Tips to Strengthen Your E-mail Campaigns

These four Ps are what combine to position your message. Van Diest recommended organizations answer the following questions in what she called a "positioning exercise":

• What do your supporters get back when they support you?
• What is at stake — for the supporter, not just the organization — if they don't support you?
• How does supporting your organization differ from supporting another cause? Or from spending money or time another way?

Some e-mail content basics she stressed:

• Think about your audience.
• Keep content short and to the point.
• Use bulleted lists for improved scanability.
• Use stories to engage readers.
• Demonstrate a clear purpose and a clear call to action.
• Use statistics, testimonials, case studies and expert opinions to support your point.

The header you use in your e-mail communications is extremely important. Eighty percent of respondents to a 2007 Email Sender and Provider Coalition study said they decide whether to click on the "Report Spam" or "Junk" button without opening a message.