It happens to even the best organizations. Maybe they sent emails too frequently or the content wasn’t relevant enough, but whatever the reason, every nonprofit has email recipients who stop engaging.
But it doesn’t have to be the end of the road; you can re-engage inactive emails subscribers if you approach them again the right way. Initiating a win-back campaign could be a promising way to get people interested in—and responding to—your organization again.
When you reach out, keep these important points in mind:
Write Compelling Subject Lines
Use words that are proven to create a response, but don’t use words that may get you into trouble with spam filters. Keep it short, but be clear. It can seem like there are a lot of “rules” when it comes to subject lines, but if you follow these best practices, you’ll be on the right track to creating a subject line that screams, “Open me!”
- Don’t beat around the bush. The best subject lines are short, descriptive and to the point. If possible, keep your subject line to 40 characters or fewer. Emails with 6 to 10 words in their subject lines have the highest open rates, according to Retention Science.
- Avoid certain words. The word “free” can trigger spam filters, especially if it’s the first word in your subject line, it’s followed by an exclamation mark or you write it in all caps. Other words to avoid include “help,” “percent off” and “reminder.”
- Support the “from” line. This tells the recipient who sent the email, and the subject line sells the recipient on opening it. If your from line lists your organization’s name, you don’t have to repeat it in the subject line, which frees up space. Recent research shows readers often look at the from line first when deciding whether to open an email, and then the subject line.
- Change it up. Newsletters tend to start with high open rates, but eventually they fall. Repeating the exact same subject line for each newsletter makes the open rate drop even faster. Your newsletter’s subject lines should always reflect what’s inside, not simply state, “April newsletter.”
- Urgency drives action. If it’s appropriate, set a deadline: “Register by Friday,” or “Send your gift today.”
For the other two tips, check out the full article on Firespring.org>>
