House Email List FAQs
In the days following Hurricane Katrina, my email inbox was flooded with messages from my favorite nonprofit organizations. Like thousands of other readers, I saw how they set up shelters and distributed water, food and supplies. I read stories of heroic rescues. There were requests for emergency support.
It wasn’t long before charitable organizations nationwide reported record giving, with more than half from online donations. Nonprofit development professionals had never seen giving rates like it. Overflow traffic from the Red Cross to a Yahoo.com portal, for instance, accepted $32 million in donations during the first four days after the hurricane, besting the $30 million collected in over two weeks after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
There’s no doubt about it: online giving is clicking charitable contributions upward, and email is a big contributor to that success.
Do you have an email house list to use in an online marketing strategy? Read on to find answers to some of your most frequently asked questions about electronic communications.
Q. We’ve got a website. Isn’t that enough of an online presence?
A. Keep the website and keep updating it. But add email to your online mix. Here’s a good analogy: in print, you distribute an annual report and send out newsletters and appeals. Online, you maintain your website and send regular emails.
Q. I’ve always used snail mail. Do I really need an email mailing list?
A. Yes, you should consider it for several reasons:
- Convenience. You can distribute an email campaign to your entire constituency simply by hitting “send.”
- Cost. Email is significantly less expensive than print.
- Frequency. You can afford to send to your email list more often than print. Voila, more exposure to your market!
- Audience. Readers among Gen-X and younger are very comfortable with technology. You’ll hit a different segment of your target audience if you maintain a house email list.
Q. In practical terms, how does an effective email campaign differ from print?
A. Email is brief and targeted. Readers scan your message rather than digesting every word. Plus, readers forward interesting email to their friends – people who might otherwise never hear about you, your product or your service. Email’s viral nature means free promotion for you.
Q. Is there any easy way to do this? I don’t have time to monitor a zillion emails.
A. Yes. Companies called “email list managers” provide formatting options, send your online messages at your selected scheduled time, collect your bounces and give you a report on each campaign.
Q. Sounds expensive. Is it?
A. No. Support for small mailing lists costs just pennies a month. Nonprofit organizations can get discounts of up to 30%. Many companies offer free trials.
Q. I’m a techno-phobe. Is there an easy way to get some help with email message construction?
A. Most email list managers offer campaign templates, message construction tips and customer support. (In fact, don’t sign on with an email marketing service that doesn’t). You can also hire a freelance writer to help you construct and load email campaigns.
Q. I don’t do a whole lot of promotion. Do I really need a house email list?
A. Yes. Email is now considered a baseline must-have in promotion. It’s fast. It’s easy. It’s inexpensive.
Q. I don’t have some of my clients’ email addresses. What should I do?
A.
- Start with the email addresses you’ve got already.
- Use one of your print promotions to invite readers to send you their e-mail addresses, either on a response device or online.
- Add an “opt-in” link on your website and offer a free report or gift to visitors as a thank-you for signing up.
- Place all new customers on your email list as well as your regular mailing list.
- Make sure any new print mailings contain a response device with a spot for email addresses.
Q. What are the most common types of email campaigns?
A. Newsletters. These are sent at regular intervals (monthly, bi-weekly, weekly) and can include information about upcoming events, personnel changes and news in your field.
Promotions, special offers, coupons and announcements. Use these for quick communications to your clients.
The main idea is to keep your name, cause and product in front of readers regularly and give them good information.
Q. What’s the biggest challenge of email promotion?
A. Getting readers to click “open.” Sender line and the subject line are key to open rates. Make sure those on your list have opted in to your mailings – name recognition assures them of a level of protection from viruses. Plus, your subject line should arouse the reader’s interest so much that he can’t resist clicking “open.”
Q. Should I convert everything to email and eliminate all my print materials?
A. No way. Some consumers aren’t online and need to receive your materials by the traditional route. Plus, by “cross-promoting” – using as many different kinds of print and online marketing as possible – you’ll get in front of a bigger and bigger audience all the time.
About the author
Kathy Widenhouse (www.kathywidenhouse.com) is a freelance development writer who specializes in producing materials for the faith-based, nonprofit market. She also provides strategic consultation to help nonprofits get their message out and get results. Kathy’s 90+ articles have appeared in more than 40 periodicals, and she has written 5 books.