The Power of the Inbox
Email marketing is a smart, affordable way for you to stay connected with your contacts so you can grow your organization. It really is the only digital channel where you own the relationship with your contacts. With email, unlike social media, you are guaranteed to get your message directly in front of your audience—in their inbox. Think about the proliferation of mobile phones – everyone has their inbox with them and they’re checking it many times a day.
Make a Plan
The very first question you have to ask is: What do you want to do? Then you can ->
- Make a marketing plan
- Compile a list of articles and content
- Plot out a communications calendar
It’s easier to make an excuse than to make a plan.
Build your list and comply with these three requirements
Build your permission based email marketing list the right way. Canada’s anti-spam legislation (CASL) has three major requirements to comply with.
- Obtain consent:
Express – lasts forever, or until the contact unsubscribes
Ask permission and clearly state what you are going to deliver – this is best practice and the right thing to do!
Implied – has a two year time limit - Provide identification information
- Provide an unsubscribe mechanism
Segment your list
At the beginning you may only have the resources to send one communication a month. A little thought and planning into your list segmentation on the front end can build a valuable resource of contacts for specific messages and calls to action in the future. Here are a couple of list segment suggestions for not for profits:
- Board Members
- Donors
- Corporate Sponsors
- Volunteers
- Community Partners
- Staff
What are you going to write about?
Having an email marketing plan and sending out monthly communications builds effective, trusted relationships. And it’s a great way to build content for your web site, answer frequently asked questions, tell a story and educate readers more about your organization. Topics to write about could include:
- Your cause
- Programs
- Events
- Frequently asked questions
- Volunteer profiles
Ready to get started?
If you want to do a deeper dive attend Webinar Wednesday May 17, 2017: Echohill – Grow With the Power of Email or find out what email marketing services are available to help ASSOCIUM GAIN Members.