Overview

Communicating with your entire membership at once is sometimes the best method, especially when sending out important communication that is relevant to all members. When communication only applies to a group of members, it is best to use target marketing in emails to effectively deliver the message. In order to use target marketing, Dynamic Groups should be employed. Dynamic Groups automatically add members based on defined rules from the Directory and accounting system.

Use Case(s)

Dynamic Groups are best used when using target marketing to send detailed communication to member groups. Dynamic Groups are set by defined rules that pull from the Directory or accounting system. Dynamic Groups may be groups such as: birthdays this month, balance overdue, or membership type.

Content

Group Definitions

Static Group: groups that include specific members that were placed there manually. These can be inclusion or exclusion groups.

Static Opt-In Groups: special static group that allows members to opt-in to the group. Members can opt-in/opt-out by accessing their Profile page in the Member Directory.

Dynamic Groups: groups that automatically include members based on rules you define from the Directory or accounting system.

Note: in order for any of these groups to work properly, all information in the Member Directory must be up-to-date.

To access Dynamic Groups follow the steps below depending on your access role.

Admins: Hover over Admin bar in the left-hand corner of the screen, select Dynamic Groups. Note: these are linked in the same interface, so you can toggle between the two once you either click Dynamic Groups or Groups.

Editors: Hover over Admin in the main navigation, select Main Tools, and then Inbox/Groups.

The following Groups Interface screen will launch depending on which path you choose, either Dynamic or Static.

From Dynamic Groups:

Dynamic Groups

Dynamic Groups Interface

The Dynamic Group Toolbar allows for several options:

Add New Group

Save

Save and Close

Close Out

Export Group: this will allow us to export group information in a new window, or export to CSV.

Send Email to Group: this will take us to the Compose Email Interface to email a specific Dynamic Group.

Make Group Static: mostly used by Clubessential to create special groups for page permissions.

Group Explorer: is where all of the groups are housed.

Available Fields: is where options for creating group rules are located.

Adding Dynamic Groups

To add a new Dynamic Group, click the Add Group Button (Green Plus Sign).

Add a Name for your Group. Note: this should be detailed to what type of members are in this group (ex: Male Golf Members).

Next, click Save and Close.

Click the Group Explorer tab.

Scroll to find the group, and then drag the group to the center of the Dynamic Group Interface.

Next, open the Available Fields tab by clicking on it, which will list all applicable areas from the Directory and accounting system.

Choose the appropriate rules needed by dragging them to the center of the interface. Once all rules are added your screen should display the rules in the center of the Dynamic Group Interface.

Once all rules have been added, click the Save button and then Export Group to verify the right members were added.

This will take you to the Export Group Interface.

Click Available Fields, to choose which fields to export. (Ex: first name, last name, member number, membership type). Then choose Run or Export.

Run will allow you to review the results in the browser.
Export to CSV will create a CSV export. This is especially useful for off-site data entry or tracking.

Emailing Dynamic Groups

Emails can be sent to Dynamic Groups in two ways, either from the Dynamic Groups tab or by using the Compose Email interface.

To send from the Dynamic Groups tab, click on the group name in the Dynamic Groups tab and drag to the center of the screen.

Next, click on the Send Email to Group button.

This will bring you to the Compose Email Interface where you may compose your email.

To send from the Compose Email, go to the Compose Email Interface.

Click Add Dynamic Groups link.

Scroll to find the desired Dynamic Group and click the Dynamic Group name in the Available Dynamic Groups column to move Group to the Selected Dynamic Groups box.

Click Update Groups, to then begin composing the email.

Dynamic Group Examples

Member Types (i.e. Golf Members, Social Members, etc.)
Membership Classifications (i.e Primary, Secondary, Dependants)
Male or Female
Outstanding Balance
Overdue Balance (60, 90, 120 days)
Remaining Minimum
Monthly Birthdays
Monthly Anniversaries
Never logged in to web
Members w/ Dependants*
Members by age ranges*
Golf rounds in the last month*
F&B purchases in the last month*
Credit Book Balance*
Member Analytics Predictor Score**
New Member Onboarding/Welcome Emails
Item Purchases* (based off of item reports, i.e. Taylor Made Clubs, Cases of Wine, Fitness Classes)

* Requires Clubessential Office Accounting Software

** Requires Clubessential Office Accounting Software and Clubessential Member Analytics Predictor

FAQs

Q: I created a Dynamic Group and have sent an email to the Dynamic Group, but no one received it. Why?

A: Double check the Dynamic Group rules to make sure they are set up properly. To do so, export the Dynamic Group to make sure members are in it. If members are in it, see if those members received the email. If they did not, make sure the members have their Received Email option enabled in their Profile.

Best Practices

By using Dynamic Groups, effective target marketing via the Blast Email System can be achieved. The more groups available, the easier it will be to ensure that the right people receive the right message. This should also increase email open rates as users are not bombarded with messages that are not relevant to their interests.
Special Dynamic Groups may need to be set up to create certain recurring emails. For instance, if you’re looking to create a group that pulls members between the ages of 35-45 years of age, this is a Special Dynamic Group that must be set up by Clubessential.
Trying to target members who bought a particular beverage or food item? This can easily be done using Dynamic Groups since rules are based upon information from the Accounting System and the Directory. By creating a group of members who purchase a particular beverage or food item, you can then target that group again for specials or certain events based on their purchasing choice.

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