Email communication has some great things going for it. It’s an efficient way to communicate with a large number of people all at once, and it is relatively inexpensive. Even if you use a third-party email platform, you can still save a ton of money when you compare it to traditional methods of communication, such as printed newsletters or direct mail.
You might be dubious about the effectiveness of email communication. After all, how many emails do you get in your inbox every day that you promptly delete without reading? Probably a lot. However, recent studies show that sending emails is still one of the most effective means of marketing and communication. It doesn’t need to be the only way you communicate with your donors and supporters, but it should at least be a part of your marketing and communications strategy.
Building Your Email List
Effective email communication all starts with building a good list of email addresses. Starting today, make it a habit to ask for email addresses at every opportunity. Collect them at your own events or when you promote your nonprofit at networking or community events. You could bring along a laptop or tablet on which people could sign up to receive updates or have them sign up on a good old-fashioned piece of paper.
You also might want to consider adding an easy way to sign up for your email list on your website. A pop-up box can be effective, as are strategically placed calls to action that simply encourage visitors to sign up to receive updates. Send people to your signup form from social media as well.
Another great way to capture emails is to offer exclusive content to those who provide you with an email address. This might include an interesting white paper or ebook that is relevant to your nonprofit’s mission, a useful resource, access to a webinar, or an invitation to a live video meeting.
When it comes to collecting email addresses, a multi-faceted approach, using some or all of the suggestions above is best!
How Often to Send Out Emails
There’s no hard and fast rule when it comes to how often you should communicate with those on your email list, but in general, it should be when you actually have something to say! Don’t send out an email just to send one out or because you want to keep to a certain schedule.
Here are a few good reasons to send out an email update:
- When you have an encouraging success story to tell
- When you launch a new program or initiative
- When you have an upcoming event to promote
- When your organization makes a significant new hire
If you limit your emails to when you have something interesting or important to report, people may actually be excited to receive your emails, as opposed to sending them straight to the deleted folder.
What to Include in Your Nonprofit Emails
In addition to updating those on your organization’s email list on one of the topics mentioned above, you can also include other information to help people get to know your nonprofit a little better. Below the main story, you can choose to highlight a specific program, introduce readers to a staff member or key volunteer, or report on a recent event or activity. Don’t assume that everyone on your email list already knows everything about your organization. Use your emails as an opportunity to provide pertinent information about who you are and what you do.
At the bottom of every email, you should include some sort of call to action. Typically, for a nonprofit organization, that call to action will be to donate, with a link to your website’s donation page; or it could be a link to a form on which they can sign up to volunteer or get involved in other ways. You shouldn’t expect a lot of responses to these calls to action, but you should always provide the opportunity for your readers to get more involved.
What About Fundraising Emails?
Email solicitations for funds should be few and far between. Otherwise, those on your email list will start to assume that every email from you is just a plea for money and start deleting without even opening them. At the nonprofit organization where I work, VitalChurch Ministry, we typically only email three times per year to ask for donations: on Giving Tuesday, at the end of the calendar year, and when we do our annual fundraising campaign (although during our fundraising campaign we will send out multiple emails). Most of the emails we send out don’t ask for money at all.
If you stick to the tips above, your nonprofit organization can see great success from your email communications–including a very low “unsubscribe” rate!
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