Email Tips from One Non-Profit to Another

Andrea WoodManager of New Media & Engagement

Reality Check:

> Most people have 3.1 email accounts

> Average open rate: 22% (Ranges 20-35%)

> Average click-thru rate: 4% (Ranges 2-6%)

Q: How do people read email?A: They don’t.

People scan email.

> Scanners spend less than one minute reading an email newsletter

> Only 19% read an entire newsletter

> 67% skip the intro

Q: How do we get people to read, or at least scan, our email?

A: It’s about improving the odds.

1. Priority one: subject line

Make the reader think they’re missing out if they don’t read your email

DON’T MISS THIS TIP! Superlatives and exclamation points get you nowhere

Subject line and “from” line should work together

You’ve got 50 characters - say the important stuff first

Have a stranger write it

Borrow, steal, flatter

2. Write for how people read; er, scan

Short blocks of text

Meaningful headings & sub-headings

Edit, edit, edit

Put an index at the top of long emails

Highlight key phrases, bold headlines and hotlink embedded content (donation links, event registration; etc)

Those fancy HTML newsletters…

3. Hold their attention: good content

What is your unique expertise?

Highlight your organization’s people

Tell stories

Play off big news stories

Follow up - complete circles of information

examples

4. List building ideas that work

Create a fun quiz, ask for email and zip

Create a pledge

Signup links EVERYWHERE

Partner with co-sponsors on list building

Permission and opt-in

4. List building ideas that work (cont.)

The Power of Blogs• A frequent, chronological publication of

personal thoughts and Web links.

• A blog is often a mixture of what is happening in a person's life and what is happening on the Web, a kind of hybrid diary/guide site, although there are as many unique types of blogs as there

What Should be on a Non-Profit Blog?• Non-Profits - tell a story.

• Follow a member of the center

• A family that has received information or aid

• Activities of your non profit

• Have someone on the staff or board write a “how to” entry for the blog

Include a real story in your blogs – not only for interest factor but to reach out

to the people visiting your site.

• Create Personal Connection with your donors and the people you serve

• Blog about what is important to those you serve

• Provide updates on what your organization is doing

• Evoke a response – a call to action

• become a volunteer or donate to a fundraising event

• if fundraising do not be afraid to ask for a donation – it is expected

• Blogs add a personal touch to your site or as a stand alone feature of your group.

• Don’t be afraid to start one. It can become a direct communication with your constituents.

• Keep in mind that a blog needs new stories or information that will build readership to your site.

• Stick with it and enjoy the experience.

How do I Create a Blog?

Hosted vs. Self-Hosted Blogs

• Hosted Blogs are stored on another companies server and use their system for posting. It is the vendors responsibility to host and update the software.

• Can typically be setup by most tech savvy people.

• Self-Hosted Blogs are a software program that you store on your web server. It is your responsibility to host and update the software.

• Usually requires the support of a web profession.

Open Source vs. Commercial Blog Software• Open Source Software is created by a

community of developers and typically available for free or a donation. No one to call for support. Must ask the community for help.

• Commercial Software is created by a company and supported by that company. Support is available through email or telephone. Service or software costs money.

Top Vendors

• Hosted Blogs

• Typepad (Commercial Hosted Software - Monthly Fee)

• Wordpress.com (Based on Open Source, Hosted Software with additional charges for more disk space and customized domain)

• Blogger (Free Hosted Software from Google)

Top Vendors

• Self-Hosted Blogs

• Movable Type (Commercial Software)

• Wordpress.org (Open Source)

• Blogger also offers a version where the files are hosted on your server, but still requires the Blogger Hosting to fully work.

What is Group Fundraising?

• The process of gathering money and other gifts in kind over the internet:

• By empowering individuals to convey the value of a program or project to persepective donors of their own choosing

• through the use of blogs, widgets, images, video and social networking sites (MySpace, Facebook)

501c3 Organizations Only Anyone with a Paypal account

Teachers in the U.S.

Individuals in Need

Group Fundraising Vendors

Source: NTEN Webinar, Group Fundraising 101: From Benchmarks to Success Stories, 7/17/07

Commercial Nonprofit

What kind of Companies are the Vendors?

Source: NTEN Webinar, Group Fundraising 101: From Benchmarks to Success Stories, 7/17/07

High Low Benchmark

Average donation amount $55 $30 $43

Average amount raised per campaign $3,230 $119 $692

Average number of contributors 40 4 16

Benchmark figures for group fundraising campaigns

Benchmark figures for “successful” group fundraising campaigns

High Low Benchmark

Average donation amount $149 $36 $57

Average amount raised per campaign $11,393 $5,158 $9,018

Average number of contributors 269 48 157

Source: NTEN Webinar, Group Fundraising 101: From Benchmarks to Success Stories, 7/17/07

Group Fundraising Convio E-Benchmarking

eNonprofitBenchmark Study

Open rate --- 22% 25%

Click-through rate --- 3% 1.5%

Response rate Possibly 35% 0.28% 0.3%

Average Amount $43 $56 $70

Getting people to start campaigns is the hard part. Once they’re started, the results will exceed what you could have accomplished on your own.

NetworkforGood reports that 76% of donors say they are influenced by friends and family when choosing an organization to donate to.

Compared to Other Online Fundraising Benchmarks

Source: NTEN Webinar, Group Fundraising 101: From Benchmarks to Success Stories, 7/17/07

Path 1 of 3

Sympathy for the campaign organizer

Source: NTEN Webinar, Group Fundraising 101: From Benchmarks to Success Stories, 7/17/07

Path 2 of 3

A clear picture ofwhere the money is

going

Source: NTEN Webinar, Group Fundraising 101: From Benchmarks to Success Stories, 7/17/07

Path 3 of 3

Matching funds combined with a

deadline

Source: NTEN Webinar, Group Fundraising 101: From Benchmarks to Success Stories, 7/17/07

Adopted from What Kevin Bacon Knows about Web 2.0: Six Degrees of Person-to-Person Fundraising

1. Build a great campaign2. Donate to your own campaign3. Post your campaign on your web site and / or blog4. Add the campaign to your email signature5. Send the link to people in your email address book6. Ask bloggers to join your cause7. Bookmark your campaign on aggregation web sites8. Take your cause (and laptop) everywhere9. Thank people and report back on progress made

Tips for Campaign Organizers

Source: NTEN Webinar, Group Fundraising 101: From Benchmarks to Success Stories, 7/17/07

PodcastingWhat is Podcasting?

The delivery of audio or video content online or to digital devices for later listening.

Video Podcasting is becoming increasingly more popular than Audio Podcasting

Why should I use Podcasting at my Non-Profit?

• Your donors and the people you serve can see and get to know those at your organization. Creates a personal connection.

• Sometimes it is easier and takes less time to just talk instead of writing.

• Adapting to our TV and Radio Culture

What do I need to Audio Podcast?

• Microphone

• Computer

• Conference Line that can be Digitally Recorded for interviews

• Audio Editing Software and MP3 Encoder

• Audacity for Mac or PC (Free, Open Source)

• Garage Band for Mac

• Quiet Place

What do I need to Video Podcast?

• Webcam or Camera that can be hooked up to Computer

• Microphone

• Computer

• Video Editing Software

• Camtasia Studio for PC

• iMovie for PC

• Windows Movie Maker for PC

• Quiet Place with Pleasing Backdrop

Tips for Podcasting

• Don't take more than 10 minutes

• Keep things interesting and entertaining

• Keep it geared towards your audience

Cool Stuff You Should Check Out

•MySpace•Facebook•Squidoo•SurveyMonkey•Ning

•Collective X•30boxes•Upcoming.org•Flickr•Volunteer Match

Handouts included in Your Folders

•Andrea’s Email Tips

•Email Permission Rules

•10 Ways to Use Storytelling in your Blog

•Resource Links and Non-Profit Website Examples

•Succeeding Steps Non-Profit MasterMind Group Information

Q&A

Have any additional questions?

Alana Habermanahaberman@succeedingsteps.com

John Hermanjherman@succeedingsteps.com

Andrea Woodandrea@equalityohio.org

Thanks for coming!