CU*Answers, the 100% credit union-owned, data processing CUSO, recently began documentation of Client News statistics, in a similar manner as had previously been used for documenting CU*BASE Alerts. Starting with Q4 2018, Andrew MacMillan, Communications Coordinator with the CU*Answers Writing Team, began collecting data on the total number of Client News items sent out on a monthly basis. From there, Client News items were sorted by which department had requested that they be sent out.

Knowing which departments requested specific campaigns at one point in the year can help to better determine patterns year-over-year. For example, November and December often see several emails sent to clients as reminders of year-end processes, as well as promotional emails sent on behalf of the marketing team that encourage clients to take advantage of next year’s contests and cooperative campaigns. However, there are other specialty campaigns that may not be consistent from one year to the next – for example, reminders from the Network Services team for clients to complete their Client Access and LegaSuite upgrades in November 2018.

Comparing the previous year’s quarterly and monthly send rates to those of the current year is also valuable in gauging if there is a certain amount of growth that should be anticipated going forward. This can help both Andrew and the various departments he collaborates with for Client News items in planning ahead to set a timeline for the creation and delivery of these emails. Similarly, knowing which emails were sent at what date and in what order can serve as a reference point if an atypical campaign needs to be carried out again later.