You know from a personal perspective just how many emails you receive into your inbox on a daily basis. Some you mark as junk mail or delete immediately, others you read the moment they arrive and the rest you leave to peruse later when you have time. So it stands to reason that your nonprofit email is literally vying for your reader’s attention and is in competition with the other emails in their inbox. So how can you make your nonprofit emails stand out from the other emails in your inbox?

To avoid readers hitting the delete button on your emails, you have to demonstrate the value immediately. Target your subscribers by sending the right message to the right individual. Not everyone wants to read about your next fundraising event, and not everyone wants to know how to volunteer with your organisation. Find out from people what their core interests are when they sign up to minimise the number of unsubscribers.

Finding the right time to send your emails can be difficult. What suits one person may definitely not suit another. So timing is everything. Personalise it a little. When someone sends a donation, email them. When someone has participated in a fundraiser, email them. Contact them while your organisation is fresh in their mind, so your email comes across as less of an interruption into their busy day.

On that note, it is best to get straight to the point. Like a good newspaper article, mention all the necessary facts up front and minimise the text. Pictures also help as the majority of people scan emails for context. Try to use headings, bullet points and action points to your advantage.

Spend time creating an email title which has one aim – to get them to read the email. Extra brownie points for emails with “you” or “your” and even better if their name can get a mention in the subject line. Remember, your email is all about THEM. So make them feel great about reading your email each  time.

Don’t make sending emails a last minute chore. Give it priority and see the difference in the response you receive.