Upgrading your
E-newsletter
May 6, 2009
For audio, turn on your speakers, or
Call 1-516-453-0014; Code 453-120-294

Reminders
You can hear us, but we can’t hear you
Type questions in the Questions Log
Presentation slides
will be available on Slideshare
Turn up your volume
For the best webinar experience, close all other applications.
For audio, turn on your speakers, or
Call 1-516-453-0014; Code 453-120-294

CanadaHelps.org
What is CanadaHelps?
A public charitable foundation that provides accessible and
affordable online technology to both donors and charities.
For Charities
A cost-effective means of raising funds online.
For Donors
A one-stop-shop for giving.
CanadaHelps is a charity helping charities.
For audio, turn on your speakers, or
Call 1-516-453-0014; Code 453-120-294

Today’s Presenters
• Amy Huynh
Communications Assistant
• Kirstin Beardsley
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
For audio, turn on your speakers, or
Call 1-516-453-0014; Code 453-120-294

Webinar Agenda
1. Building Your Subscriber List
2. 3 Cs to E-newsletter Success
• Content
• Community
• Call to Action
3. E-newsletter Design and
Management
4. Q & A
For audio, turn on your speakers, or
Call 1-516-453-0014; Code 453-120-294

BUILDING YOUR SUBSCRIBER LIST

Collect emails wherever and
whenever you can!
• Build your list online (sign-up boxes, after a survey,
blog, email signature)
• Build your list offline (events, printed materials)
For audio, turn on your speakers, or
Call 1-516-453-0014; Code 453-120-294

Get permission. Don’t be a
spammer.
• Tell people what you will use their email address for
• Establish and provide a privacy statement regarding
your email list and stick to it
• Let people know that their email address will not be
shared

Tell people why they should
sign up.
• Tell your potential subscribers what you are going to
offer them in your newsletter
• Tips? Exclusive articles and updates? Rewards?
For audio, turn on your speakers, or
Call 1-516-453-0014; Code 453-120-294

Make it easy.
Keep it simple!
• Registration should be easy to find on your website
• Sign-up process should be pleasant, quick, simple
• Important to make unsubscribing just as simple
• Use an email marketing service to minimize
complications and keep your newsletter professional

Choosing an Email Marketing Service
• Helps to keep your newsletter professional
• Efficient and effective design, distribution and tracking tools
• Focus on functionality: ease of use and speed
• Remember to ask for non-profit/charitable pricing or
discounts!
www.constantcontact.com
www.verticalresponse.com
www.mymailout.com
www.icontact.com

Content
Community
Call to Action
THE 3 CS TO E-NEWSLETTER
SUCCESS

CONTENT

Notes on: Content
• Create timely, helpful and
interesting content
• Focus on developing high quality
donor-centered material
• Highlight the parts of your success
stories that motivate your
supporters the most
• Take advantage of current successes
to build support for future work
• Take credit by giving credit to others

Tips & Ideas
• Tell your stories through their stories
• Before & After: campaign success and progress
reports
• Survey your readers to find out what they want
to hear! (www.surveymonkey.com)
• Track reader interest and trends through the
data provided by your email service provider
• 80% valuable content & 20% “ask”

COMMUNITY

Notes on: Community
• Building/maintaining relationships
through email
• Engagement with your organization
should be easy, fun and meaningful
• Integrate social networking tools
and features
• Empowers your supporters to help
your mission
• Be transparent = Build trust

Tips & Ideas
• Make each reader feel they can and are making a
difference
• Ask for feedback and input to gain insights
• Take readers “behind the scenes” of your organization
• Let your supporters write some content
• Personalize if you can

CALL TO ACTION

Notes on: Calls to Action
• Let your readers know what to do next
• Make following through as simple and specific as
possible
• Explain what their action would accomplish and
what would happen next
• Follow-up in your next newsletter

• Need
• Solution
• Cost
• Urgency
• Donor Context
• Donor Benefit

Tips & Ideas
• Include multiple and varying calls
to action in every issue
• Balance the frequency of asks
with high-quality inspirational
stories
• Encourage subscribers to send
the e-Newsletter to friends
• Include your Donate Now! button

Adding your CanadaHelps Donate
Now! button to your e-newsletter
= +
IMAGE HYPERLINK
• The Donate Now! Button is made up of a hyperlinked graphic
General instructions:
• Save the desired button image onto the computer
• Insert the image into the e-newsletter layout
• Insert hyperlink provided under the LINK tab of your
MyCharity account

NOTES ON E-NEWSLETTER DESIGN
& MANAGEMENT

Keep It Short and Scannable
• Design for the skimmer
• People devote 51 seconds, on average, to an e-newsletter
• Accommodate for the preview pane
• Design for 200 x 200 pixels
• Put the important stuff at the top
• For longer stories, provide links to view entire article
• Implement a table of contents

Stand Out
• Make every word of your subject line count
• Although counterintuitive, studies have shown longer
subject lines have greater click-through rates
• Avoid words like: “coupon” / “FREE” / “$”
• Keep the layout simple, clean and consistent
• Add some visual appeal

Archive Online
• Gives potential subscribers an example of
what they’ll get
• Allows access to information
• Can help drive traffic to your website

Learn from Others
• Subscribe to e-Newsletters
• charitable sector in general
• your sub-sector
• any organization you admire!
• See what works and what doesn’t

Track Your Stats
• Find out if your email is being clicked/opened
• Find out which articles are most popular
• Use the data to continually improve your e-
newsletter

Target & Test
• Segment your subscriber list
• Send out different versions
• Experiment with more/fewer images/words
• Experiment with subject lines, content
placement, graphic design
• Useful to see what works and what doesn’t

Try it out
• Send it to yourself before you distribute it
• Create multiple “dummy” email accounts on
Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo to see what it looks like
• Proofread! Send it to your colleagues and have
them look it over

Keep a regular schedule
• Decide how often you’re going to publish and
stick to it
• Readers will get into the habit of receiving
your newsletter

ABOUT MYCHARITYCONNECTS

www.mycharityconnects.org
• Free online resources Next Webinar
• Information about technology “Website Usability
• Demos Fundamentals”
• Webinars
MAY 20
2PM – 3PM
(Eastern Time)

www.mycharityconnects.org/conference
JUNE 8 – 9 | MaRS CENTRE, TORONTO
• Two-day “Bachelor’s level” learning opportunity for
fundraisers and marketers in the charitable/non-profit
sector
• Learn about online technology, Web 2.0, social media
tools, “Philanthropy 2.0”
• Gain decision-making tips
• Learn about best practices and new ideas
• Acquire a greater sense of return on investment

www.mycharityconnects.org/conference
JUNE 8 – 9 | MaRS CENTRE, TORONTO
• 25 workshops to choose from, including topics like:
• Tips, Tools & Tricks To Building & Managing An Online Community
• Finding Friends, Fans, and Funds on Facebook
• Four Freebies and a Bargain: No- and Low-Cost Technology
• I Came, I Saw, I Planned: Social Media Strategies
• Getting Your Board on Board
• And much more!
• Registration fee includes:
• Admission to 4 keynote sessions and 5 workshops
• 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches
• Conference materials
• Conference swag bag

Question and Answer
You can hear us, but
we can’t hear you
Ask questions here
Ask away!

Thank you for attending!
Slides will be up on: www.slideshare.net/MyCharityConnects
Check out www.mycharityconnects.org for resources!
Register for the conference at: mycharityconnects.eventbrite.com
Questions, feedback, comments? Email Amy at: amyh@canadahelps.org
Thanks to: