Strategic Online Communication for Nonprofits

Posts Tagged ‘mass email marketing’

Many nonprofits are using email marketing tools and diligently sending e-newsletters, event notices, and donation requests online– and increasing their revenues as a result.

Overall these strategies are generally quite effective, but it not done carefully they can actually turn potential supporters or volunteers away.

So how do your efforts measure up?

One of the best ways to get a feel for how you’re doing is to compare with others in the sector.  According to a recent report from MailChimp based on the 273+ million emails delivered by their system, the average email “open” rate for a nonprofit is around 28% and the average click-through rate is 4%.

(This is not by the way a stat representing large and well-financed nonprofits, rather the bulk of the emails included in the analysis were sent by small, “do-it-yourself” organizations).

Take a look at your own stats and see how they compare with MailChimp’s nonprofit averages:

To read the report and view tips for improving email messaging success rates, click here.

Email marketing can be one of the most cost-effective ways to reach constituents, raise money, and keep stakeholders engaged.  But it has to be done carefully– otherwise it can actually turn constituents away.

A new global consumer email study from direct marketing agency Epsilon reveals valuable insights into what keeps North American consumers reading and what makes them unsubscribe to email lists.

A clear majority — 55% — of North American consumers report occasionally unsubscribing from email lists, while a full 14% admit to frequently unsubscribing, according to Epsilon.

The two main reasons for unsubscribing to Email lists across the globe are 1) irrelevant content and 2) high frequency of messages. Another common concern is that email addresses are being sold or shared, which also drives rates of unsubscribing.

So how to manage email marketing effectively? Do some research with your constituents.

It’s important to understand what drives your constituents, what interests them, and with what frequency they prefer to receive messages from you.  There are several ways to do this:

1.  Track constituent responses. If you’re not doing so already, start using an email application or service that allows you to track responses to your e-mailings. Many applications allow you to track click-through rates, how long constituents spend on each article, rates of deletion without reading, etc, and deliver that information to you in quick and user-friendly reports.  Track every communication you send out, and begin taking notes on which topics are most interesting to your constituents.

2.  Test your hypotheses. Once you start noticing trends in what type of articles and issues most interest your constituents, start looking at tone.  Are there ways you can better “package” your information to make it more appealing?  It’s easy to test– send the same email to all of your constituents and just change the title or subject line.  If you send the message to half your list with one title, and to the rest of your list with another “spin” in the subject line, does one significantly improve the click-through rates?  If so, bingo!  You’re learning how to better package your communications for success.

3.  Conduct surveys. Some constituent management tools or email services allow you to send out periodic surveys to your constituents and offer you quick interpretations of results.  This is one of the best ways to get honest feedback.  Are your messages being sent too frequently, too infrequently, or is your frequency right on?  Which topics most interest your constituents?  Once results come in, take a look at whether there are ways you can further segregate your email lists to better target your messages?

By using these three strategies, you will get to know your constituents and can significantly decrease ‘unsubscribe’ rates.

The Future of Email Marketing

The vast majority of North American consumers — 87% — report that they still use email as their primary online communications tool, according to the Epsilon survey.  And only 6% of North Americans (compared to a whopping 28% of consumers in Asia) think of instant messaging as their primary communications tool.  Surprisingly just 4% of North Americans listed social networks as their primary communication tool.

While trends seem to be moving toward increased reliance on social networks and instant messaging, it appears that email marketing still has several years left as the most effective form of communication in North America.  So nonprofits, let’s make the most of it!

By Elizabeth Beachy, Upleaf Co-founder

For many non-profits, moving actively into the online arena can be daunting.  Technology is evolving at a record pace and every month it seems that a new application is making headlines as the “hottest” place to be.  Don’t be intimidated- many of those applications will come and go quickly and aren’t worth your time.

Technology is however revolutionizing the way that non-profits do business, and its value added is real.  Today you can reach tens of thousands of people and make a tremendous difference with just a small and dedicated team.  Adopting five core best practices can significantly increase your impact:

1. Make your website dynamic and interactive. Most organizations and companies are now using content management systems rather than the traditional static sites, and visitors have come to expect as much. You have just a few seconds to make a positive impression and communicate your core value. To encourage your visitors to return regularly, you should offer fresh, compelling content and get them involved in your cause in a meaningful way. Your website is your public face, and you may not have another chance to make a positive first impression.
2. Consolidate and manage your contacts. One of the most critical “must-have” tools for non-profits is a constituent relationship management (CRM) system. A CRM system enables you to manage all of your relationships (end beneficiaries, donors, individual contributors, volunteers, colleagues, partners, media, elected officials, etc) through one versatile database, and make the most of your organization’s interactions with each. Personal contacts thus become institutional contacts and relationships are maintained despite staff turnover. You can easily target and personalize email blasts, newsletters or fundraising drives, and aggregate and track results.
3. Use email marketing. Email marketing to your existing constituents is one of the most cost-effective strategies to reach your target audience. On average email marketing returns $48 for every $1 dollar invested. It is highly targeted, cheap, timely, and builds fidelity among constituents. A widely populated and accurate CRM system is critical however, to ensure that your emails reach a broad base and are well-targeted.
4. Build your online partnerships and networks. Every link and visit to your website counts. The more links and traffic you have, the higher your PageRank goes and the more prominently you are listed in relevant search engine queries.  Being on the first page of a search (or even second or third) increases your credibility and visibility.  Make sure your organization is listed in all relevant directories and professional membership associations with a direct link back to your website wherever possible.  Exchange links with partners and colleagues (particularly those that already have a high PageRank) and ask donors to link to your organization or project web pages. Use social networking venues (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc) to expand your exposure into the vast network of bloggers and grassroots activists.
5. Monitor the results. Use weekly or monthly Google Analytics reports to keep close tabs on what is and isn’t driving traffic to your site.  Use your CRM system to track which communications generate a higher response rate from your constituents.  What works best may be unique to your particular cause and your constituents. Over time you’ll discover which topics peak your audience’s interest, and which strategies generate the most donations or volunteers. Those lessons learned over time will become invaluable, helping you to continually refine your strategies into a solid formula for success.

By Elizabeth Beachy, Upleaf Co-Founder.  Upleaf is dedicated to helping non-profits increase their social impact through strategic online communications.