Use this link to share with your colleagues:
Best Practices: Process Renewals without the Subscription Renewal Tool: https://help.pm.leapevent.tech/a/1395668
The Subscription Renewal Tool can be helpful if you're renewing fixed subscriptions. As a bonus, if you also use PatronPortal, your subscribers will also be able to purchase their Pending Renewal orders online themselves.
If you don't offer fixed subscriptions, you will need to renew your subscribers using an alternate method.
Below, we'll show you our best practice recommendations for renewing subscribers without the Renewal Tool. Specifically, we'll cover:
- How to set up your renewals report
- What to merge into your renewal letters
- Tips for selling renewals
- How to reach back out to patrons who haven't renewed yet
1. How to set up your renewals report
The first thing you need is a report of everyone who subscribed last year, what they bought, and where they sat. Then, you can contact each of those patrons to say, "Here's what you bought last year, here's what we're offering this year."
1. Click the Reports tab
2. Click New Report
3. Search and select "Ticket Orders with Contact", then click Next
4. In the Outline tab, add some columns
Make sure you've got:
- Contact ID
- Name information
- Subscription Seat Info
- Email / mailing address information
Renewing for a General Admission or Livestream subscription?
The Subscription Seat Info field will be blank - and that's normal, they don't have seats for those shows. We still recommend following the steps below, you'll just ask your patrons to renew their subscription instead of including specific seating language.
5. In the Filters tab, adjust the two preset filters like so:
- Show me: All ticket orders
- Ticket Order: Created Date: All Time
6. Now use the down arrow to add a cross filter:
7. Set it to Ticket Orders with Ticket Order Items
8. Click into the box below the cross filter to add a sub-filter; find and click "Status"
9. Set it to "equals Active", then click Apply
10. Now add another sub-filter for Ticketable Event; set the filter to "equals [the season you're renewing]", then click Apply
You'll need to enter the exact name of the Subscription Ticketable Event.
Only trying to renew one type of subscription package, rather than all your subscribers in a whole season? You'll need to add another sub-filter for Event Instance.
11. Your report should look like this - click Save & Run
12. Save your report
- Report Name: Subscription Renewal Mailing
- Report Description: add a note to let your colleagues know what this is for
- Folder: save it to a public folder that makes sense; this could even be a subscription-specific folder
- Save it up!
13. And you're done! Time to send your letters
You can:
- Export this as a CSV to use for a physical mailing
- Send an Emma email and merge the Subscription Seat Info into your email with the Import Wizard
- Create a Static Segment for MailChimp (though you won't be able to merge in your Subscription Seat Info via the connector; that would need to be done manually)
2. What to merge into your renewal letters
Generally, we recommend including:
- The seats/packages they purchased last year
- The analogous package you recommend they purchase this year
- What's included in that package
- The price of the new package
- Instructions for renewing their subscription (see next section)
- How long they have until you release their seat to the public
3. Tips for selling subscription renewals
At a baseline, your patrons can always either:
- Call your box office and renew over the phone
- Send a check with a return envelope you provide
But! Between your Public Ticketing Site and the marketing tools at your disposal, you can also empower your patrons to purchase your subscriptions online. Here's how:
Sell subscription packages online
Any of your subscription packages can be sold online, so get those up and ready before you send your mailer!
Once your patrons purchase their packages, your staff will qualify and fulfill the order.
Make sure your Public Ticketing Site is ready for the new season with this article.
Use Passcodes to offer early access
With Passcodes, you can gate access to your subscriptions with a special code. Include that code in your subscription mailing to grant them early access!
Click here to learn how to use Passcodes.
Use Discount Codes to offer special deals
Language like "purchase before April 22 for a 15% discount" can really move sales - and you can include a Discount Code in the mailer for your patrons to use via your Public Ticketing Site.
Click here to learn how to use Discount Codes.
4. How to reach back out to patrons who haven't renewed yet
A few weeks after you've sent your initial renewal mailing, you'll want to contact any subscribers who still haven't renewed yet.
You'll want to use a different report (a CRM Snapshot this time) and contact your patrons with slightly different messaging. Let's see how!
1. In the CRM Snapshots tab, go to the Tickets sub-tab and click "Find patrons who have purchased tickets to some Event Instances, but not others"
2. Name your snapshot, then be sure you're getting patrons who *have* purchased tickets to your previous season...
3. ...but who have *not* purchased tickets to your new season
4. We recommend checking the Account Rollup box, as well
5. At the bottom of the page, use the mailing checkboxes depending on if you're sending an email or hard mail
6. Run your report! Either export results to CSV for hard mail or use Emma/Mailchimp for email
In your letter, we recommend using slightly more generic language like, "Be sure to renew your subscription before prices go up on [date]!"
Each time you reach out to your patrons, be sure to re-run your CRM Snapshot - remember, they're static, unlike custom reports.