9 tips for an effective e-mail

1. Put your offer in the subject line

The subject line has the same purpose as the text on an envelope: to get the recipient to read the message.

2. Alternate newsletters with e-mail campaigns

Be sure that your e-mail campaign only deals with a single subject.

3. Personalize the subject line

People like to see their own name – use that to your advantage.

4. Test the subject line before rolling it out

The nice thing about e-mail marketing is that you can get almost immediate results. Test two subject lines on a small client list, and then use the subject line that gets the best open rate for the rest of the list.

5. Use the outcome of the test for your direct mail campaign

There’s a big chance that the most appealing opening line for an e-mail is also the most appealing sentence for your envelope. In fact, the subject line of an e-mail has the same function as an envelope text in direct mailing. It’s a lot cheaper to test e-mails.

6. Always provide a link for images

People click on images, so be sure that every image has a link to your landing page.

7. Put a request for donations at the beginning and at the end

In this way, you make sure that a call for donations is always visible on the reader’s screen.

8. Devise a good “thank you” strategy for newsletter subscribers

Thank them for subscribing. Then send them an e-mail thanking them again and telling the donor what other actions they can take (post on Facebook, Twitter, or start their own campaign). A few days later, send an e-mail that shows how those donations have been put to work. After that, your new subscriber can be added to the regular newsletter list.

9. Make an active link

Tell people exactly what will happen when they click on the link: “Click here to donate 25 euros to save a child.”