Nonprofit marketing can be challenging in the best of times. But during a recession, contributions and government funding dried up, leaving nonprofits with “bread and water” budgets. Enter email marketing!
If ever you needed email marketing for your non-profit organization, it’s now! With an ROI of $38 for every dollar spent, it’s the cheapest, most effective, most reliable method for cultivating and engaging supporters and for raising money online. Period.
We know that, but we want YOU to experience the benefits firsthand. That’s why we’re offering a 50% discount for non-profits. Sure, I’m promoting just a tiny bit here, but this blog is about giving non-profit marketers a BIG leg up with easy-to-use email marketing software from GetResponse. So click here for a short list of benefits.
I know this sounds obvious, but it’s a frequent complaint about non-profits, large and small. Engaging, well-written content is indispensable when it comes to winning and cultivating contributors. So take extra care to:
Create compelling subject lines that are informative and include a sense of urgency. Try to give a taste of why they should open your message NOW.
Use crisp, action-oriented prose that is strong enough to excite, but not so strong as to offend (spammy).
Clearly state your “persuasion” points – Tell your readers “why” you need their help and make it convincing. Pictures, videos, and personal stories work wonders!
Include a clear call to action (CTA) – Your readers should know what they have to do to help, after you’ve convinced them (e.g. Donate Now). Use directive language and leave your recipients with no doubt about what steps should be taken. And remember to send them from the Call to Action button to a nicely-designed and functional landing page on your website.
3. Organize your content for maximum effectiveness
Browse through our blog and check out the great tips on increasing the impact of your newsletters and promotions by using pre-headers, headers, content & CTAs, and footers. You can learn more about email design here.
How does tracking help build relationships? Because readers response to relevant messages! So always check the conversion rates and adjust your campaigns (and profile data) accordingly. This will help you deliver even more targeted and relevant messages and get your closer to fulfilling your mission.
GetResponse Email Analytics dashboard main view.
5. Be actively present on social media
It’s really worth the trouble to combine email and social media to better engage audiences, wherever they are. It’s easy with GetResponse – newsletters can be shared on Facebook and Twitter with a couple of clicks so you reach a much wider audience.
Don’t forget to include links to your blog and social media pages in your newsletters and encourage people to become fans. Post and respond to comments regularly. Tweak your messages for each audience, e.g. a short effective pitch for the 140-character-limit on Twitter. Be active. Engage!
6. Test to see which messages work best
If you’re unsure which subject line or call to action will get the best response, use A/B (split) tests and try out different approaches.
Email Campaign AB Testing.
7. Stick to a regular schedule
This is important when building relationships over time with your audience. We know campaigns and promotions are hard to nail down, but if you’re providing great news, updates, and stories regularly, your audiences will stay active, engaged… and contributing!
We hope you’ll find some useful tips here and benefit from your GetResponse non-profit account with the BIG 50% discount. Register here.
This discount also extends to many church organizations looking to build a website or conduct outreach.
If you run a non-profit organization and have other questions or marketing challenges, let us know in the comments. We’d be glad to help!
