The best email campaigns will slowly paint a compelling picture of your organization in people’s minds. Every email that you send out should add to that picture, giving your audience a vivid understanding of your mission and purpose.
That’s why not every email should directly solicit donations.
Instead, email campaigns should be designed to gradually cultivate a connection over time. This way, your potential donors have time to get excited, and more impactful appeals can be made later on.
Cultivating a Story Over Time
Think of each email as a brushstroke. Before asking for support, we must first focus on painting the whole picture by building awareness and engagement.
One of the first emails to consider sending in a campaign might be a survey email.
Rather than asking for support, the survey email invites potential donors to get engaged by sharing their ideas and giving feedback. (The responses from such surveys can then inform your messaging, ensuring alignment with what truly matters to your donors.)
Whether it’s a survey, a story about your impact, or an update on your programs, each email should contribute to cultivating a deeper level of engagement with your audience.
Building a Relationship, One Email at a Time
An email campaign is about more than just keeping people informed; it’s about making them feel like a part of your journey.
Let’s look at some of the emails that could be sent out before making a final direct appeal:
- Survey Email: Engages audiences with feedback requests.
- Storytelling Email: Shares impactful stories.
- Update Email: Updates on projects and progress.
- Background Email: Share the history of your cause.
- Donor Spotlight Email: Highlights stories of donors/volunteers.
- Impact Report Email: Shows the impact of contributions.
- Thank You Email: Expresses gratitude to supporters.
When the time comes to ask for donations, your supporters are ready to respond, not just because they understand your mission, but because they feel a part of it.
Bringing Your Campaign To A Close
Your campaigns may range in length from a few emails to a few dozen sent over several months. Along the way, it’s perfectly fine to include some soft appeals or links to donation pages.
However, as the campaign nears its end, your approach should shift. These final emails are no longer about reiterating your value proposition – that groundwork has already been laid.
Instead, focus on creating a sense of urgency for your campaign. You may want to announce:
- a goal amount of funds to raise
- a deadline to raise those funds by
- a matching donation in the final days before the deadline
By creating a sense of urgency with these methods, donors will be motivated to take immediate action.
As your campaign deadline approaches, you may wish to send emails that remind people that only one week (or even one day) is left in the campaign.
Finally, make sure to end your email campaign with a final appeal on the day of your deadline.
Don’t forget! — Follow up your campaign with thank you emails; announce and celebrate all the support you’ve received!
Crafting Your Email Campaign
Ready to explore the art of email marketing? Anchor can guide you through crafting an email campaign that not only tells your story but also builds deeper connections with your supporters.
Contact us, and let’s chat about what an email campaign can accomplish for you!
Maximizing Impact Blog Series:
- The Power of Storytelling
- Leveraging Social Media
- Building Effective Websites for Nonprofits
- Email Marketing Campaigns
- Donor Engagement and Retention
- Tracking and Measuring Success
