As you send out mass emails from your nonprofit, you’re regularly analyzing emails that have been opened and read, that have been clicked, that have bounced or never been touched. A contribution to the reason for opening or deleting an email chock full of valuable, detailed information is the subject line.
Be Personal
Whether it be through the subject line, the content, and/or the target audience of the email, be personal in your approach. Cater to the person on the other end of the email through word choice and delivery. Speaking to the subject line, use merge fields to address it specifically to the donor or volunteer. Pull out specific details from the opportunities held within the email to give a preview of what’s inside. Choose these details based on the target audience, understanding what will appeal to them most.
Tell Your Story
Choose one phrase from the email content that communicates the core message of both upcoming ways to get involved and of your organization. 3-5 words that say the point of what you want the target audience of donors to know gives them encouragement to at least click into the email before sending it to trash. Your carefully planned out content is not trash! Make sure they understand the WHY of this one email right there in the subject line.
Be Concise
You’ve personalized the subject line, you’ve tailored it to share a preview of what lies within, and now, as you review the final choices, be concise with the chosen subject line. I’ve already said it once, and I’ll say it again, 3-5 words does the trick. Don’t give your donors and volunteers a reason to be confused at the email or negligent of it all together. A quick glance at the subject line gives them all they need to know, so that the full email gives them what they want to know.
Contact us today to evaluate how your mass email strategy and results can improve with the help of a CRM and specific plan.
Marianna Woodruff is Director of Brand Awareness at DonorLynk, LLC. DonorLynk aims to provide nonprofits with tailored solutions that work for you, not against you.