How successful are your email marketing campaigns?
Are you still creating emails the same way you were years ago?
Does your email marketing consist of a monthly newsletter that few people actually read?
Most nonprofits are using email to reach out, inform and solicit their supporters in some manner. However, many nonprofits are not fully utilizing the medium to maximize their results. If you feel your email marketing could use a little help or want to take it to the next level, this webinar is exactly what you need.
In this jam-packed webinar we will highlight a number of successful tactics and strategies you can start using immediately to increase your efforts, including:
- How to build your email list
- How to write subject lines that get emails opened
- The power of storytelling via email
- How to write email content today – it is different than it used to be!
Email Marketing 101 – Beyond the Monthly Newsletter
1. Sponsored by:
Email Marketing 101 – Beyond the
Monthly Newsletter
Rich Dietz
August 20, 2013
Use Twitter Hashtag #npweb
Part
Of:
2. Sponsored by:
Protecting and Preserving the
Institutional Memories of
Nonprofits Since 1993
www.cjwconsulting.com
(866) 598-0430
info@cjwconsulting.com
Part
Of:
4. Sponsored by:
Today’s Speakers
Hosting:
Cheri J Weissman, CJW Consulting & Services, Inc.
Assisting with chat questions:
Jamie Maloney, 4Good
Part
Of:
Rich Dietz
President and Founder
Nonprofit R + D
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Our Speaker
Rich Dietz
Founder of Nonprofit R+D - Technology
Training for Nonprofit Professionals
Richard has over 20 years' experience working
in and with a wide variety of nonprofit,
political, and government organizations and
holds a Masters in Social Welfare (MSW) from
UC Berkeley.
You can find Rich on his website
http://www.nonprofitrd.com
or tweeting @nonprofitrd.
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Best Practices?
• A “best practice” = what works in your org
• Testing is the key,
– Much easier to do online
– If it works, do more.
– If not, try something else.
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Email is still the most effective online method
• 69% prefer electronic over print communication
• Cygnus Donor Survey
• High Return on Investment (ROI)
• $42 for every $1 spent - VerticalResponse
Relatively inexpensive
Easiest way to connect and follow-up
• 7 touches – marketing principle
• Follow up can be very effective – progress, success, more help
Why Email Marketing?
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No Magic Bullet
There is no one single tactic that will fill your list
The key is
• Consistency
• Multiple approaches
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Ideas to Grow Your Email List
Quick Ideas
1. Make it easy
2. Tell-A-Friend
3. Event registration forms
4. Add to paper forms
Plus…
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Sign up form on your site
Adding an opt-in box to your website
• Email provider can give you the code to do this
Where should you put it? Everywhere.
• Sidebar is a great start
• Homepage
• About page, program pages, etc.
• Boom bar / hello bar
Add an opt-in box below your content
• If they read to the bottom, they like the content
• Get them to sign up right then
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Incentives for Sign Up
Need a strong reason WHY
• What are the benefits for THEM, not you
Bribes, Gifts, Downloads
• Give them that little extra for signing up
Ideas for incentives
• How-to, white paper, infographics, email series
• T-shirt, bumper sticker, yard sign
• Videos, success stories, updates
• Matching Gifts - $1 for every signup
• Get creative!
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Run a Contest
Sign up / spread the word.. Win prizes
• I did this with RaffleCopter.com
• Its fun and gives a reason to talk about it
Super simple version
• Raffle based on all current signups
• Reward new and current subscribers
• Encourages them to stay on your list
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Email Signature
How many emails do you send per day?
• Why not use those opportunities
Add links to your signature
• Very easy to do
• Can change as often as you like
• Email opt-in, upcoming event, etc.
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#1 Rule – No Spamming
Only email to Confirmed Opt-ins
• Spamming can do more damage than good
• Lost account or bad reputation
Quality over Quantity
• I prefer double opt-in
• Goal is not a huge list
• Better to have a small responsive list
Not building an email list
• Building a relationship with people on your list
• Eg./ Personal story
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Test, Test, Test
Best Practices are a start
• A “Best Practice” is what works for YOU and your organization
Testing is the only way to find what works
• The Obama Campaign – tested everything
• Many surprises -- “Hey”
Ideas to test
• Subject lines, layouts, graphics, calls to action, bribes, etc.
• Each idea we discuss could have multiple versions or tests
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Write Awesome Content
More spam please!? No thanks.
Write from a personal point of view
• People want to connect with real people
• Coffee with a friend
• Eg/ My last newsletter, told a personal story
• More positive comments than ever
Use “You”, not “We”
• More conversational - Makes them a part of the story
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Monthly Newsletter - #FAIL
Monthly newsletters no longer work
• Too much content, lost in the inbox
• Need shorter, engaging content
• Tell stories over multiple emails
Easy to digest / “Scanable”
Get the click
• Don’t put the whole article, click to read more
• Video will have the highest click-through rates (3-5x higher)
Single Call to Action in every email
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Email Design
The Simple Way – use a template from email provider
• They will take care of all the tech stuff and make it look good
• Pick a simple, short, easy to read template
Beyond that.. Keep these in mind
• Width of 640px or less
• Important info “above the fold”
• Test how it looks with “images disabled”
• Don’t use large blocks of text – “scanable”
• Fonts – “web safe” and easy to read
• Test in multiple email clients
• Outlook, gmail, yahoo, hotmail, etc.
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Best time to send?
It Depends…
• Really need to test this with your audience
• Weekday usually better than weekend
• 10am usually better than 9am
• Midweek usually better than Monday/Friday
• Try different days and times and track
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Subject Lines
Keep it short
• Around 30-35 characters, or it gets cut off
• Need shorter, engaging content
Avoid the spam filter
• Avoid ALL CAPS, symbols, “free”, too many !!!!!!!!
• Spam filters are based on formula
• Too many points and you are spam
Change it up
• Don’t use the same subject on every email
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Subject Lines
Relevant and enticing
• Literacy eNews – January 2011, OR 5 tips to create a life long reader
Catch their eye
• Be a little different, but not too much
• Try one !, or other symbol
• Ask a question or be a bit controversial
• Use verbs and actions
Test, Test, Test
• Only way to know for sure
• Obama campaign was always testing
• The famous “Hey” subject line
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Frequency
Don’t fear the unsubscribe
• Probably not going to be supporters anyways
• May not happen anyways –
• Case study – High vs. Low Frequency Emails
• High Frequency Emails had:
• 23% more money
• 31% less unsubscribes
More frequent “asks”
• Not always for money – build a relationship
• Other small favors and actions
• Petition, Tell-a-friend, watch video, Like on facebook, etc.
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Welcome Series
Series of emails automatically sent
• New subscribers, new donors, new volunteers… get creative!
• Automated with your email provider (constant contact, mailchip, etc.)
• Allows them to get to know you better over time
Excellent Engagement
• 4x more opens, 5x more clicks – Experian Marketing Services
Ideas
• Don’t ask for money again right away
• Don’t bore them
• DO tell them more about your work, staff, clients and especially…
• Success stories
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Mobile Friendly Email (next level)
Probably need to start working on this
• Some predict more email open on mobile than desktops by early 2014
• 82% of smartphone users check and send email
• 61% close or delete if not mobile optimized
Mobile email templates
• Most providers have these now
• Easy to use and set up
However, is your website mobile friendly?
• No sense in doing mobile email if your site is not ready for them
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danariely.com
Why Stories?
Campaigns (with stories) are compelling…
• Donation pages are not
Stories create an emotional connection
•Emotion >> Rationality
•Buy based on emotion / Rationalize it later with facts
What donors want to hear about:
• Organizational Impact (80%)
• Success Stories (74%)
• More details about the organization (71%)
• Info on financial accountability (43%)
Community Philanthropy 2.0 survey
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Stories = Connection
Create emails and campaigns with “stories” in mind
• Individual stories are more effective
• Inspire supporters with your passion
• Across emails.. The Cliffhanger
• Childhood Hunger vs. six-year old Marie
http://www.austinfoodbank.org/hunger-is-unacceptable/http://www.austinfoodbank.org/hunger-is-unacceptable/
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Action Steps
Commit to trying some new email strategies
Select a few strategies or ideas and test
Take action, collect results, evaluate results
Take another action
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