Tips to Energize Your Donor Newsletter

Flaw 1: The biggest flaw of donor newsletters is weak or "fake" headlines. "Big type is not a headline," Ahern said. A headline should tell readers what the story is about so they don't have to even read the story. Ahern said elements of a good headline are enticing words, action verbs, a summary of the content and a hook that pulls readers in. He recommended using a deck (or subhead) or eyebrow (above the headline) to supplement the headline and to not be afraid to use longer headlines. The typical Wall Street Journal headline is 25 to 30 words, he said.