March 3, 2016 at 8:00 am
What's the best email subject line? Easy: "Free pizza in the lunchroom." Somehow, that didn't make it into "The People's Choice: Best Subject Lines of 2015," a study by digital-marketing agency Informz. But there is a ton of killer info on the most effective and engaging subject lines nonprofits and associations used last year. The study analyzed keywords, patterns and trends in more than 80 million emails sent in 2015 as part of an A/B subject line test and 58 million emails that had open rates of more than 40 percent...
March 2, 2016 at 10:43 am
When auditing email communications, there is a lot to consider: the timing of the send, the subject line, the style and branding of the email, and, of course, the content of the email itself. But there’s one small detail that is often overlooked. What is it? The sender’s email address. Why does the sender’s email…
March 1, 2016 at 10:27 am
There’s a sweet spot for personalization, and the big news is that you don’t have to have an expensive automation-marketing tool…
February 29, 2016 at 10:40 am
After being left in the lurch for some time, email marketing again came revitalized in 2016. With an array of new approaches in email design and automation, it is likely to be a great year that is full of promises for email marketing....
February 26, 2016 at 10:11 am
Are you annoyed by those pop-up boxes that suddenly appear on some websites? Probably. Are your constituents? Likely. Does that mean your nonprofit website should avoid them? No. Everyone knows to raise money, you need to ask. And simply having a donate button on your home page isn’t a strong ask. With so much to…
February 24, 2016 at 9:55 am
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), where I’m director of engagement, faced a daunting challenge a couple of years ago: How to re-engage the many folks who were not reading or acting on our emails. It’s a common problem for nonprofit organizations and beyond, and one that’s crucial to address. Here’s how we tackled our "dead"…
February 17, 2016 at 9:20 am
Preaching against SeaWorld apparently has paid off for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). PETA recently told potential benefactors that it is under attack by "wealthy and organized opponents" to its causes, especially the fight to free captive orcas at SeaWorld parks. "Please help PETA stand up to those trying to thwart our…
February 16, 2016 at 10:30 am
Newsletters can and should be a great way to stay in touch with your donors and keep them updated on how they are helping you make a difference. Unfortunately, most donor newsletters can be used as a cure for insomnia. They’re too long and filled with articles that brag about how wonderful the organization is.…
January 19, 2016 at 11:40 am
Being the head of a small-shop development and marketing department with a staff of one (or fewer) means that you need to seize every possible opportunity for relationship-building. And your organization’s welcome message provides the prime opportunity to systematize—and humanize—the relationship-building process....
January 13, 2016 at 12:13 pm
Usually, you can count on Kiva to do solid, effective fundraising. That's why this example that recently landed in my inbox is disappointing. This email from Kiva is classic me-first fundraising. It's a common form of fundraising that's based on the premise that if you talk about your organization enough, donors will be impressed and…
