An organization’s newsletter is one of the key aspects of email marketing for your nonprofit. Of course, modern nonprofit marketing goes beyond the newsletter, but there are still a few ways to more effectively reach stakeholders, volunteers, donors, and other advocates.
Your nonprofit newsletter doesn’t need to be photocopied or mailed in the traditional newsletter format. Email newsletters offer an effective way to reach advocates in engaging ways without the expense of printing and postage.
Try these tips to keep your newsletter fresh.
1. Design for Mobile
Keep in mind that many people read their emails from their phones. Keep your design mobile-friendly. Often, that means relying on designs other than columns and remaining mindful of how the design translates to the smaller screen.
2. Try Automation in Email Marketing
A good email marketing campaign can truly improve your brand visibility. Automation makes it easy to set up marketing campaigns that work in the background based on triggers your targets take – such as signing up for a demo, clicking on a link in a previous email, and visiting website pages. You can automate welcome emails, preschedule product announcements, and make your email work for you!
3. Think Multimedia
With an email newsletter, you may include audio, photographs, animations, GIFs, or videos. Think about multimedia to better engage with your subscribers. For example, a program staffer can speak directly to viewers in a short one-minute video. This allows people to engage with their passion and feel as though they are creating a more direct connection.
4. Show, Don’t Just Tell
The multimedia options allow you to develop a story or show your subscribers an actual reality. The combination of facts and stories can inspire your supporters.
5. Keep the Tone Conversational
Similar to social media, a conversational tone is usually most engaging. Of course, this is audience-dependent, so if your audience prefers a more formal tone make the adjustments accordingly.
6. Publish High-Quality Content
If you read about digital marketing, you probably see the customary advice to publish quality content on the web, on social media, and in your newsletter. That seems obvious, but what does it mean specifically?
Don’t publish spam or spam your advocates with low-value information. Beyond that pay attention to detail; this is often overlooked due to the informal and conversational nature of online media:
- Have a clear message tailored to your audience.
- Proofread or have someone else proofread the copy (and other media).
- If you produce video, make sure the camera is still and your lighting is bright enough. A tripod makes a big difference even if you’re shooting with your phone.
- Learn to use subheadings to make the content easy to skim.
- Be authentic, and share real stories, statistics, and information.
- Keep formatting simple so it is easy to read.
Publishing quality content isn’t as hard as it sounds.
7. Integrate Your Newsletter & Social Media
Think of your online presence including your newsletter as a cohesive entity. You’ll want to maintain a consistent voice and brand and still be customized for each audience.
One person might follow you on Instagram and subscribe to your newsletter, so they will expect different content tailored to their interests. Also, leverage your social media to get more subscribers to your newsletter.
8. Let Your Team and Volunteers Shine
Consider featuring a volunteer, board member, or staff member. A newsletter can help build community. Your supporters may enjoy getting to know others who are involved in your organization. If possible, also include some beneficiaries within any ethical boundaries while respecting their privacy.
9. Pay Attention to Your Subject Line
If you are like many other people, you don’t enjoy writing subject lines. So often, it is just a quick afterthought. However, the subject line is one of the biggest factors in whether your subscribers open your email newsletter.
Work on a descriptive subject line that inspires opens. However, avoid sensationalized clickbait as it can harm your credibility and lead to unsubscribes.
Consider using an email platform that integrates with a donor database. Over time, the data helps you get to know your audience better so you learn what interests them and what to share for more engagement. More engagement leads to more volunteers, more donations, and more goodwill.
A nonprofit productivity platform like UncommonGood is an easy way to produce a newsletter, track the results, and stay in touch with supporters.
