The Value of an E-mailed Newsletter

Most nonprofits face two marketing challenges:

1.) How to get the word out and attract donors; and

2.) How to do so with limited and overstretched resources.

An e-mailed Newsletter can address both challenges. Here are the advantages to the use of a Newsletter that is e-mailed to donors monthly or even bi-weekly:

• It conditions your subscribers to anticipate or expect ongoing updates from your Committee
• It leads to more views and sharing of your content, creating “buzz”
• It creates a regular and timely opportunity to begin a conversation with your subscribers (ask them to donate, come to an event, become a member, etc.)
• It maintains “front of mind awareness” for your cause
• Frequent Newsletter topics help your Committee hone in on the topics that resonate with your subscribers and to measure success of your campaigns
• A Newsletter has room within its layout to include HTML Headers, greetings, event calendars, countdown clocks, calls to action, helpful articles, event photos, ongoing auctions and links to items of interest

Newsletters are very effective at keeping your subscribers engaged. However, your Committee must cognizant of the following pitfalls:

• Low-Quality Content: You must only send High-Quality Content to your subscribers. Don’t waste their time with low-quality content. Your subscribers demand value for the time spent reading your Newsletter. If your subscribers do not see value, they will stop reading and eventually unsubscribe.
• Relevance: Make sure that Newsletter content is relevant and timely. You don’t want your subscribers to adopt the “set aside and I’ll read it later” attitude. There is a point of diminishing returns when content is not read right away.
• Don’t miss a publishing date: You must be consistent when publishing your Newsletter. Publish on the same day and same time – every time. Be consistent. If you are consistent with your publish date, your Newsletter is less likely to wind up in a spam folder or fall victim to an unsubscribe request.
• Old Subscriber List: Be sure to keep your subscriber list of e-mails current and up-to-date. If someone unsubscribes, make sure that they STAY unsubscribed. Otherwise, that person will “poison the well” for other prospective donors.

As you can see, an e-mailed Newsletter is a powerful and compelling way to keep your subscribers engaged and enlightened without placing too much strain on your already highly-tasked Committee. When done right, an e-mailed Newsletter will cause your subscribers to spread positive word-of-mouth about your organization, attracting even more donors.
 
Do you or your Event Committee need help creating an e-mailed Newsletter Campaign to energize your donor base? We at Auction Packages can help. Our team of Nonprofit Specialists can guide you through the process of executing a successful Newsletter Campaign that can lead to successful events and auctions. We Live to Give.