How To Keep Your Newsletter Out Of The Recycling Bin
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How to Keep Your Newsletter Out of the Recycling Bin Tina Cincotti Founder of Funding Change Training & Consulting Founder of Funding Change Training & Consulting Sept. 8, 2010 | Use Twitter Hashtag #npweb Special Thanks To Our Sponsors
description
More than 75% of donors want newsletters from the organizations they support. In fact, they are the one of the most valuable donor relations you have for keeping supporters connected to your work.Yet, surveys show that donors aren’t reading them. Why? Because a compelling newsletter is hard to find.Come hear what makes a great newsletter and how to avoid the most common mistakes.In this session, we’ll cover:* How to make your newsletter “donor centered”* What counts as news and what doesn’t* The importance of headlines* What your designer probably doesn’t know about design* And more…You’ll leave with concrete strategies for decreasing the odds that your newsletter will go straight from the mailbox to the recycling bin.
Transcript of How To Keep Your Newsletter Out Of The Recycling Bin
How to Keep Your Newsletter Out
of the Recycling Bin
Tina Cincotti
Founder of Funding Change Training & ConsultingFounder of Funding Change Training & Consulting
Sept. 8, 2010 | Use Twitter Hashtag #npweb
Special Thanks To Our Sponsors
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How to Keep Your Newsletter Out
of the Recycling Bin
Tina Cincotti
Founder of Funding Change Training & ConsultingFounder of Funding Change Training & Consulting
Sept. 8, 2010 | Use Twitter Hashtag #npweb
Special Thanks To Our Sponsors
Helping ordinary people raise extraordinary amounts for nonprofits is all we do, and we love it.
A Proud Sponsor of NonprofitWebinars.com
Today’s Speaker
Tina CincottiFounder, Funding Change Training & Consulting
Hosting: Sam Frank, Synthesis Partnership
Assisting with chat questions: Chris Dumas, FirstGiving
What your
newsletter is not…newsletter is not…
The cold, hard truth…
Nonprofit newsletters need improvement.
Nonprofit newsletters should be better.
Nonprofit newsletters could be more
effective.effective.
Nonprofit newsletters aren’t so good.
Nonprofit newsletters need some serious
help.
Nonprofit newsletters…umm… SUCK.
What your
newsletter is…newsletter is…
Before we continue…
Let’s get a few things out of the way:
• e-news vs. paper?• e-news vs. paper?
• length & frequency?
• self-mailer or not?
• include gift envelope?
The Seven Deadly Sins
of Nonprofit
NewslettersNewsletters
7 Deadly Sins of Newsletters
#1 – There is no actual
“news” in your newsletter.“news” in your newsletter.
Real news looks like this…
7 Deadly Sins of Newsletters
#2 – It’s all about you. Your
donors are nowhere to be donors are nowhere to be
found!
Here are some donors…
7 Deadly Sins of Newsletters
#3 – The word “you” is used
rarely, if at all.rarely, if at all.
This is how you use the
word you…word you…
7 Deadly Sins of Newsletters
#4 – You don’t tell stories
and everything is written in and everything is written in
an “institutional voice.”
Let me tell you a story…
7 Deadly Sins of Newsletters
#5 – Your headlines are #5 – Your headlines are
meaningless.
The headlines coming up
tell the whole story…tell the whole story…
7 Deadly Sins of Newsletters
#6 – It’s not written and
designed to be skimmed.
How fast can you get the
point of these?point of these?
7 Deadly Sins of Newsletters
#7 – Best practices for
“readability” are totally “readability” are totally
ignored.
Colin Wheildon, Type & Layout: How typography and
design can get your message across -- or get in the way
Design Choice How Easy is it to Comprehend?
Article in black ink on white paper Good: 70% Fair: 19% Poor: 11%
Article in black ink on pale blue
paper
Good: 38% Fair: 19% Poor: 43%
Article in purple ink on white paper Good: 51% Fair: 13% Poor: 36%
Article in white ink on black Good: 0% Fair: 12% Poor: 88%Article in white ink on black
background
Good: 0% Fair: 12% Poor: 88%
Article in serif type Good: 67% Fair: 19% Poor: 14%
Article in sans serif type Good: 12% Fair: 23% Poor: 65%
Headlines in black Good: 67% Fair: 19% Poor: 14%
Headlines in dark color ink –
purple, green
Good: 52% Fair: 28% Poor: 20%
Headline in bright color ink –
orange, red
Good: 17% Fair: 18% Poor: 65%
Here are some that are
easier on the eyes…easier on the eyes…
Remember…
1. News is the first word in NEWSletter.
2. Make your donors the hero.
3. “You” is your most powerful word.3. “You” is your most powerful word.
4. Tell stories.
5. Headlines should summarize the articles.
6. Prepare to be skimmed, not read.
7. Make it easy on the eyes.
Questions?Submit your questions using the
questions box.
Thank you!
Want more advice?
Sign up for my FREE e-newsletter…
Subscribe at
www.fundingchangeconsulting.comwww.fundingchangeconsulting.com
Date Topic
9/15: 1pm ET
9/15: 2:30 ET
Cultivating Stakeholders: Inclusiveness as a Planning Strategy
Planned Giving Strategies that Work
Register at NonprofitWebinars.com
Upcoming Webinars
9/15: 2:30 ET Planned Giving Strategies that Work
9/22: 1pm ET
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Ten Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Nonprofit Consultant
Big Brand Impact On A Small Brand Budget
9/29: 1pm ET
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Finding The Perfect Donor Database In An Imperfect World
10/6: 1pm ET Common Pitfalls in Recruiting, and How to Avoid Them!
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