5 Tips For A Binge-worthy Nonprofit Newsletter
Want to engage supporters, drive donations, and build rapport with your audience? A newsletter does all that and more.
While social media can be a powerful tool for building awareness, it’s not great for getting people to actually take action. To build a relationship with your audience that motivates them to attend events, volunteer their time, or donate to the organization, an engaging newsletter can’t be beat.
For one thing, newsletters allow you the space to go deeper into the stories that create emotional connection with your organization. And we all know when it comes to decision-making, emotion is a powerful force. Also, allowing an organization into your inbox requires more commitment than simply following on social media. So subscribers are already showing greater interest in hearing about the work and how they can be a part of it.
Whether you’re just beginning to collect emails for your list, or you’ve got subscribers who haven’t heard from you in awhile, these five tips will help you build an engaged audience who opens your emails every time.
1. Create an intriguing subject line.
You’ve heard it before but first impressions matter. And when it comes to getting your emails opened, nothing’s more important than the subject line. Try writing your subject line after writing the body of the email. Chances are you’ll come up with something that ties back to the content of the email and lets readers know what to expect. It’s also helpful to do some A/B testing. You’ll discover whether your audience prefers lines like “Summer Update” or “The craziest thing happened at our July meeting…”
2. Don’t worry about sharing a ton of content.
Your updates don’t need to be long think pieces every time. Decide on your overall objectives and then design a simple template (Canva has great options) that helps you meet those objectives. If you want to drive website traffic, create a “teaser” that leads people to click and read more on your website. If you want to get more donations or more volunteers, a brief intro can lead to a prominent signup button. In general, three to five short paragraphs linking out to other content is more than sufficient.
3. Be conversational.
Your newsletter isn’t an academic paper so make sure it doesn’t sound like one. Don’t sacrifice your organization’s unique voice and culture trying to sound too “official” or “professional.” At the end of the day, organizations depend on human-to-human interactions to succeed. Your newsletter can be an important part of building that connection.
4. Make it quick, fun, and interesting.
If you’re bored reading about the quarterly meeting, it’s all but guaranteed your readers are, too. The objective of your newsletter is to keep supporters engaged in the mission so be sure to keep the content easy-to-read and not too granular. Everyone is busy so make sure things are informative but also “snackable.”
5. Always include a call to action.
To make the most of your reader’s limited attention, give them a clear idea of what they should do next. Whether you want them to click a link, buy a ticket, or make a donation, keep your call to action brief and straightforward. And be sure to use active language that communicates some urgency. Make it as seamless and uncomplicated as possible for your reader to take action. If your newsletter objective is soliciting donations, a button that says “Donate Now” does the trick!
Newsletters are an invaluable tool for building rapport with your organization’s stakeholders. With valuable content, opportunities to become involved, and timely information about your work, they keep your mission top of mind with your most engaged supporters.
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