Leveraging Email to Acquire and Retain Giving Day Donors
Email is NOT dead
Email is a passport for the web
This is not an olive
Crowd Network Community Your list
Crowd Reach through SEO, social, ads, etc. Network Reach through your community Community Reach directly
Where is the money? Crowd Network Community
Where is the money? Crowd Least likely to give Network Gives when influenced by a friend (in your community) Community Most likely to give Source: Blackbaud Giving Trends M&R Benchmarks Fundraising Effectiveness Project
Where should you spend 80% of your time? Crowd Network Community
Who s in your community? Unengaged Reengage Engaged Nurture and convert Donors and volunteers Retain
Meet your subscriber
Subscriber lifecycle Acquisition Joins newsletter, signs petition, etc. On-boarding Confirmation page and welcome email(s) Engagement Broadcast and campaign-specific emails Reengagement Reengagement campaigns Super-engagement Campaigns triggered by subscriber Transition Opt-out page, opt-down, unsubscribe
#BigGive2018 Survey your donors
Survey your donors
Survey your donors X
Right message Right person Right time
All supporters are not created equal: Donors Volunteers Advocates Marginal interest Event attendees Sweepstake participants Newsletter subscribers
All donors are not created equal: First-time donors Returning donors Monthly donors Major donors Gave over a year ago By donation amount By program
Practice smart segmentation Each email software has tools that segment members based on subscriber activity. Three ways to segment subscribers: A) New list: Adds subscriber to a new list. B) Tagging: Adds a tag to the subscriber. C) Grouping: Creates a group within an existing list (MailChimp).
Hey
Your subject line s one job?
Open
Factors that influence open rates Recency to online interaction Recency to offline interaction Recognition of the sender Subject line Relevance
More inside
Access
Community
Strategy: Add value and answer WIFM Examples: Build anticipation Incentive to register early for an event Useful information Two Must-Sees in One Email! (Sender: Stoneham Theatre) One More Week Until One Seed at a Time (Sender: Museum of Science) Last Chance to Win a Custom Bike while Supporting WBUR (Sender: WBUR)
Strategy: Keep them guessing Examples: Tell half the story Say something unexpected Create dissonance Important announcement (Sender: Barack Obama) Pink has a new color (Breast Cancer Foundation) This is bad: (Sender: Barack Obama)
Engaging donors emotionally is the key to successful copywriting. Refine your subject lines with AMI Institute s Emotional Marketing Value Headline Analyzer.
Let your subscribers vote for the best subject line A) Write 2-3 variations of subject line. B) Test both with 5-10% of your list. C) Send winner to the rest of your list.
Your email message s one job?
Click
3 p s of the perfect email message People Problem Payoff
3 p s of the perfect email message
Write like you re writing to your favorite donor A)Second person narrative ( you ). B)Use their first name. C)Use additional merge fields
Create a sense of urgency A) With deadlines B) With matches C)With need
Email CTA Best Practices: 1) Clear and easy to understand. 2) Verb-impact formula. 3) Highlight with larger fonts 4) Ask 3 times in each message.
Design and test for mobile A) Send test message to yourself. B) Open it on your mobile device. C) Make sure it s easy to read. D) Make sure ALL links work.
Email Message Worksheet Sender: Subject line (write 3 variations): Pre-header: First sentence (grab their attention): Email message (2-3 short paragraphs): Click Here To Download Call-to-action (include 3 variations throughout email): Email Campaign Planning Workbook empowered by John Haydon
Timely triggers
Blasting your list: the good Easy to send Consistently touch donors Measure engagement Segment subscribers Examples: Newsletters Action alerts Campaign launch Winning Email Drip Campaigns
Blasting your list: the bad Can be an interruption Engagement rates can be low Difficult to drive multiple actions Competing action calls Examples: Newsletters Action alerts Campaign launch Winning Email Drip Campaigns
Benefits of drip campaigns: Triggered by subscribers Timely and relevant Repeatedly invites action Engagement rates are higher Examples: On-boarding emails Follow-up series Action triggers Retention series Winning Email Drip Campaigns
VI. Creating your first drip campaign #BigGive2018 Trigger: Signs petition Day 1 NOTE: The trigger is the action that kicks off a drip campaign, like joining your list, opening or clicking. Winning Email Drip Campaigns
VI. Creating your first drip campaign #BigGive2018 Trigger: Signs petition Message 1 Learn more and share Day 1 Day 1 NOTE: The trigger is the action that kicks off a drip campaign, like joining your list, opening or clicking. Winning Email Drip Campaigns
VI. Creating your first drip campaign #BigGive2018 Trigger: Signs petition Message 1 Message 2 Donate now Day 1 Day 1 Day 3 NOTE: The trigger is the action that kicks off a drip campaign, like joining your list, opening or clicking. Winning Email Drip Campaigns
VI. Creating your first drip campaign #BigGive2018 Trigger: Signs petition Message 1 Message 2 Message 3 Matching donor, donate now Day 1 Day 1 Day 3 Day 5 NOTE: The trigger is the action that kicks off a drip campaign, like joining your list, opening or clicking. Winning Email Drip Campaigns
Welcome donors with email
7 factors that influence donor retention 1. Donor feels that she is important. 2. Donor feels appreciated. 3. Donor gets updates about their impact. 4. Donor feels your org is effective in achieving its mission. 5. Donor knows what to expect with each interaction. 6. Donor receives sincere and timely thank yous. 7. Donor has opportunities to make her views known.
On-boarding email #1) Say thanks A) Message tone: Thank them with no strings attached. Be encouraging and express appreciation. B) Timing: Immediately after donation. C)Testing: Create 2-3 variations to split test. This will help you discover the best approach.
On-boarding email #2) Report back about their gift A) Message tone: Talk about what their donation did, not what your organization did. Be encouraging and express appreciation. B) Timing: If your donor system allows, create a rule to automatically sends these messages 30 and 90 days after the gift was made. C) Testing: Create 2-3 variations to split test. This will help you discover the best approach. Also test timing (30 and 90 days).
On-boarding email #3) Invite donors to give again A) Message tone: Thank them for their support, here s a new challenge. B) Timing: Within the first 90 days increases retention. C)Testing: Create 2-3 variations to split test. This will help you discover the best approach. Test variations with 10% of the list, then use winning elements for 90%.
Thank you!
Consultant, Trainer, Coach - Helping nonprofits get more from their digital marketing and online fundraising. Consultancy based in Cambridge, MA. Instructor at Marketing Profs University, regular contributor at Social Media Examiner Author: Facebook Marketing for Dummies, 3rd and 4th Editions Speaker: The Nonprofit Technology Conference, Social Media 4 Nonprofits, Blackbaud s BBCon, New Media Expo, AFP New Jersey, TechSoup, GrantSpace, Chronicle of Philanthropy, NetworkForGood and various local Chamber of Commerce. Clients include: Habitat for Humanity, EpicChange, Share Our Strength, Environmental Defense Fund, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Boston Medical Center, Community TechKnowledge, Scholastic, TechSoup, WaterAid America, University of Massachusetts, Community Music Center of Boston, National Wildlife Federation, Razoo Foundation.