The Well Society

[Kmcalpin]

I've been in contact with a couple of folk from the Society in the last day or two to mention the issue of the original members not been made aware that they should or could renew membership and/or pay a monthly contribution. Both told me that members have been emailed and that information has been on Twitter and on the website.

 

Apparently, when mass emailing they do not send out individual emails but use a marketing programme to do it en bloc. I'm no techie expert but believe this allows them to check who has opened emails and who hasn't. Surprisingly, a few hundred emails are never opened (I don't know the exact figure). This could be down to emails ending up in spam folders or being sent to old email addresses, or being bounced back due to overflowing inboxes. So in short folks, if you are a member check your spam folders and also that the Society does have your up to date email address. Thats not to say of course that individual errors can't be made.

[capt_oats]

Apparently, when mass emailing they do not send out individual emails but use a marketing programme to do it en bloc. I'm no techie expert but believe this allows them to check who has opened emails and who hasn't. Surprisingly, a few hundred emails are never opened (I don't know the exact figure). This could be down to emails ending up in spam folders or being sent to old email addresses, or being bounced back due to overflowing inboxes. So in short folks, if you are a member check your spam folders and also that the Society does have your up to date email address.

Click/open rates for mail out stuff can be really pretty low. We use Mailchimp in my particular line of work we've a reasonably sized database (5 figures though our other social channels are much, much higher) and having just had a quick look at recent campaigns open rate was 45%.

[Lobey_Dosser]

With many folk receiving upwards of 100 emails a day, there has to be multiple forms of communication to meet your audience.

 

Having said that, I never miss the weekly updates from Motherwell or the First Minister (there's an example of paying £5 a month and feeling fully engaged in a progressive and informed environment).

[Kmcalpin]

Click/open rates for mail out stuff can be really pretty low. We use Mailchimp in my particular line of work we've a reasonably sized database (5 figures though our other social channels are much, much higher) and having just had a quick look at recent campaigns open rate was 45%.

The Society also uses Mailchimp.

[Well Well]

I was hoping we could change the business side a bit in house. I would prefer that there is a seperate budget for the youth set up that is ring fenced and grows each year (Maybe it already is) . Simple I know probably unworkable but the youth are the future salvation of our club along with the fans and we need to increase budgets in that direction. With the sale of the club I would suspect it will be reduced if anything. I wonder if the Well Society have an say in how the budget is allocated..? A lot of hope in there and no doubt someone will come along and dash them.

[stuwell]

One money raiser that I've thought about is one where we get shops to sign up to paying £120 a year and what they get is a sticker for their shop window telling folk they support the society and listed as such in some of our programmes over the season.

 

It would be best if someone visited each shop rather than mailing them and I know this is a lot of leg work for someone ( I'm not even sure if there is the people available to go into every shop around the district) but I believe we should be looking into such things.

[Lobey_Dosser]

A bit of a silly question maybe but once the fans have 75% share in the club will the WS definitely still exist as one group representing that shareholding?

 

Personally, I know the offer of individual shares has always been there but I may find it more enticing now if we are fan owned to invest that way, particularly if I continue to be unimpressed by the WS.

[steelboy]

One money raiser that I've thought about is one where we get shops to sign up to paying £120 a year and what they get is a sticker for their shop window telling folk they support the society and listed as such in some of our programmes over the season.

 

It would be best if someone visited each shop rather than mailing them and I know this is a lot of leg work for someone ( I'm not even sure if there is the people available to go into every shop around the district) but I believe we should be looking into such things.

 

Also known as a protection racket.

[steelboy]

A bit of a silly question maybe but once the fans have 75% share in the club will the WS definitely still exist as one group representing that shareholding?

 

Personally, I know the offer of individual shares has always been there but I may find it more enticing now if we are fan owned to invest that way, particularly if I continue to be unimpressed by the WS.

 

The Well Society will own the shares.

[capt_oats]

With many folk receiving upwards of 100 emails a day, there has to be multiple forms of communication to meet your audience.

^^^ Basically this.

 

Again relating things back to my own practical experience in my job mail outs are probably 3rd behind Twitter and Fscebook in terms of engaging our audience directly supported by press/radio campaigns and online ads and the occasional print ads and POS retail marketing as non-d2c means of engagement/awareness.

 

However it should all be synced into a co-ordinated strategy.

 

What I would say is that the fact the Society will be integrated into the club now is a positive in terms of engagement. One thing that the club (in my opinion) does really well is the social media stuff I've no idea if it's the same person who does both MFC & WS but from looking at content I'd guess not. Even a quick comparison of numbers shows the club (understandably) has a better reach. That isn't a dig at the WS per se it's just simple logic in so much as the main interest of the majority of fans is the club itself;

 

Twitter:

MFC - 21.6k

WS - 1.8k

 

FB:

MFC - 25k

WS -

[ML1]

 

Also known as a protection racket.

 

Only once we start smashing up the ones without a sticker.

[stuwell]

 

Also known as a protection racket.

That's another option we could look at

[Andy_P]

Bit of a ramble from me about recent events and where we are currently if you're bored and want to pass a minute or two...

 

https://andrewpatersonblog.wordpress.com/2016/03/20/too-good-to-be-true/

[David]

I've noticed a fair few people are generally unhappy at the communications coming forward from the Society, and was wondering how the people in charge actually ended up in those positions? I know it's voluntary, but still.

 

If the Society members as a whole aren't happy with communication then why not make a move to remove those involved in that side of things and appoint new people?

[mjw]

I've noticed a fair few people are generally unhappy

You've noticed as well?

[steelboy]

The problem with communication seemed to be that the Society board was restricted in what they could say by the club, John Boyle or Hutchinson at various times. That problem won't exist in the future so it's reasonable to expect communication to improve.

 

When the shares are purchased from Les there should be a total relaunch with communication front and centre.

[superward]

The problem with communication seemed to be that the Society board was restricted in what they could say by the club, John Boyle or Hutchinson at various times. That problem won't exist in the future so it's reasonable to expect communication to improve.

 

When the shares are purchased from Les there should be a total relaunch with communication front and centre.

Very good point actually.

[Steelmen]

On communication. I emailed the society from the website early last week after the news about Les going to re-pick up my membership and take one out for my daughter.

 

my reply? Oh that's right, there wasn't one. Anyone would think the people running it don't want it to succeed.

[fizoxy]

Their communication hasn't been great, but I dont think last week is a good gauge as to their response time as I'm sure they would have received a fair bit of traffic due to the announcement.

 

As far as I'm aware they only have one admin, and the other office bearers are voluntary (and as such probably have other jobs) so we're kind of getting what we pay for at the moment.

 

My criticisms of the society are more to do with the fact that the questions most people have today are the same ones they had 3 years ago, and we're set for our third relaunch.

 

I also don't like the angle of "it's up to you to save your club" when most of us were under the impression that we were doing that by spending 20+ quid to watch a game every other week, or 60 or so for a shirt that we are probably only going to wear when going to said games. I'm more on the side of "it's up to he club to spend our money wisely".

[StAndrew7]

As far as I'm aware they only have one admin, and the other office bearers are voluntary (and as such probably have other jobs) so we're kind of getting what we pay for at the moment.

 

That doesn't add up to me.

 

I've been involved in plenty of volunteer roles (with varying degrees of responsibility) for the last 15+ years and they've been something I and the other people involved with have had a real passion for (why else would you volunteer to be involved in something?) I've recently seen a project worth £850k be completed by a 'steering' group of 12 volunteers; some who were retired, some working full time and others part time. There was a clear goal and a clear path set out from the start as to how it was going to work and it was communicated to all involved. It was crystal clear from the very beginning what was expected of everyone involved and this was cascaded out to all the members and parties who were going to be part of the whole project.

 

If it's something you really care about & want to succeed you should be advocating it at every possible opportunity and communicating effectively and often with the people involved to ensure that it does succeed. The differences between the two 'Projects' (the Society and the one I've experience of) are profound. The main one - for me, anyway - is clear. Effective, frequent and concise communication of objectives, requirements and milestones is key to any project succeeding.

 

Based on comments from people on here over and others that I know, I don't think that comes across in any way, shape or form with the Society now, last year or since it was started.

 

Also, if the people heading up everything haven't got the time to give over to the Society and ensure it's a success, they shouldn't be in those positions in the first place and should have the integrity to stand up and admit to that and ask for help from the pool of members that are there, many of whom will have exactly the type of experience required to help it to succeed, but aren't being engaged at all.

[superward]

Anytime I have emailed Gavin at the WS he has got back to me fairly quickly I would have to say.

[Kmcalpin]

I've not usually encountered any problems. Craig Hughes has responded to me promptly on several occasions. Try phoning the office. I know they were busy last week. Try emailing directly well.society@motherwellfc.co.uk - that always works for me.

[weeyin]

Direct email has always worked for me too. If the website's email link was broken, they might not be aware, so worth mentioning that to to them as well.

[Big Wispy Flossy]

The only time I had to email the ws they emailed back within 24hrs

[Busta Nut]

I tried to talk about the WS yesterday on the podcast, after stumbling and stuttering about what to say I just said how I feel. I don't care anymore. I happily have a DD coming out. That's the extent of my involvment.

 

I haven't been looking to be more involved and I haven't been asked to vote or anything like that by the WS. I will continue to let the DD run, but I am a bit sick of it all.