Attracting + Keeping Donors with Emails They Eagerly Anticipate: Part 3

The Donor Attraction Letter

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

By now, you’re probably thinking:
 
There’s A LOT that goes into creating powerful, engaging emails that people want to read.
 
Yes, so true!
 
So far, you’ve received these top tips in my series on how to connect with your supporters via email in a way that deeply connects, awakens their senses, and gets them taking action:
 
#1: Know WHY You’re Sending Email
#2: Write Like You’re Emailing a Good Friend
#3: Use a Compelling Subject Line
#4: Keep Each Email to One Topic
#5: Keep Your Emails Reader-Centered
#6: Tell Moving Stories
 
We’ve covered so much!
 
I hope you’re finding these tips helpful as you plan and create your emails.
 
Today, we’ll wrap things up with a few more tips:
 
Tip #7: Be Helpful
 
One of the best ways to save your emails from the big delete button is to consistently offer value to your subscribers by being helpful.
 
This can take many forms and, depending on your mission, you can get creative. Think about the problems, pains, needs, worries, fears, and desires of your audience. What can you provide them with to help make their lives better, easier, more comfortable, less painful, and more enjoyable?
 
Let’s take a look at some helpful content we could provide to supporters of a nonprofit serving people affected by a rare disease:

  • Educational materials providing details about the disease, its causes, symptoms, and possible treatments.
  • A guide with physicians and treatment centers that offer care.
  • A brochure touting the benefits of attending support group meetings and a list of support groups where patients and caregivers can get and give emotional support.

When your email strategy is built with the approach of being consistently helpful, you’ll quickly become a favorite nonprofit your supporters love hearing from.
 
Tip #8: Include a Clear, Urgent Call to Action
 
Whether it’s asking someone to sign a petition or make a donation, your call to action (CTA) needs to be clear, compelling, and urgent.
 
To accomplish this, you’ll want to:

  • Include just one CTA.
  • Keep the CTA to one concisely-written sentence that evokes strong emotion.
  • Highlight the specific outcome you want to achieve with the help of the reader’s action.
  • Use wording that underscores the urgent nature of the CTA, making sure people know why action is needed now.
  • Use active verbs (eg: sign, click, donate, register, tell, share).
  • Use styling (eg: bold text, color) to help your CTA stand out.
  • Repeat the CTA multiple times.

 Here’s an example:
 
Donate by midnight to get your gift TRIPLED and help us save hundreds more animals from dying a lonely, painful death out in the bitter cold this winter.
 
Tip #9: Ask for Their Involvement + Input
 
Whether it’s attending your program workshops or fundraising events, joining your board or a committee, appearing in a special video, or any number of other ways you engage with people, use email to let your fans know how they can get involved.
 
When you get people actively involved with your cause, you’ll connect on a much more personal level and create stronger emotional ties. This goes a long way toward cultivating loyal supporters and getting a generous response to future gift solicitations.
 
Another MUST-DO for engaging with email:
 
Send out surveys to get your supporters’ opinions, impressions, and suggestions.
 
I’ve helped create many e-surveys, including a large needs assessment. These are always so insightful! And they’re truly a win-win: Your readers get a chance to weigh in with their thoughts and you get a terrific opportunity to learn more about what your audience wants from you.
 
Check out my recent post on creating a donor survey for more inspiration.
 
Tip #10: Segment
 
Imagine you’re a major donor with a close relationship to a cause. You’ve met with the President many times, and during one of your chats you mentioned that you’re not interested in fundraising events. You’re not a fan and would rather not get emails about them. You only want emails with news and helpful content.
 
For the savvy nonprofit, you’re going to get segmented on their email list in such a way that removes you from receiving event fundraising emails. This ensures you won’t get frustrated by seeing those types of emails cluttering up your in-box. Every email touchpoint is personalized and based on your preferences, an “emotional deposit” rather than a withdrawal.
 
For the nonprofit that isn’t segmenting their email list, it’s not the end of the world. But, you’re missing out on a HUGE opportunity to deliver only the content that’s highly relevant and enjoyable to your readers.
 
Getting to know your email list subscribers and segmenting them based on their personal preferences and specific interests is a big priority for any nonprofit looking to skyrocket their effectiveness with email.
 
Tip #11: Make it Mobile-Friendly
 
Is your email mobile-friendly?
 
How about your website?
 
You’ve undoubtedly heard how vital this is nowadays. Research shows that more than half of your readers are accessing your email from their mobile devices.
 
So, even if your subject line intrigues them and your content is valuable, if your email + website aren’t optimized for mobile, you’re at risk for losing a lot of your readers.
 
Make this a TOP priority if it’s still on your to-do list. If you don’t have in-house talent, bring in an expert to get this done for you ASAP. It’s well worth the investment.
 
Dedicated to helping you attract and keep your donors,


Jen Viano
Nonprofit Writer/Consultant
Editor, The Donor Attraction Letter
 
Would you like some help creating a new + more effective email marketing strategy for your nonprofit? You know emails are so important for consistently connecting with donors + prospective donors, but maybe you just don’t have the time or expertise to figure it all out. I can help. Hit reply to start a conversation or call me at 248.957.8918. I’d love to work with you!