5 Tips for Conducting a Successful Email Marketing Campaign

Email marketing is a powerful communication channel used by Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to raise awareness of their fundraising campaigns. Thanks to it, commercial entities can gain customer loyalty and increase the client base. However, if misused, it can damage the image of the NGO and even lead to losing partners and potential donors.

We’ll provide you with five basic tips for designing successful social marketing and fundraising email campaigns.

1 Build an Email List and Segment It

Send information only to those who authorized you to do so. There are two types of email campaigns:

The bulk (aka spam) and
Targeted ones

The former involves sending emails to a large number of potential customers without their permission. The latter, on the other hand, includes forwarding promotional letters to a list of contacts that have previously authorized their sending.

Thousands of companies and NGOs use mass mailing. It helps them increase the value of their brand, promote their services and products, and conduct campaigns aimed at attracting potential donors and partners. It also lets them create an extensive database of clients and increase their profit margins. However, one should use caution here because too much spam can be harmful to the company’s image and detrimental to the brand.

How Can I Increase My Database?

Here are several tips on how to boost a database:

Build a list of your blog or newsletter subscribers. It is important to offer the subscription option in a visible place on your website or through a pop-up window.
Provide a privacy policy to your subscribers.
Networking — public relations work lets you collect data on potential partners, strategic allies, Certificate Signing Request (CSR) managers, foundations, etc. Send them an email after the first contact and ask them for their permission to send more.
Take advantage of commercial fairs to promote your work and collect contacts from interested parties.
Training and seminars are ideal for requesting data from people interested in your work.
Transitional email — it is important that emails sent by your company’s employees have a subscription link to the corporate newsletter.

Create High-Quality Content

That’s the only way to increase the number of subscribers and obtain expected results. At this point, you should ask yourself if you have a content strategy aimed at attracting your target audience. For example, will your content be helpful for a student who looks for the “write my essay cheap” option on the Internet? If your platform deals with educational support, will it be interesting for your clients to receive more information about possible discounts and special offers? Creating valuable content is a huge challenge for third sector entities and social entrepreneurs who have to come up with a step-by-step plan and create relevant quality multimedia content with viral potential.

Raise Awareness, Request Donations, and Tell Stories

Make your content original by using the storytelling technique. That will let you raise awareness and loyalty of customers.
Conduct social marketing and fundraising campaigns. Tell stories to establish a connection with the problem you pose. An original title will grab people’s attention and make them want to read your message.
Create original newsletters. You must provide your recipients with updated information on the progress of the projects and what is done thanks to the contribution of the partners. In this way, you gain loyalty and trust.
Write custom content. Your subscriber lists should allow for proper segmentation. Thanks to that, you will be able to perform appropriate marketing actions for each of your accounts.

4 Present Your Campaign Properly

Sender and Subject

The sender must be recognized by the receiver. The logical thing to do here would be to use your brand’s name. Another essential thing to keep in mind is that the title of your letter should be consistent with its content.

Personalization

You have two options: either to use specialized software that allows you to send particular emails or conduct campaigns based on the previously segmented target audience and thus get more customization. For example, you can conduct campaigns for long-time members, welcome campaigns for new members, campaigns for generous donors, and campaigns for companies or foundations.

Design

Currently, 90% of campaigns are designed in HTML format and not plain text.

Locate the most important information in the upper left corner. Use the inverted pyramid.
Use images consistent with the message. Visibly include the link that leads to the campaign site.
Be consistent with the story you are telling. Be faithful to the argumentative thread and clearly explain the value of the help provided.
Promote your platform by inviting people to share the campaign on social networks.

Campaign Submission

It is thought that the best days to conduct a campaign are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. However, opinions differ on that point. Some experts argue that the opening ratio increases by sending emails in the afternoon and even on weekends.

Learn to Measure the Results

Opening ratio: percentage of open emails
CTR (Click Through Rate): Indicates the percentage of users who opened the email and clicked on some of the links you provided.
Conversion ratio: it depends on what we consider conversion: obtaining a donation or subscribing to an event seminar.
Unsubscribe ratio: how many people from the mail list have unsubscribed within a particular time.
Bounced emails: indicates the number of emails that have not reached their destination. It can happen because the address no longer exists or because the mailbox is full.

5 Be Careful With Spam Mail

Keep in mind the following:

Update your lists. Delete bounced emails
Remove addresses that complain about spam
Check if you are not blacklisted

Remember — by creating quality content, you can attract potential donors. Email marketing is one of the most effective ways of connecting with your audience.