Recently, I attended a Non-profit Workshop at iContact on email marketing. They taught me some helpful tips about successful email campaigns and I thought I would share a few items that I thought were helpful.
We have talked about electronic vs. print newsletters in the past on this site so you might want to check that out, but in this post we will focus on the email side. Now, on to the tips!
1. 70/30
In your email marketing efforts I learned that it is best to have 70% text and 30% images. Having more images than text gives you a greater chance of hitting the spam folder. Plus, if someone doesn’t have images turned on for your “From” address they will still be able to read your email.
2. Emphasize Privacy
It is important to note that when a reader signs up for an email list, it was their decision. We need to respect that decision and not give our lists to other people or use their information in a way that could harm them. A good email campaign should have a strong privacy policy in place and emphasized when the reader signs up for your list. Remember it is their right, not yours.
3. Urgency In The Subject Line
People get so many emails, you need to craft your Subject lines to imply urgency. Give them a reason to open your email. Here are a couple of examples: “Only 5 days left to register for ____” & “5 tips for healthy living.” The idea is to be concise and truthful about what is in the message.
4. Call To Action
Good email messages also need a “call to action,” or a button the reader clicks to do something. Maybe it’s viewing a video, or donating to a ministry within your church. You are clearly stating what you want the reader to do. It could even be as simple as “Learn more.”
5. When Should I Send My Emails?
I learned that the best time for sending out email messages is Tuesday around 10am. This doesn’t mean you have to send your messages then, but it might be worth trying to see if more people read your messages.
iContact is a great resource for NC Non-profits because they give you a free account with 10,000 subscribers and 60,000 messages per month. If you are a non-profit outside of NC, then you can still get a discount. It’s worth looking into!
Let me know some other helpful tips in the comments!