This document summarizes performance benchmark data from 55 organizations that use email-to-action campaigns across 8 countries. It finds that while recruitment rates are satisfactory, participation rates, development of supporters over time, and retention of supporters need improvement. Supporter overlap between organizations is also small. The document provides ranges of key metrics like participation rates and recommends that organizations focus on increasing participation, activity levels, and retention to boost performance.

1. Performance Benchmarks
Jess Day
www.advocacyonline.net www.fairsay.com linkedin.com/in/jessday
Version 1.1

2. Benchmarking = comparing
full report at: eCampaigningReview.com 2

3. 2009 Performance Benchmarks
Focus: email-to-action e- Data Statistics:
campaigning model • 55 organisations
• 8 countries + international
Why? Those using this model
share similar strategies and • 22+ million emails sent
objectives: • 3.6+ million actions completed
• Impact through public action • 4+ million supporters
• Mobilise existing supporters
• Recruit new supporters 3 ‘area’ groupings:
• Develop and retain supporters
• Canada focused orgs
Interests: • UK focused orgs
• How are our emails and actions • Internationally focused
performing vs. peers?
• How much supporter overlap is
there with other organisations?
full report at: eCampaigningReview.com 3

4. Results as ranges
• Averages (mean, median or mode) are misunderstood
as being indicators levels of good practice: they aren’t
• If almost everyone is doing poorly, the average is very
low and a poor indicator of a goal to aim for or exceed
• Ranges allow you to:
compare how you rank against peers
set good goals
know when you are a performance leader
full report at: eCampaigningReview.com 4

5. Mobilisation: Participation Rates
80
70
60
50
# Actions
40
30
20
10
0
0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10-20% 20-30% >30%
Pa rticipa tion Ra te from Em ail
full report at: eCampaigningReview.com 5

6. Canadian Participation Rates
7
6
5
# of actions
4
3
2
1
0
0% 2% 4% 6% 8% 10% 12% 14% 20% 22% 28%
pa rticipation ra te from supporte rs ema iled
full report at: eCampaigningReview.com 6

7. UK Participation Rates
50
45
40
35
# of actions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
%
2%
4%
8%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
%
0%
6%
14
16
20
24
46
62
10
12
18
26
28
participation ra te from supporters e ma ile d
full report at: eCampaigningReview.com 7

8. Recruitment Ratio
40
35
30
25
# Actions
20
15
10
5
0
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Re cruitme nt Ra tio
full report at: eCampaigningReview.com 8

9. # Actions
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
0.
0
0.
1
0.
2
0.
3
0.
4
0.
5
0.
6
0.
7
0.
8
0.
9
1.
0
1-
2
2-
3
New-to-Existing Ratio
3-
4
4-
5
5-
6
6-
7
7-
10 8
-2
20 0
-3
0
full report at: eCampaigningReview.com
>3
0
9

10. Development: Active Ratio
30
25
# Organisations
20
15
10
5
0
<5% 5-10% 10-15% 15-20% 20-25% 25%+
Proportion of Active Supporters
full report at: eCampaigningReview.com 10

11. Development: Activity Level
80%
70%
% of Active Participants
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1 2 3 4 5-10 >10
# of Actions Participa ted in
full report at: eCampaigningReview.com 11

12. Development: Inactive
12
10
# Organisations
8
6
4
2
0
%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
%
10
00
-2
-3
-4
-5
-6
-7
-8
-9
0-
-1
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
% of Ina ctive Subscribers
full report at: eCampaigningReview.com 12

13. Retention: Drop-off/out
100%
% of participants
80%
Median
60%
Mean
40%
20%
0%
18m 12m 9m 6m 4m 2m
months since last a ction
full report at: eCampaigningReview.com 13

14. Retention: Lapse over time
90% 82%
80%
% of participants (mean)
70% 62%
60%
50% 44%
40% 32%
30%
19% 19% 19% 20%
20% 13% 12%
10%
0%
18-12m 12-9m 9-6m 6-4m 4-2m
period range (months)
Interval Drop Out Cumulative Drop Out
full report at: eCampaigningReview.com 14

15. Supporter Overlap
UK 6.9%
Canada 1 6.0%
International 1.4%
0.0% 2.0% 4.0% 6.0% 8.0%
% supporte r ove rla p w ith pee rs
full report at: eCampaigningReview.com 15

16. Email Performance
100%
90%
80%
70%
Open Rate
60%
Click Rate
50%
Click-to-Open Rate
40%
Action-to-Click Rate
30%
20%
10%
0%
Action alert Newsletter Update
Ema il Style
full report at: eCampaigningReview.com 16

17. Email performance by area focus
100%
90%
80%
70%
Open Rate
60%
Click Rate
50%
Click-to-Open Rate
40%
Action-to-Click Rate
30%
20%
10%
0%
International UK
Area
full report at: eCampaigningReview.com 17

18. Findings and Recommendations
Key Findings Key Recommendations
• Recruitment is satisfactory • For most organisations,
• Participation rates are too focus on increasing
low participation rates, activity
• Development and retention levels and retention rates as
are critically low they are all linked
• Supporter overlap is small
full report at: eCampaigningReview.com 18

19. Improve your eCampaigning by:
1. Read the FairSay Blog: FairSay.com/blog
2. Join eCampaigning Forum network: FairSay.com/ecflist
3. Learn at an eCampaigning Training: FairSay.com/training
4. Attend the eCampaigning Forum event: FairSay.com/ecf
Contact Duane Raymond
• duane.raymond@fairsay.com
• Skype: fairsay
• +44 (0)207 993 4200
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