NSCS 101:

1

• NSCS 101
• Successfully Sending E-mails to Your Chapters
  Members

2
Getting Started

• Get familiar with NSCS.org
• Make sure you are able to log-on

3
Getting Started

• Explore all the newest features
• Update your profile and add a picture

4
Getting Started

• Check out the information for your chapter
• Add pictures to the gallery
• Ask and answer questions on your chapters forum
• Add events to the chapter calendar

5
Sending E-mails

• Once logged in, click on (E-mail my Chapter
  Members) on your personalized NSCS homepage

6
Sending E-mails

• Decide how you will organize your e-mails
• You have three folders to store your e-mails
• Signature Programs
• General Member
• Officer Communications

7
Sending E-mails

• Once you have chosen which category fits your
  message best, click the New Newsletter icon
  above the appropriate folder.

8
Sending E-mails

• Choose your audience
• Are you sending to all chapter members or just
  the other officers?
• Always choose Undergraduates, Advisors and NSCS
  Rep.

9
Sending E-mails

• Chapter officers to four new lists in the E-mail
  system
• New Members - 2008
• Have join dates in the 2008 calendar year
• New members - 2009
• Have join dates in the 2009 calendar year
• Alumni members
• Includes all graduated members from their
  chapters

10
Sending E-mails

• Click to add the NSCS template and continue.

11
Sending E-mails

• Name your e-mail for your records and add a
  subject line that gets your message across.

12
Sending E-mails

• Create your e-mail in our HTML editor
• Our system is very similar to Microsoft Word
• Once you are finished, click Create Plaintext

13
Sending E-mails

• Make a Plaintext version of your e-mail
• This version has the same basic content as the
  html versions but without all the extras- just
  the text.
• Click Preview Issue when you are finished.

14
Tips and Best Practices

• HTML vs. Plaintext
• Whats the difference?
• HTML allows bolding, colors, bullet points and
  special features
• Plaintext its just text and links
• Why do we use both?
• We must always use both to reach every member on
  your campus the more members who read your
  e-mails will mean more members at your events

15
Sending E-mails

• Preview your e-mail
• Is it going to the correct audience?
• Have you added an enticing subject line?
• Does your e-mail look good in both your HTML and
  Plaintext versions?
• You will notice that the NSCS template has been
  added to your message to allow your members to
  unsubscribe and identify your e-mail.

16
Sending E-mails

• Decide to send your message now, schedule it to
  automatically send later, or save it
• Click schedule, disseminate or save to make
  your choice.
• HINT Always Choose Schedule to avoid long
  queuing times You MUST retype your NSCS.org
  password again to confirm.

17
Color Status

• Colors that correspond with the status of the
  message
• GREEN Sent with the date sent listed
• YELLOW Scheduled with the date/time
• RED Saved but not sent or scheduled
• You can go always back into Saved e-mails to
  make changes prior to sending

18
Congratulations!

• At this point, you will get a message confirming
  that your e-mail has been successfully sent,
  scheduled, or saved!

19
Tracking Your Message

• Click on the top of your screen to View Active
  in order to get back to your e-mailing homepage.
• Your e-mail should appear with any other e-mails
  you have sent.
• You can now see at a glance how many members have
  opened your e-mail or clicked any links.

20
Tracking your Message

• Click on the bar graph image to get a more
  in-depth view on who has been receiving your
  e-mail.

21
Tracking your Message

• See how many members have opened your e-mail,
  clicked the links, unsubscribed, or did not
  receive your e-mail.

22
Gross/Net/Sent Discrepancies

• Gross/Sent/Net
• Gross number of people that are in the database
• Sent number of emails that were actually sent
• Net number of people to whom the e-mail was
  successfully delivered
• Reasons for discrepancies
• Blocked at your school and e-mails aren't getting
  through - typically this will result in a high
  number of UNDELIVERABLE
• E-mail status is unconfirmed - typically this
  will result in a high number of UNCONFIRMED

23
Tips and Best Practices

• Pay attention to your subject line.
• Does it grab the attention of your members?
• Does it indicate that the message is about NSCS?
• Write your information clearly
• Give specifics, use bolding and spaces to
  highlight important information.
• Sign your name
• Introduce yourself and give your contact
  information.

24
Tips and Best Practices

• Prepare your e-mail in advance to use spell
  check, but do not paste it directly from Word
• Instead, use the paste as Plaintext feature in
  our system (Even when you are creating the HTML
  version of your e-mail)

25
Tips and Best Practices

• Our Web site logs you out after 20 minutes!
• To avoid errors, send your e-mails when you have
  time to focus on the task at hand

26
Common Mistakes

• How to avoid your members Junk/Spam filters!
• Using spam phrases, like Click here!, Free!
  or Once in a lifetime opportunity!
• Going crazy with exclamation points!!!!!!
• USING ALL CAPS, WHICH IS LIKE YELLING IN EMAIL
• Bright fonts such as red or green
• Sloppy HTML (usually from converting a Microsoft
  Word file to HTML)
• Using the word Test in the subject line
• Sending nothing but one big image (with little or
  no text) in the message

27
Still Need More Help?

• Visit How To E-mail or
• Contact your Manager, Member Engagement if
  you need troubleshooting help when sending
  e-mails or if you want more advice on getting
  your members attention.

28
ME Managers Contact Information

• Region 1 Rachel Price price_at_nscs.org,
  202.375.5117
• Region 2 Sherice Evans evans_at_nscs.org ,
  202.454.0988
• Region 3 Rachel Thornton thornton_at_nscs.org,
  202.454.0982
• Region 4 Thomas Locke locke_at_nscs.org,
  202.454.0991
• Region 5 Kayla Manning manning_at_nscs.org,
  202.375.5111

29
Conclusion

• We appreciate you taking the time to learn more
  about successfully sending effective emails.
• We wish you many successful activities
• Thank you!