Is Your E-mail Message Getting Through?

Once you've identified your goal and your audience, the next step is to craft your message. You should engage your constituents and deliver on their needs. Use what you know about these people to determine how, and in what order, to describe and illustrate the benefits of your message. If you're sending a special-event announcement, they'll want to know the "what, when, why and how much." If you want to alert them about an action you want them to take, it makes sense to describe the issue and provide links that allow them to take the action you hope to drive (e.g., a link to your Web site that allows them to fill out a petition or automated letter to an editor). Many nonprofits tie their offline and online activities together. For example, e-mail a reminder notice to send back the donation form they received in the mail (or "click here to donate now").