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Some email isn't all about 'enhancement'
By Michele Donohue
Email is a great way to convey your message -- as long as it isn't trashed with offshore account schemes and male enhancement pills advertisements. There are five ways to set up, amp up and screw up your email that every nonprofit should know before hitting send.
Remember that people need to open your email first before you see results, according to a recent Nonprofit Technology Network conference session.
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Set up
- Lay the groundwork for your email with the right tools and have a plan in mind about what the email means.
- Time can mean a lot. Chances are your reader doesn't have hours to go through your email, so have a clear, direct purpose. Sure, you can write a 234-page thesis about why your group is important. But make your email messages punch with just quality information.
- Pay attention to timing. You don't want to send information about your huge Halloween fundraiser in May.
- Get to know your email list by testing what gets the most responses.
- Change things - what time you send it, what day, the sender - to see what makes people click.
Amp up
- Getting your message across is similar to dating. One-sided conversations will get you dumped. Engage your reader by sending them to forums and message boards where they can express their ideas.
- Get your reader more involved by setting up user-driven areas on your Web site where they can comment, upload photos and more. This takes the pressure off you to create content and engages your reader in the organization.
- Don't just provide a Web site link in the email -- follow up with recent subscribers and people who click on the site.
- Remember that unless your nonprofit's mission is incredibly unique -- like petitioning for a better habitat for cockroaches -- there are other organizations fighting for your cause. People are going to be drawn to nonprofit speaks to them -- so personalize your message for different groups.
- Put some time into your subject lines to keep your mail out of the trash.
Screw up
- Don't use a single image as your e-mail content. Spammers use single image-content messages and now e-mail filters are usually suppress them by default.
- Prepare for image suppression. Don't assume your e-mail images will get through. Add a link to an online version for your information just in case.
- Use a "From" designated email address consistently so that your reader will recognize it's from your organization. This will reduce the amount of mail that ends up in the trash.
- Don't forget to respect your audience. Try to give your reader the option to customize their experience with topics they would find interesting. Make it easy to unsubscribe from campaigns to minimize your complaints.
- Use list management resources. The more complaints you receive, the more people you are driving away. Make sure people who want off the list get off and stay off.
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This article is from NPT TechnoBuzz, a publication of The NonProfit Times.
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