eNewsletters and the Path to Donor HappinessOctober 25, 2012

www.luttrellcommunications.com

Presenter

Karen Luttrell has been leading digital marketing initiatives for 13 years. She has launched and managed email newsletters for local, national and international charities and not-for-profits. Karen is a member of AFP and IABC and she volunteers as VP Communications for the Professional Writers Association of Canada Toronto Chapter. You can tweet to her at @karenluttrell or visit her at www.luttrellcomunications.com.

Urgent Problem: Donor Retention

Only 1/3 of charities surveyed inspired a second gift from at least 4 out of 10 new donors.

The Agitator Donor Retention Survey Results (2011)

http://www.theagitator.net/communications/donor-retention-survey-results/

eNews & Donor Retention

Relationship building is the key to retaining donors. An effective eNewsletter can be an important part of your donor retention plan.

immediate frequent (and affordable) personalized easily integrated with other channels and

rich media (audio, video)

4 Steps to Take with Your eNews

1 Get opened2 Get read3 Build relationships4 Refine and Repeat

1. Get Opened

Only around 20% of nonprofit e-mails are actually opened.

From Reason Digital article written in 2010, citing mail chimp international as source for the stat

http://www.reasondigital.com/better-charity-emails/

Step 1: Get opened

1. From line- make it from a real person- never from info@ or no-reply@

2. Subject line - make it topic-specific, not just “newsletter”- clever is good, but clear is better- tell what readers will get out of opening & reading it- Aim for 50 characters or less so it doesn’t get cut off

Step 2: Get read

6. Design for legibility5. Use photos and captions4. Use language that is simple and easy to

read3. Use great headlines and subheads to

capture & keep attention2. Personalize it (name, type of support)

Get Read cont’d

The #1 way to get read is…Provide quality content that donors

WANT to read.

Quality content: Provides value Informs & inspires Creates a personal connection Builds relationships****

Step 3: Build Relationships

Great content provides “donor love”

Tom Ahern in presentation for past AFP Congress, gives one of the best explanations I’ve heard of how to speak to donors to create connection and good will

Donor love is his term in the presentation – Great way to think of it!

Build Relationships cont’d

Say thank you early and often Speak directly to a single donor Give the donor credit Use “you” and “your” (not “us” “our” “we”) Tell stories that show how your donor made

a difference Use numbers – with care, and perhaps not

in the way you would think Use two-way communication (engage)

Build Relationships cont’d

Sample phrases for “creating donor love” Thank you Because you helped Your gift made the difference You helped prevent… You helped build… Your investment, your support, your generosity You made it possible You helped so many people

See also:How to Write Successful Fundraising Letters, by Mal Warwick (Appendix C, 90

Ways to Use the Word “You”)Showcase of fundraising innovation and inspiration (soffi.org), particularlty the

Women’s Royal Voluntary Service face-to-face postcard at http://www.sofii.org/showcase-item?hall=274&id=39&pos=1

Email by Canadian Women’s Foundation, used with permission.

Building Relationships con’td

Telling Great Stories How, and where, to find your

organization’s stories Point of View Questions to ask Caveats

Building Relationships cont’d2-way communication and encouraging

action Ask for input Provide a series of actions that require

increasing involvement Recognize action Integrate with other channels

Back to our sample email

Step 4: Refine and Repeat

• Listen• Test and track• Revise and continue

frequent, consistent communication

Split testing info: www.marketingprofs.com

Tracking & measuring online marketing: Search the TechSoup Canada blog

Summary

Make Your Donor eNewsletter: Brief Frequent Easy to read Personal Informative Emotional Overflowing with gratitude to the

donor***

Resources and Reading

Sofii.org The Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration: http://www.sofii.org/

Association of Fundraising Professionals Member Resources (presentations from Congress)

The best times to send email for opens and click-through (MarketingProfs)

How to get your email newsletter opened and read (blog post)

Using your newsletter to create an ambassador corps (blog post)

The Non-Designer’s Design Book, by Robin Williams (book on graphic design concepts)

Picture Perfect Communications (article at charityvillage.ca)

Questions?

Questions welcome. And please keep in touch.

@karenluttrell karen@luttrellcommunications.com www.luttrellcommunications.com www.facebook.com/LuttrellCommunication

s Tel. +1 647-287-4344

Thank You

Thank you for being great participants today.

Thanks Kiran and Claire and Artez for inviting me and for hosting and giving us all the chance to be here and share together today.