Upgrading Your E-Newsletter

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:

http://www.slideshare.net	16
http://mycharityconnects.org	10
http://blog.rositacortez.com	3
http://rositacortez.com	2
http://nonprofittechconsultant.blogspot.com	1
http://www.lmodules.com	1
http://monorganismebranche.org	1

Upgrading Your E-Newsletter

by CanadaHelps / MyCharityConnects on May 07, 2009

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Upgrading Your E-Newsletter — Presentation Transcript