2017 ASHS Annual Conference

Consistent and effective communication is key to engagement and retention of volunteers. The Iowa Master Gardener program publishes an award-winning newsletter each month entitled Master Gardener News & Views. This newsletter has consistently ranked among the top 10% for open rate of all newsletters sent through Constant Contact, placing it in their All Star category. For 2016 the average open rate was 43.6%, which is more than double that for higher education in general (19.2%). Such a high level of engagement may be attributed to several factors: newsletter content, layout and design, and management practices. Newsletter content is based on what Iowa Master Gardeners want to know. Previous research indicated that master gardeners are motivated to remain active as volunteers by learning new horticultural information. Each issue of the newsletter includes a Mystery Plant. The first respondents with the correct identity are recognized in the next newsletter as Super Sleuths. Short articles on topics of greatest interest for continuing education, such as native plants, local foods, and sustainable practices are included. Upcoming events that feature continuing education opportunities also are listed with links to more details. More than 50% of the readers access the information on mobile devices, so the newsletter was redesigned to be mobile friendly. Articles are short (fewer than 200 words), the writing style is in active voice, and each article includes a photo or graphic image to enhance the reader experience. Boxes unify the written content and graphic elements, with alternating background colors to provide visual separation of articles. The palette reflects colors approved by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach for consistent branding and visual identity. In addition, the Iowa Master Gardener logo is prominently displayed in the newsletter header. Database and other management practices are also important in newsletter engagement. Inactive emails are removed monthly from the database. Email delivery of the newsletter is timed for consistency each month, with some flexibility for optimum hour and day of the week, according to Constant Contact metrics. The newsletter is promoted through Facebook, because 67% of Iowa Master Gardeners are regular Facebook users. In addition, links to past newsletters appear on the Iowa Master Gardener website, in case readers missed the original email.