Build your own database

Ideally you should build your own database, and then segment it by group (donors, volunteers, etc). How do you do it? Simple. Start collecting email addresses of all your stakeholders – as well as their permission to do so. This is very important. The alternative is to ‘rent’ white label data for an e-mailshot. In other words you get permission to send an email to a list of addressees owned by a media or data company. It’s a short term solution that can be effective, but expensive.

Pool your resources with other charities

Could it be that some other small charity or support organisation has list of names and emails that precisely fit the profile of those you want to reach? The biggest single source of charity data in the UK is Reciprocate - a shared database of more than 15 million names from Occam Directing Marketing – that facilitates the sharing of data between like-minded not-for-profits.

Customisation

If you’re sending emails to a database of people (or even if you’re not), email marketing enables you to customise your message (subject line, and the main message). Make the most of this opportunity, as customised content is proven to be more effective.

What and who?

Perhaps the two most important single success factors governing a good response to your email will be the subject line (ideally 60 characters or less), along with what you choose to include in the ‘from’ field. Your name and organisation is always a good bet here. Don't send an email to a person using a departmental moniker (Sales, Events, etc). Bottom line: We all want to be communicated to by a person, not a faceless organisation.

The anatomy of your email account for 50% of its success.

The AIDCA model used for direct mail letter-writing also works very well for email.

Don’t ignore design, nor over-design

There are certain design essentials you cannot afford to ignore – such as how your emails will look in preview panes (in Outlook, for instance). But don’t over-design your email.  Unless you have good designers at your disposal, there is nothing wrong with a simple text email – not least because many email systems are now able to automatically block images, and in some cases may even junk the email altogether.

How do you beat the spam filters?

There is a growing list of words, phrases and punctuation that spam filters use to determine ‘junk email’. Don’t CAPITALISE! Don’t over-emphasise! Avoid hyperbolic phrases like ‘UNIQUE’ and ‘FREE’.

Measure and refine

Email marketing enables you to monitor open rates, click-through rates, spam filter rates, and a host of other metrics besides. If a certain approach isn’t working, you can change it. Simple.

Strong call to action

Make it clear what you want the reader to do as a result of receiving the email and make it clear how they go about it. An obvious point but often missed.

Be prepared for the next step

What happens if a recipient reads your email and wants to know more? You need to provide your contact details but they will be expecting to visit your website. If you have a website now might the time to spruce it up a little. If you don’t, build one fast!

 
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