Working in a nonprofit can be hard, and marketing yourself requires a bright eye. You’ll need to attract donors, show board members the numbers, get productive work done, and more. To market yourself in today’s world, you need to go digital and reach out to a broader audience. One of the best ways to do that is email marketing.
They’re easy to set up, easy to build, and your bank account will like them too. For every $1 spent on email marketing, you can expect to make at least $42 back.
With emails come useful email lists. They are the lists that separate your audience members or, in this case, your well-wishers and donors into individual segments based on their activity on your website. This gives you the ability to reach out individually to them while they can receive emails that are more in line with the services they would like to know more about or donate.
Multitasking every aspect of your business can be challenging, and we suggest you choose a good email service provider that can come in handy for your marketing game. Do your research, look to the experts in your field, and choose the platform that suits your needs the best.
Why Are Email Lists So Important?
In email marketing, email lists are one of the most crucial components because they structure your campaigns effectively. They give you the clarity to understand which members are worth chasing after and which ones can be targeted slowly. This way, you’re not just aiming in the dark, but effectively using smart information to your advantage.
Email marketing is not a simple task, as many audience members won’t like being asked to donate regularly. Sometimes, they just want to know how your nonprofit is doing ― and that’s where newsletters come in.
There’s an advantage to email marketing: 73% of customers prefer their communications from a business or any organization to come via email. Use that to help you frame your content ― treat them like friends that you’re updating on your life.
How to Nurture Your Email Lists
It’s crucial that you don’t take the shortcut of purchasing email lists and create your own set. Buying an email list is definitely not the best way to develop a loving, dedicated base. If a customer finds out you’ve attained their email ID via another source, they are well within their rights to sue you. It could lead to a wrong impression on your non-profit as well.
When you build your own email list, you can properly nurture it. Think of a donor or audience member as a baby plant that you’re watering, sheltering and growing. You’ll need to keep an eye on it to know when to make changes according to how they’re responding and interacting with your organization. Once you’ve developed one, it makes it easier to adjust and create new ones.
Most of the email marketing software allows you to segregate your lists, and while Mailchimp is one of the most popular, you can look at other alternatives to choose from as well.
Building an Email List – What are the Best Techniques?
Building an email list requires smart usage of the best techniques and tactics, so your subscribers stay engaged and interact with your organization. Here are some of the best ones you can use.
- The easiest sign-up
One of the best ways to get a person to sign up is to get them to enter their details quickly. Many nonprofits ask their members to fill out lengthy forms, with some even asking them for their bank details, and this can be off-putting for them. To sign someone up, you should just ask them for their most essential information ― or even better, ask them permission to auto-populate the form. This way, within a matter of seconds, they’ve provided their details, and you’re good to go!
- Offer something great
When you’re getting new subscribers, you need to let your target group know what your organization can provide them in return; is it something they can find useful and relevant? A nice little free newsletter subscription for a week or an invitation of a free tour into your organization for a sneak peek into the community can do the trick, so don’t hesitate to try these out.
- Allow them to opt-in and out
Customers must always feel like they have the upper hand when it comes to email transactions, and one way you can do that is by giving them the option to opt-in and out of your email subscription. By doing so, you’re able to tell them they’re the boss and this will increase their respect for you and your organization.
- Keep updating content
Your readers will only stick with you if your content is still relevant and marketable. Make sure you’re upgrading your content with the necessary information for them to subscribe to. If they’re really in love with your blog, for example, you can give them a special upgrade to access specially written, customized blogs that cater to their interest.
With these techniques, you’ll be well on your way to creating an email list that is not just rewarding monetarily, but also useful for both parties involved. When you give the audience something they like, it automatically allows them to remain interested and donate or interact with your nonprofit.
It’s important that you’re able to tell a good story with your blogs and emails, so keep updating and coming up with innovative content. Soon, you’ll see the number of volunteers increase, and your nonprofit soar to new heights!
