and which were not and run reports on those specific source codes. We also would not have an easy way of looking at each segment as a whole.

    Does anyone have a better way of tracking this?

    Thanks

    Jess Levy

    San Francisco Opera




    This message was sent automatically to you by www.tessituranetwork.com because you subscribed to the Tessitura Development Forum. You may reply to this message to post to the Development forum or visit the site to search, read and post to the forums. In the interest of keeping the forum posts from becoming cluttered, we encourage you to delete previous message text from your reply before sending. Thank you!

  • $organization

     

    I’m actually having the same problem with some Direct Mail packages we’re working on as well.

     

    What I’ve decided is to first promote each segment as normal, regardless of the package type. Then, I’ve created lists for everyone who is receiving each package type, regardless of segment.

     

    For reporting, I plan on using the Revenue by Source and Appeal canned report, using each list to compare the results for each segment by the package type. So you can look at each report to get the total for each package type or run the report without the lists to see the overall campaign status.

     

    Does that make sense? Happy to chat more if you have any questions.

     

     

    Marisa Perry

    Manager, Friends of Roundabout

     

    Roundabout Theatre Company

    231 West 39th Street, Suite 1200

    New York, New York 10018

    212.719.9393 ext. 324

     

    Join our Circle of Friends!



    [edited by: Marisa Perry at 12:47 PM (GMT -6) on 10 May 2012] Typo / Removing Email Replies
  • $organization

    Hi Jess,

    This kind of testing is exactly what sources and extractions were designed to do.

    You are on the right track by breaking your two segments into 4 and creating a unique source for each.  It shouldn't be difficult to know the purpose of each source, you just have to name them clearly, something like Segment A Package A and Segment A Package B.  As long as you promote the sources it will be easy to select the right source when you process the contributions, because each constituent will only get assigned to one segment/source and that source will be the one displayed in the source window.  If you want to roll the segments back together, you can use source group; create one source group for Segment A and one for Segment B. 

    To report on the results, use the Revenue by Source and Appeal report.  It will list all sources side by side, and give you additional options for grouping the sources by source group, making it easy to see how the different packages perform and how a segment as a whole performances.

    One other tip, when you are setting up your extractions, you can use the Random Select % feature to randomly distribute constituents in a solicitation segment between the regular package extraction segment and the test package extraction segment.  If you need help with Random Select, see this help topic.

    -Kevin Sheehan

  • $organization

    I do everything in solicitations so the “status” is then the specific solicitation piece the constituent received.  That way I can pull solicitation reports and look at different segments that way.  Does anyone see any harm in that?  This is my second year in Tess and my first year doing it this way so any advice would be helpful.

     

    Thanks,

    Nancy

     

    Nancy Clarkin
    Individual Giving Manager

    First Stage
    325 West Walnut Street

    Milwaukee, WI 53212
    (414) 267-2938 direct

    (414) 267-2930 fax

     

    From: Tessitura Development Forum [mailto:forums-development@tessituranetwork.com] On Behalf Of Marisa Perry
    Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2012 12:46 PM
    To: Nancy Clarkin
    Subject: RE: [Tessitura Development Forum] Testing Direct Mail

     

    I’m actually having the same problem with some Direct Mail packages we’re working on as well.

     

    What I’ve decided is to first promote each segment as normal, regardless of the package type. Then, I’ve created lists for everyone who is receiving each package type, regardless of segment.

     

    For reporting, I plan on using the Revenue by Source and Appeal canned report, using each list two compare the results for each segment by the package type. So you can look at each report to get the total for each package type or run the report without the lists to see the overall campaign status.

     

    Does that make sense? Happy to chat more if you have any questions.

     

     

    Marisa Perry

    Manager, Friends of Roundabout

     

    Roundabout Theatre Company

    231 West 39th Street, Suite 1200

    New York, New York 10018

    212.719.9393 ext. 324

     

    Join our Circle of Friends!

    From: Tessitura Development Forum [mailto:forums-development@tessituranetwork.com] On Behalf Of Alex Harris
    Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2012 12:43 PM
    To: Marisa Perry
    Subject: RE: [Tessitura Development Forum] Testing Direct Mail

     

    Hi Jess,

     

    This is a great question, and I’m curious to see the responses you get. I’ve never seen testing like this done any other way than breaking out the source codes, and I’m having a hard time coming up with a solution that doesn’t involve dividing each segment into two.

     

    However, you might be able to make reporting easier by using a naming convention for each package, so your source codes would be named something like ‘A – Lapsed Donors’ and ‘B – Lapsed Donors.’ That would make it easier to group and subtotal them when you’re doing analysis. Without knowing your naming conventions, though, it’s hard to say whether or not this would be practical for you. Other options would be to distinguish your packages through source group or media, which would also give you the option of grouping each package together or looking at the segment as a whole.

     

    Hope that helps!

     

    …Alex

     

    Alex Harris

    Senior Manager - Development Operations | Seattle Opera

    1020 John Street, PO Box 9248 | Seattle, WA 98109

    (p) 206.676.5532 | (f) 206. 389.7651

    www.seattleopera.org

     

    From: Tessitura Development Forum [mailto:forums-development@tessituranetwork.com] On Behalf Of Jess Levy
    Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2012 3:57 PM
    To: Alex Harris
    Subject: [Tessitura Development Forum] Testing Direct Mail

     

    Hi

    We are looking to test two packages in our upcoming direct mail solicitation and I am wondering how other organizations track their testing. My initial thought on how to track the different test packages was to break each segment (which has its own source code) into two segments (each with their own source code). However, the problem with doing it that way, is that there is no way to easily see just how the test package performed vs how the traditional package performed - we would need to remember which source codes were test and which were not and run reports on those specific source codes. We also would not have an easy way of looking at each segment as a whole.

    Does anyone have a better way of tracking this?

    Thanks

    Jess Levy

    San Francisco Opera




    This message was sent automatically to you by www.tessituranetwork.com because you subscribed to the Tessitura Development Forum. You may reply to this message to post to the Development forum or visit the site to search, read and post to the forums. In the interest of keeping the forum posts from becoming cluttered, we encourage you to delete previous message text from your reply before sending. Thank you!




    This message was sent automatically to you by www.tessituranetwork.com because you subscribed to the Tessitura Development Forum. You may reply to this message to post to the Development forum or visit the site to search, read and post to the forums. In the interest of keeping the forum posts from becoming cluttered, we encourage you to delete previous message text from your reply before sending. Thank you!


    This message was sent automatically to you by www.tessituranetwork.com because you subscribed to the Tessitura Development Forum. You may reply to this message to post to the Development forum or visit the site to search, read and post to the forums. In the interest of keeping the forum posts from becoming cluttered, we encourage you to delete previous message text from your reply before sending. Thank you!