It’s no secret why marketers in the for-profit and non-profit worlds continue to invest in email. It can be your most cost-effective touch point with your target audience. And that audience is only growing. In 2015, there were more than 4.35 billion email accounts and nearly 2.6 billion email users worldwide. So does that mean it’s time to increase your email blasts?
No, quite the opposite. It might just mean you need to send fewer.
The key to successful email marketing is to connect with your audience with relevant content. Sending multiple emails because you think you need to send something will only lead to unsubscribes and spam complaints if the messaging and content don’t align with your audience's interests.
When one opens an email there is an expectation of value. This can range from an entertaining story, to an informational article. How well you deliver on your recipients’ expectations plays a large role in whether they remain loyal to your charity. When you fail to deliver relevant content to your audience, in addition to the unsubscribes, your organizational brand may suffer. Still worse, delivering irrelevant content may make you look insincere, and as a result some recipients may no longer donate to your organization.
So what is the most important question to ask before sending marketing emails to your donors?
It’s simple. Ask yourself: “Is this a good read?”
If what you are sending is a benefit to your audience, relevant to their expectations, and is something you would feel proud putting your name on, then push send.
If not, take a breath, and go back to the drawing board.
“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.”
- Abraham Lincoln
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