Web Bonus: The Art and Science of e-Cultivation

Of course, before you can get constituents to donate, you need to get them to open your message and click through to the landing page on your Web site. Organizations have found significant variation in open rates based on the subject line of their e-mail messages. For example, Consumers Union recently conducted a test of subject lines and found that when it sharpened its letter and created a new subject line, open rates and click-throughs were significantly above the organization’s average. In addition to your subject line, several other factors affect open rates, including the content of your e-mail message, clarity of the donation process and incentives to respond.