[infobox title="Selecting your Audience"]Emails should be sent to the smallest group of individuals possible while still reaching the intended audience. Work with your eComm Specialist [2] to build reports that segment your audience and maximize the effectiveness of your communications.
Examples of strategic audience segmentation include:
From "The Email Design Best Practices You Need to Know [3]"
Make your subject line informative so that it offers something of value, but not so long that it gives away too much or reduces your readers’ interest. The ideal email subject should be a good, interesting summary that tells people what they can expect from reading your email in the fewest possible characters.
Remember, your email subject isn’t the only thing a constituent sees when they see your email in their inbox. The other elements likely to show up are your name (or the sender’s name) and a snippet of the beginning of your email. Those elements are also important when it comes to getting constituents to actually read your emails.
You may choose to keep your “From” name the same throughout all of your emails for consistency, or consider using that opportunity to get even more specific about what constituents can expect from your email.
Keep in mind that the sender’s name field should always include your brand name or something recognizable so subscribers know exactly who sent the email, and that it’s from a sender they trust and subscribe to. Then, the first line of your email can be another opportunity to pique subscribers’ interest about what your email has to offer.
[infobox title="Creating your Content"]Strive to create content that is meaningful and relevant for your readers. You can use functionality such as A/B testing and dynamic content to experiment with your messages to ensure they are truly engaging your audience. Contact your eComm Specialist [2] for more information.
Some best practices for creating your content include the following:
From "The Email Design Best Practices You Need to Know [3]"
Photos and graphics should have excellent resolution no matter their size and high quality enough to get a point across — but not so large that they slow down your email’s load time. You should also consider whether or not they actually add something essential to your emails. If you’re just using them to take up space, you may be slowing down the loading process and wasting valuable real estate. You can see more specifications about header and email image recommendations here [5].
[infobox title="Scheduling your Message"]Schedule your message based on email send reports that indicate when your audience is most likely to engage with the content. Work with your eComm Specialist [2] to access your email send data and make decisions about future sends accordingly.
Examples of strategic email scheduling include:
From "The Email Design Best Practices You Need to Know [3]"
Analytics data can provide insights about the effectiveness of your email designs. If you find engagement is consistently higher on emails that use just one or two photos, or if you see the highest open rates when you use a certain format for subject lines, take those metrics as signs you’re doing something right. Make sure you constantly review your results to find the email design best practices that work for your brand.
Campus specific branding standards [11] should also be enforced in your communications.
Why? Because if you send an email via a tool like Constant Contact or MailChimp and someone opts out of receiving emails from CU, but then receives an email from CU via another source (like eComm, which doesn't share data with those other tools), that is a violation. The eComm system is the master source for maintaining email preferences and where CU constituents (via CU's our online communities [12]) manage their preferences.
Congress signed the “Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003” (“CAN-SPAM”) into law in January 2004. The purpose of CAN-SPAM is to provide relief from unwanted spam e-mail messages. The law covers both unsolicited e-mails, as well as electronic communications where the recipient has initiated the exchange. Non-compliance with CAN-SPAM constitutes “unfair or deceptive acts or practices” that may result in both criminal and civil penalties.
Below are a few highlights of the bill that all CU communicators should be aware of:
Examples:
Factors for evaluating the body of the e-mail include:
CAN-SPAM requires commercial e-mails have the following characteristics:
Opt-Out link
• The body of the e-mail must provide recipients with a clear and conspicuous opportunity to decline (“opt-out”) receiving future messages.
• The University must honor the opt-out or unsubscribe requests within 10 business days of receiving the request.
Valid Return Address
• The e-mail must contain a valid return e-mail address or Internet-based reply mechanism to comply with the opt-out option. This must work for 30-days past the send date of the message.
Valid E-mail Information
• The header and subject line must be accurate.
• The subject line must accurately reflect the content of the e-mail.
• The “from” line must be accurate. You cannot use anonymous, fictitious, or misleading addresses.
Examples:
Examples:
CAN-SPAM defines certain fines from $25 up to $2,000,000. According to the Federal Trade Commission, each separate e-mail in violation of CAN-SPAM is subject to penalties of up to $16,000.
We opt constituents in to receiving emails from CU based on their affiliations, either as an alumnus, donor, employee, etc. or at the recipient’s own initiative (by signing up to receive CU communications via CU's online communities [12]). For example, alumni from the CU-Boulder School of Arts & Sciences will not receive emails from UCCS (except in cases where there's a previous relationship).
Opt-Out link
• The body of the e-mail must provide recipients with a clear and conspicuous opportunity to decline (“opt-out”) receiving future messages.
• The University must honor the opt-out or unsubscribe requests within 10 business days of receiving the request.
Valid Return Address
• The e-mail must contain a valid return e-mail address or Internet-based reply mechanism to comply with the opt-out option. This must work for 30-days past the send date of the message.
Valid E-mail Information
• The header and subject line must be accurate.
• The subject line must accurately reflect the content of the e-mail.
• The “from” line must be accurate. You cannot use anonymous, fictitious, or misleading addresses.
Request access today [13]
The University of Colorado has guidelines for data security compliance that are aimed at protecting not only our constituents, but also university units. As part of our use of Cvent, the Office of Information Security [16] and Treasury [17] has advised us on those guidelines [18] for data security compliance. The merchant accounts that are currently available in Cvent will undergo an audit in August with our partner bank, Wells Fargo Merchant Services (WFMS) to ensure we meet the current Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) [19].
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of security standards designed to ensure that ALL companies that accept, process, store or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment.
PCI FAQs [20]
If you create event registration forms in Cvent that require credit card transactions, the following activities are NOT PCI compliant and could result in steep fines or worse, inability to use a merchant account with our partner bank, Wells Fargo Merchant Services (WFMS).
We understand that this may present challenges in the way you meet your business needs. We are offering the following alternatives.
For those attendees who cannot register for an event using a personal device and who would have previously provided credit card information over the phone or via mail, encourage them to mail a check or bring cash (check with your unit finance representative about cash) or check to the event.
[infobox title="IS THERE A COST?"]
Merchant accounts are FREE if associated with a terminal ("swiper"). You must have a merchant account AND a swiper to be compliant.
You have a few options for a credit card "swiper" terminal:
PURCHASE | RENT |
---|---|
|
|
Other considerations:
In addition to obtaining a merchant account and purchasing a swiper (see 2nd alternative above), you can also purchase a separate Internet Merchant Account (IMA) and set it up within Cvent.
[infobox title="IS THERE A COST?"]
NOTE: You must work with your campus information security team to determine if this is an option.
If you set up dedicated computer(s) within your unit that are ONLY used for processing credit card transactions (eg; via Cvent forms) and that are approved by your campus security team:
[infobox title="IS THERE A COST?"]
Yes. There is a cost - see option 3. You would be doing option 3 + option 4 in this scenario.
A: A bank account that enables the holder to accept credit cards for payment.
A: The non-compliant component is that the credit card information is transmitted on a CU-owned device.
Check out the "Compliant Alternatives and Costs" tab for details on other options.
A: The Cvent mobile app and swiper solution is currently under review by our data security team. As it stands now, it is NOT approved to accept credit card transactions. However, your unit can use it for any purposes other than credit card transactions. We will alert CU eComm Cvent users when we know more. Learn more about Cvent's mobile app, OnArrival [25].
A: It depends on which option works best for your unit. See the "Compliant Alternatives and Costs" tab for more information.
A: No. You would have to set up a separate merchant account that is specific to online transactions. The cost for a merchant account online gateway is $200 and $20 per month after that. There is an annual cost with Cvent of $750 for an integrated merchant account. One-time cost is $970. Annual cost is $750. See the "Compliant Alternatives and Costs" tab for more information.
A: Yes. As long as the transaction takes place on a NON-CU device, you are compliant.
A: Register as normal using Cvent, but mark the registration as “Offline.” Visit our How-Tos page for help on how to do this. You will do this IN ADDITION to using the credit card swiper.
A: Yes. Visit /ope/aps/4056 [18].
A: You do not need to obtain a merchant account or purchase a swiper for a fundraising event that has been approved to use the CUF merchant account. The CU Foundation can accept credit card and mail-in credit card information as they have a PCI compliant computer that is dedicated to this activity. Contact Matt Roush [26] for more information.
A: No, auction and/or merchandise sales will require the rental or purchase of a wireless terminal through the Treasurer’s Office. Revenues from these types of activities should be deposited to the University and to your event Speedtype.
Complete form [28]
Contact us:
J [21]ennifer Hane [22] | eComm [29]
Contact Jennifer for more information about eComm or Cvent.
Brad Judy [24] | Office of Information Security [16]
Contact Brad for more information about PCI and data security.
Lexie Kelly [23] | Treasury [17]
Contact Lexie for more information about merchant accounts or if you would like to set one up for your unit.
The CU Advancement office is an independent, nonprofit foundation whose sole mission is to support the people, places and programs of the University of Colorado’s four campuses. Having an independent, nonprofit foundation results in greater fundraising efficiencies and benefits for the University by assuring proper stewardship of private gifts, managing assets strategically, engaging volunteers as informed advocates, and ensuring confidentiality of donor records.
The State of Colorado provides less than 6 percent of the University’s operating budget, down from 25 percent in 1990, so private support is more important than ever.
The Annual Giving program is focused on gifts of all sizes, small or large, and is executed via a call center, mailings, and occasional broadcast emails. The Annual Giving program reaches out to alumni, donors, and parents of CU students. “Friends” (individuals who are not alumni, parents, or donors) are not solicited by the Annual Giving program.
However, if a friend of the university attends selected university events, or is otherwise approached for a gift on an individual basis, they may be contacted directly by a CU Advancement development officer.
Links
[1] https://www.cu.edu/blog/ecomm-wiki
[2] https://www.cu.edu/ecomm/submit-help-ticket
[3] https://www.salesforce.com/products/marketing-cloud/best-practices/email-design-best-practices/
[4] https://www.cu.edu/blog/ecomm-wiki/tips-tricks-really-good-emails
[5] https://www.salesforce.com/products/marketing-cloud/best-practices/email-design-best-practices/?d=marketingcloud.com/blog/email-design-best-practices&internal=true
[6] https://www.cu.edu/brand-and-identity-guidelines
[7] http://www1.ucdenver.edu/offices/ucomm/brand
[8] https://www.colorado.edu/brand/
[9] http://www.uccs.edu/brand
[10] https://www.cu.edu/brand-and-identity-guidelines/university-brand-identity-standards-board-0
[11] https://www.cu.edu/ecomm/guidelines/branding
[12] https://alumnicommunity.cu.edu
[13] https://www.cu.edu/ecomm/forms/request-access
[14] https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business
[15] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAN-SPAM_Act_of_2003
[16] https://www.cu.edu/ois
[17] https://www.cu.edu/treasurer
[18] https://www.cu.edu/ope/aps/4056
[19] https://www.pcicomplianceguide.org/faq/
[20] https://www.pcicomplianceguide.org/pci-faqs-2/
[21] mailto:kim.egan@cu.edu
[22] mailto:jennifer.hane@cu.edu
[23] mailto:alexis.kelly@cu.edu
[24] mailto:brad.judy@cu.edu
[25] https://www.cu.edu/blog/ecomm-wiki/cvent-meet-cvent-check-app
[26] mailto:matt.roush@cu.edu
[27] mailto:contact@cu.edu
[28] https://www.cu.edu/ecomm/forms/pci-compliance-acceptance
[29] https://www.cu.edu/ecomm
[30] https://www.cu.edu/print/ecomm/guidelines
[31] https://www.cu.edu/printpdf/ecomm/guidelines