How's your nonprofit newsletter doing?
It's hard to make them work. But here are some great tips from the Newsletter Creators Blog for maximizing e-newsletter results:
- A few days after you send an issue, re-send it to people who haven’t opened it with a new subject line acknowledging it’s a re-send. (This is a smart thing to do with any email you send.)
- Include a question in your welcome email inviting them to tell you about what they’re working on and what problems they’re trying to solve.
- Create one (or two) backup/emergency issues to have on hand for weeks when you get busy and don’t have time to create a new issue.
- Make sure the description of your newsletter is focused on the value subscribers will get from it -- not just a description of what the newsletter is about or why you write it.
- Include a mention/link to your newsletter signup page within the first few paragraphs of your blog posts.
- Don’t use the phrase “mailing list.”
- Make the link in your social profiles a link directly to your newsletter signup page as opposed to a general link to your website.
- You need to publish at least once every two weeks and ideally at least once a week.
Here are some additional tips I've come across for nonprofit newsletters:
- Don't use "August Newsletter" as your subject line. Make it stand out in the inbox.
- Consider sending only one story at a time, rather than the standard list of stories.
- Have a variety of actions readers can take. Not only donate, but sign a petition, share with a friend, volunteer, take a quiz, etc.
- Include relevant useful content that readers can benefit from. (Healthy recipes, travel guides, anything that connects with your cause.)
