How to get people to sign up for your emails

One of the best ways to grow your email list is organically, a bit at a time, from among offline donors and online visitors. That means doing a lot of small things that make it easy and attractive for folks to sign up to get emails from you.

You end up with two groups this way:

1. Offline donors who now have the opportunity to give online. This is important because donors who give in both channels are of considerably higher value than those who give in just one.
2. A pool of warm prospects who are interested in your cause and may give eventually. The response rate of this group to your email appeals is low, but well worth the effort.

Here, from Karen Zapp's blog, are a whole bunch of ways to get those important email sign-ups: 18 ways to grow your email list. And more here.

Here are some of them:

• Give donors, members, advocates and prospects a darn good reason WHY they should sign-up for email.
• Add a sign-up box to your website pages that's above the fold.
• Add a newsletter sign-up module on your Facebook page.
• When appropriate, the call-to-action at the end of a YouTube video could be to sign-up via email for more info.
• Ask for their email address in direct mail appeals.
• Whenever a donor, member or supporter calls your nonprofit, have your call center invite them to share their email address.
• Include an email sign-up on search landing pages and make it very visible.
• Your email service provider should have a way for subscribers to easily share.
• Format your email to be.
• Deliver quality content that's relevant, personalized, and of value to your subscribers.