Struggling To Keep Up With Email Marketing? Read This!
Email is one of the most powerful marketing channels out there.
It’s an incredible way for nonprofits to stay connected with their communities, whether that’s through a monthly newsletter, a “week in review” email, or just event updates.
And yet, despite how impactful email marketing is… lots of nonprofits still aren’t sending and testing emails consistently (and some aren’t even sending emails at all!).
Luckily, you don’t have to stay inconsistent with your email marketing.
Here are a few things you can start doing today to get your email marketing off the ground (and keep up with it).
Pick a realistic schedule
You start out saying you’ll send emails twice a week. Then you miss one because your annual report is taking all your attention. Then you miss both because you’ve got a busy event week.
Then, before you know it, it’s been weeks without a single email sent.
Now, this isn’t your fault by any means! Nonprofit marketers are constantly pulled in a million directions, and what demands your attention is often out of your control… but you can be more realistic with the time you give yourself for email marketing.
Try starting with one or two emails a month instead of a weekly schedule. Some emails are better than no emails — and once a month is way easier to keep up with than twice a week!
Spend time studying your emails
Sending an email isn’t a “one and done” type of marketing endeavor. Every email you send is like a mini experiment, and looking at the results can tell you a lot about your audience — if you know where to look.
Look at your analytics after you send your next few emails and ask yourself some of these questions to see what’s working and what isn’t.
- Hyperlinks — Do you get more clicks when there are fewer links?
- Email length — Do you get more responses with long or short emails?
- Graphics/Photos — Do you get more responses when you include images?
- CTA — Do you get more clicks when you say “Learn More” or “Get Involved?”
- Sender — Do you get more opens when you send from a personal or generic email?
Now, a lot of these things can be A/B tested to see what's best, like hyperlinks and CTAs.
But for things that aren’t as easy to evaluate, like content or length? Just ask! There’s nothing wrong with sending your audience a quick poll or survey to see what they do and don’t like.
You’d be surprised what kind of insights you can get when you just ask for them!
Put your new data to work
Once you commit to a schedule, start sending emails, and monitoring your analytics, it’s time to put what you’ve learned to work.
If you notice that shorter emails perform better, keep your content short and sweet as often as you can. If you notice people respond with questions and stories when you include images, make your emails as visual as possible.
Let the data you’ve been collecting guide your efforts, but don’t feel shackled by it.
Your nonprofit will change over time, and so will your audience! If things get stagnant, you can always try experimenting with something new. You’ll either find out your original plan was the right one, or you’ll find something better. It’s a win-win!
And, if you’re still not seeing the results you want but aren’t sure why, my Email Strategy Support Call is a great next step!
When you book an Email Strategy Support Call, we’ll spend 90 minutes going through your current email marketing and creating a clear, actionable plan to improve your open rates and grow your email list. You’ll leave the call with new ideas, practical guidance, and the confidence you need to use your email platform more effectively (and I’ll only be one email away!).
If you’re ready to start sending emails more strategically, you can book your Email Strategy Support Call here.
See you in two weeks!
Catrina
