Don Akchin

Saving the world isn’t enough anymore, argues Joe Waters, co-author of Cause Marketing for Dummies. In a post for Nonprofit Quarterly, he argues that nonprofits must publish useful content – whether through blogs, email newsletters, e-books, reports or videos. It’s the way to maintain a strong brand, to stand out from the crowd, and to make sure potential donors know who you are. When you’re ready to put together a content strategy, let’s talk.

Image via Wikipedia Yes, it’s tempting, when the budget is tight (as it always is), to try to send out one communications piece to all your audiences. Something for everyone, eh? Just like a newspaper – and you see how well that idea is working! The problem is, when you send out a newsletter with some content for donors, some for volunteers, some for people you serve, each reader gets a newsletter in which two-thirds of the content is irrelevant. These days, fortunately, talk is cheap – especially online. There’s no excuse not to send each of your audiences a targeted message that is 100% relevant to them. What’s more, you can do it without speaking with forked tongue. I’ll be leading a workshop on “Making Your Messages Matter To Your Different Audiences” for Maryland Nonprofits on Tuesday, February 1, 9 a.m. to noon. Do sign up.

What a great site for email marketers! “Which Test Won” offers a comparison of two email test offers from the same organization each week. You vote for the one you think was most effective, and then you learn the actual results. There’s also a library of past comparisons. Thanks to Jeff Brooks at Future Fundraising Now for the tip.

Photo: Stephen Poff Blogger and consultant Nancy Schwartz has posted a slide presentation on “Breakthrough Nonprofit E-Newsletters,” which, as she points out, is still a far more effective medium for nonprofits than social media at this stage. She offers some valuable tips for creating e-newsletters that connect with readers.

How long does your email have to make an impression? What do you have to get across? We’re talking seconds here.

The Idealware blog has two detailed case studies of a prep school and a local United Way using email successfully for fundraising.

Email is still king when it comes to building relationships, says Entrepreneur columnist Gail Goodman. That’s the first of four lessons that she draws on email marketing from experience in 2009.

A recent study by Care2 finds most nonprofits taking too long to acknowledge new email subscribers and not making email registration easy to find or use.

Photo: Peter Emmett One key to getting your email messages read is a compelling subject line. Blogger Joanne Fritz offers a number of useful suggestions. Tom Belford at The Agitator offers another great tip: Be specific. Here’s an example of a headline that got my attention, from a software vendor:re vendor: WHEN WE SAY YOU’RE LIKE A FRUIT BAT,WE MEAN IT IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY. (The text, in case you wondered, talks about the value of symbiotic relationships between the product and the customer.)

The beauty of direct marketing is that you can learn precisely what works, and how well. A free e-book from an interactive agency offers helpful guidance on ways to test your email campaigns.

Summer’s here and the time is right for reading on the beach. Here are a couple of selections for those who don’t mind mixing business with pleasure. Motivated by seeing tons of bad emails from nonprofits, Network for Good has published a free e-book, The Nonprofit Email Marketing Guide:7 Steps to Better Email Fundraising & Communications. Download a free copy. Do you ever wonder if your special events are worth the effort? Terry Axelrod, fundraising guru extraordinaire, has written Missionizing Your Special Events: How to Build a System of Events That Engages Donors Who Will Stay with You for Life. Blogger Joanne Fritz at About.com has a glowing review. Photo Credit: Bernd

What can nonprofits learn from the astounding fund-raising achievements of the Obama campaign? Blogger Joanne Fritz, summing up advice from an architect of the campaign, boils it down to: Short, personalized emails calling for one concrete action. Tell the supporter what that action will achieve. Reward supporters who act with public praise.

Convio salutes its most innovative clients – most of them nonprofit organizations – each year at an annual conference. Check out the 2008 winners for inspiration in implementing web sites, email campaigns, online advocacy, special events fundraising and other categories.

Convio salutes its most innovative clients – most of them nonprofit organizations – each year at an annual conference. Check out the 2008 winners for inspiration in implementing web sites, email campaigns, online advocacy, special events fundraising and other categories.

Convio salutes its most innovative clients – most of them nonprofit organizations – each year at an annual conference. Check out the 2008 winners for inspiration in implementing web sites, email campaigns, online advocacy, special events fundraising and other categories.

Marketing Sherpa offers a free downloadable report on the most common mistakes organizations make when producing e-newsletters.

Marketing Sherpa offers a free downloadable report on the most common mistakes organizations make when producing e-newsletters.

Marketing Sherpa offers a free downloadable report on the most common mistakes organizations make when producing e-newsletters.