| You've added a donate button to every page of | | | | picture. Think of it as a visual rest stop to keep |
| your website. You've learned how to optimize your | | | | attention on your email when people tire of reading. |
| donation pages for maximum impact. You've worked | | | | People also like to click on pictures, so try linking it to |
| diligently to grow your email list, and have even sent | | | | your donation page. |
| out a few email blasts. Only, you found they weren't | | | | - A note on images and tiny boxes with red Xs: if |
| as successful as you'd hoped. | | | | you're concerned about people not being able to see |
| Maybe you just have an unresponsive list. But, more | | | | your awesome graphic, you can always put the |
| than likely, your emails are suffering from poor | | | | HTML version on your website with a small link at the |
| design. As with direct mail, there is an art to the | | | | top of the email letting people know. FYI. |
| design of an email appeal. Unfortunately, many make | | | | - Email length is important. A ponderous three page |
| the mistake of using the same techniques they'd use | | | | appeal is completely inappropriate for email. But |
| in direct mail, with less than stellar results. It goes | | | | striving for as short as possible doesn't work as well |
| without saying that great writing and compelling | | | | either. I've tested this and found the optimum length |
| stories are critical to success-this is just as true of | | | | to be about four paragraphs (not including donate |
| email as it is of direct mail. But even an amazing story | | | | links). But keep in mind... |
| will be overlooked if it's delivered in a poorly designed | | | | - Paragraph length is important. Because on screen |
| email. Your email's design serves two purposes: | | | | reading is hard on the eyes, you can imagine how |
| 1. to get people to read your amazing story | | | | dense chunks of text make it that much harder. |
| 2. to get people to click to your site so they can give | | | | Start your email with 1-2 lines if possible. Then keep |
| How do you accomplish that? By enticing people to | | | | the rest of your paragraphs between 4-5 lines long-6 |
| open your email, then making it super easy for them | | | | at the most. And yes, that's lines, not sentences. |
| to read and even easier for them to click when | | | | Lines. |
| they've been inspired to give. Get your email opened: | | | | The Donate Ask & Links |
| - Have your email come from a real person. People | | | | - Focus your call to action on donating only. It's |
| don't want to read an email from an amorphous, | | | | tempting to ask for the moon in an email |
| organizational we. Set up your email so the sender is | | | | appeal-watch our video, follow us on Twitter... People |
| a person, not your organization. Real people have | | | | will pick the easiest option you give them. Watching a |
| names, so your send line should look something like: | | | | video is easier than donating. Following you on |
| Jane Smith from My Organization. | | | | Twitter is easier still. Make it easiest to donate by |
| - Subject lines are important. They play the most | | | | making donating the only option. |
| critical role in getting your email opened. So should | | | | - Make your ask a stand alone link. The ask is the |
| you go with a catchy subject line or a more | | | | most important part of the email, so don't bury it in |
| straightforward one? It depends on your list's | | | | your text. Make the ask one or two lines with the |
| personality. The only way to know for sure what | | | | call to action linked to your donation page. |
| your list prefers is to try different approaches and | | | | - Repeat your ask at least 2-3 times. Ideally you |
| test that. | | | | should include your link at the beginning, definitely in |
| That said, here are some general tips on subject lines: | | | | the middle as a stand alone link, and at the end as |
| - Don't capitalize every word-this isn't a title. | | | | the final call to action. |
| - Do use numbers. Do ask thought-provoking | | | | - Make sure your links are clearly links. This isn't the |
| questions. | | | | place to get creative-blue and underlined text is the |
| - Ignore the words free and help, or you'll be ignored. | | | | link format most people expect, so give them that. |
| - Don't be tricky or disingenuous-it may get opened, | | | | It'd be a shame to work hard inspiring people to give, |
| but people will be annoyed. | | | | only to have no one do so because they didn't realize |
| - Keep it short-under 50 characters, or it'll get | | | | what was and was not a link. |
| truncated by a lot of email clients. | | | | - And don't worry so much about donate buttons. |
| - Direct it to an individual-use "you" (Want to know | | | | While including a donate button in your template |
| why you're so awesome?). | | | | won't hurt, it's kind of overrated. I've sent numerous |
| - If you're going to personalize with names, try to do | | | | email blasts with buttons in the template to a 900K+ |
| so in a way that doesn't scream markety sales pitch. | | | | list, and in appeals with high response rates from the |
| Get your email read: It's not all that important to | | | | text links, the buttons only averaged 10-15 donations |
| have a cool wrapper (an HTML template for branded | | | | (even less in other emails). It seems in email, people |
| emails, not Jay-Z). What is important to the success | | | | prefer clicking on text links. |
| of your appeals? Increased clarity, readability and | | | | - Testing is your friend. Test everything! And if you |
| ease of use. Focus on that instead. | | | | find your list responds better to donate buttons and |
| Text & Graphics: | | | | links obscured in blocks of text 20 lines long, then |
| - Get the obvious stuff like fonts down pat. Verdana | | | | just ignore everything I've said and do what works |
| was designed for the screen, so it's a good choice. | | | | best for your crazy list. |
| Make sure it's large enough to be read easily, and | | | | Lastly, make sure you have an all text version of |
| just use conventional colors: black text on white | | | | your email too. Set it up exactly the same as the |
| background, links are blue and underlined. You're | | | | HTML version, minus the HTML (obviously). You'd be |
| trying to make reading easier, not reinvent the wheel. | | | | surprised at how many people prefer to receive text |
| - Make your email visually appealing. The web is a | | | | only emails. And with the rise of smart phones, it only |
| very visual medium. Probably because reading text on | | | | makes sense to give your supporters a text option |
| a computer screen tires the eyes, while pictures do | | | | so your awesomely designed email gets read no |
| not. So help your readers out by including a relevant | | | | matter what device or option they're using to read it. |