Email Marketing puts the focus on the organization/event. Email Engagement puts the focus on your constituents. Write what is important to them, not what is important to you.

Best Practices for Email Engagement

Sender Name/Email Address

• Consistency in both helps build recognition and trust.

• The from line is the first thing people read, and is an important factor in whether or not the email is opened.

• As little as 20 characters will display in the from line.

• Determine what is most recognizable for your event. An event with a newer coordinator can use the event name, while an event with an established and well known coordinator can use the coordinator name, followed by event name.

• Use the same email address for the entire event season and from year to year. Ask to be white listed (to be added to safe senders list).

Subject Line

• Be specific, not misleading.

• Provide a sense of urgency.

• Speak to their needs and interests.

• Put the most important information first.

• Length: Between 20 and 50 characters, 60 max.

Preview Pane/Above the Fold

• More than 70% of email users report utilizing the preview pane.

• The preview pane often only shows the top 2 – 4 inches of the message, frequently with images blocked.

• Put the most important content, the value proposition, or the action item in the first few lines of the email.

• The first few lines should draw the person in and encourage them to continue skimming in the preview pane or to open the message.

Email Consumption Stages

Nearly 20% (and increasing) of all email opens take

place using a mobile device.

“Even if you have permission to send

an email, people will not open it,

read it, or stay on your list very long

if the information you send isn’t

relevant to them.”

-Jeffrey Rice, MarketingSherpa

The Email Challenge: Online distractions Attention Span

Put the most important content in components of the emails that can be easily skimmed. Headlines get the most attention followed by bulleted or numbered lists. Links are also eye catching.

Use a conversational tone. No corporate or flowery language. Short, to the point sentences. Paragraphs should be no longer than five to six lines. Email itself should be no longer than two screens. One call to action - Bring the horse to water. Tell them what they should do, why they should do it, and how to take the next step. Use colorful buttons and multiple links that lead to the action.

Audience Segmentation and Conditionals One of the most important decisions you can make in preparing an email blast is who the recipients will be and what content is relevant to segments of your overall audience.

Ideas for audience segmentation and content conditionals

Team captains

Survivors, program recipients

Funds raised

Team members

Individuals

Number of emails sent

Date of registration

Updated personal page

Changed goal

Self donors

Past participants

Virtual participants

Improving email response rates is a long term undertaking, with a foundation in trust-building. Your job is to provide relevant content to people who want to receive it. Your email campaign should have constituents at the center, not the organization or your event. Remember, it is not all about you and one size does not fit all.

Only 19% (and declining) of

emails are read, the rest are skimmed.