How to Build Your Email List with a "Must Have" Incentive + More: Part 1

The Donor Attraction Letter

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

How are you doing with building your email list?
 
Do you feel like it’s pretty robust?
 
Or do you feel like it needs some major attention because you’re missing lots of people who could benefit from, get engaged, and give through your emails?
 
If the latter is the case, this post is for you!
 
Building a community of people who want to hear from your nonprofit via email is one of the MOST valuable assets your organization can have.
 
Why?
 
Because email is still the most popular vehicle people use to take action online.
 
Over the past few weeks, I shared tips with you for creating emails your readers eagerly anticipate.
 
Now, let’s turn our attention to how you can grow your email audience:
 
Tip #1: Good Guidance from Seth Godin
 
Seth Godin, the go-to thought leader on tribe-building, says this about how to successfully build an audience:
 
Be personal, relevant, and anticipated.
 
This is really the backbone of how you’ll get people to join—and stay on—your email list. We explored these points in my last few posts you can find here, here, and here.
 
Always keep this mantra in mind when crafting your email messages.
 
Tip #2: Offer a MUST-HAVE Incentive
 
Nowadays, it’s harder to get someone to sign up for an email list.
 
People see invitations on just about every website, blog, and social media platform asking for their name and email address. Chances are good your audience is already signed up for dozens of email lists. They sure aren’t looking for more email!
 
But, if people think your emails can be of value—helping them solve a problem or giving them something they desire—they’ll sign up.
 
So, how can you grab attention and overcome email sign-up inertia?
 
One powerful way is with a MUST-HAVE incentive.
 
In copywriting speak, this is called a “bait piece.” The incentive serves as bait to help attract a potential email subscriber.
 
What’s critical here is offering something of real value to anyone who gives you permission to send them your emails. Reward their trust in you with something that will be of genuine help and benefit. This will create tremendous goodwill and begin a strong email relationship with you.
 
Some examples I like include:

  • A special publication, educational guide, or other helpful resource that can be immediately downloaded.
  • A meaningful discount on an upcoming workshop, seminar, or special event.
  • A special offer for a product/service through a cause marketing partnership (eg: a company like Whole Foods provides each subscriber with a coupon for $25 off a $50 purchase).

Tip #3: Describe a Compelling Benefit 

Whether you’re offering an incentive or not, be sure to describe a compelling benefit for signing up.
 
You need to stir up emotions and let subscribers know how the content you’ll share will be useful to them.
 
Retailers, for example, will entice potential subscribers by highlighting all the money-saving coupons and offers they put out via their emails.
 
As a nonprofit, depending on your mission and focus, you'll want to promise benefits like:

  • Helpful information, programs, and resources that can help people live a better quality of life.
  • Stories of hope and triumph over tragedy.
  • News and updates on legislation affecting the cause.
  • Early news and invitations to special events and opportunities to get involved.

Here’s some sample sign-up copy from the Michigan Humane Society:
 
By joining our growing online community you will receive important news and updates in addition to heartwarming stories about the difference we are making in the lives of animals.
 
That copy could be improved. But, for animal lovers who care about MHS’ work, this gets the job done.
 
Check out this simple copy from a favorite blog of mine, Positively Positive:
 
GOOD NEWS RIGHT TO YOUR INBOX

Love it! This is a great example that quickly expresses the benefit people get for signing up. If I sign up, I’m going to get good news that’s going to make me feel good. We need more of that, don’t you think?
 
You may not be able to get an effective message across as succinctly as that one. But this helps show some variance. The best way to figure out what works optimally for you is to test different types of copy.
 
Tip #4: Make Your Sign-Up Box Stand Out
 
On your website, your email sign-up box should be easy to spot on your home page, and it should draw people right in.
 
To accomplish this, you’ll want to:

  • Frame it beautifully. People are naturally attracted to things that are visually appealing, so give your email sign-up form the best chance at getting noticed (and acted on) by making it beautiful. Use bold, contrasting color and text styling that sets it apart from other content.
  • Place it prominently “above the fold.” This means putting your box high enough so that it’s visible without any scrolling. And I recommend placing it on the top right where our eyes tend to naturally gravitate.
  • Use an arrow. Try putting an arrow in the “Submit” or “Join Today” button. This helps catch a reader’s eye as they scan your page.
  • Don’t overwhelm with too many fields. It can be tempting to ask for a lot of information at your email sign-up. Resist that temptation and make it easy on your visitor by asking for just the essentials, which I feel are first and last name and email address. Along the way, you’ll be able to acquire more information on your new fan as you build your relationship.

Check out the Michigan Humane Society’s home page box for an example. Again, I think their sign-up process/copy could be improved. But this helps gives you a visual sense to get your creative juices flowing.
 
OK, that’s it for this post!
 
Next week I’ll bring you Part 2 where we’ll cover things like where else on your site your sign-up box should go, using direct mail and events to capture emails, leveraging social media, and much more.
 
Dedicated to helping you attract and keep your donors,


Jen Viano
Nonprofit Writer/Consultant
Editor, The Donor Attraction Letter
 
Need help building your email list? I’d love to partner with you! Research shows over 90% of people check their email every day. Let’s build a better strategy and stronger communications to make sure your nonprofit is reaching more of your friends, fans, and followers through email. Hit reply to start a conversation or call me at 248.957.8918.