How to Write a Great Nonprofit Newsletter
Newsletters are a great way to keep donors, volunteers, and other stakeholders engaged and informed about the work your organization is doing. When done well, they can be a tool to deepen your relationships and invite readers into greater involvement.
However, given that the average person only opens about 18% of their emails, you want to make sure the message you’re sending is accessible, engaging, and gives a clear sense of the next step the reader should take. Here are our tips on what can take your newsletter from good to GREAT!
Make sure you have something to say
Regular emails are important, but you’re competing with inboxes full of promos, spam, and deadlines. So, make sure that your emails are adding value to your readers. Each email should have something meaningful to say, whether that’s an upcoming event, a constituent story, or a programmatic update.
Keep It short and sweet
It’s easy to write loooooong emails packed with great content. But—and we all know this deep down inside — no one will read them. Short, skimmable, and succinct should be the name of the game when it comes to your e-newsletters.
Have ONE Call-to-Action (CTA)
What do you want readers to do once they’ve opened your email? The best way to make sure they engage is by giving them only one option. Choose your CTA deliberately. Do you want them to RSVP to an event? Donate? Sign up to volunteer? More than one CTA can overload your readers, leading them to just delete your email.
Make it easy to read
What your newsletter looks like is just as important as how you write it. It’s easy for a newsletter to feel cluttered and overwhelming — particularly to a donor who is reading it on their cell phone while standing in line at the grocery store. A simple, mobile-friendly, design will resonate much better than an overly-long, overly-designed newsletter.
Have a good (and creative) subject line
Subject lines are HARD to write. But they matter! Spend some time looking at what subject lines work - and which ones will lead your newsletter right to the trash folder.
Bonus: add the right people to your mailing list (and make it easy to unsubscribe!)
You don’t want to waste people’s time - and you don’t want to send them a newsletter they don’t want to read! Make sure you are allowing all constituents to opt-in to your newsletter. That means don’t add emails willy-nilly - that’s a great way to burn some goodwill (and could get you labeled a spammer!)
And, while it might seem counterintuitive, make it easy for people to unsubscribe. Don’t hide your unsubscribe button under layers of links, or use confusing language like “change how you hear from us.” Being clear and transparent will show your donors that you respect their time - and their inboxes.
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