Email Marketing Your Ministryby
Jessica High Emails have become a primary form of communication. However, dealing
with spam filters, trying to communicate through an impersonal tool, and
growing a database of contacts all are present challenges to ministries. Blackbaud, Inc. a group that develops fundraising software,
offers a few basic tips for creating successful emails.
They say timing is
one of the most important issues. If you are promoting an event, you will want
to schedule your email well ahead so that people will have time to read the email,
make decisions, send a response, and you can send reminders if need be.
Knowing your audience
is another critical issue. Different groups need different amounts of content
and different communication styles. By setting up various lists of contacts,
you can set up the appropriate emails to send to each group. There are many
email management tools out there, such as Constant Contact, that allow you easy
options for setting up lists and tracking views.
Newsletters are
helpful for donors. It gives them a chance to see what is happening in your
organization—their support at work. Everyone enjoys stories. It provides a
personal connecting point. Remember, relationships are key to maintaining
support! Even featuring donors in your newsletter, with their permission, can
be special. Newsletters don't have to be monthly, but you need to aim for consistency in order to be professional in your updates.
Consider your message.
When you send out emails, what compels people to give? What makes your passion
unique? Ask those questions and consider how you can alter your content to be more effective.
Revision and editing
are still important! Typos may be small errors, but they certainly stand out
when you make them. Grammar errors and other such mistakes detract from the
professional appearance of your organization. Brush up on your basic grammar rules and take the time to proof-read.
Be creative—this is
especially important as you write the subject lines for your emails. Spam
filters can be very picky over terms. Using specific terms without lots of
punctuation or dashes can help your email avoid being caught by spam filters.
Promote your email
to your current contacts and through your website. Just by adding a simple
sign-up box on your website provides people who are marginally interested in your
ministry the chance to find out a little more about who you are. This is the
first step in developing a relationship. Encourage your current supporters to
pass on your emails and talk about it with others.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with some of these ideas! Find
which areas are especially helpful and continue to develop those.
Have more questions on
developing email newsletters? Email Jessica High at jhigh@christianfoundationgrants.com
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