When it comes to fundraising emails, it’s not just about hitting send and hoping for the best. A strategic approach ensures that each email feels relevant, engaging, and impactful. Whether you’re sending a campaign appeal, stewardship message, or event invitation, these best practices will help you get the most out of every message.
1. Smart Segmentation: Send the Right Message to the Right People
Effective segmentation makes a big difference. Instead of blasting the same email to everyone, tailor your messaging to fit each recipient’s relationship with your institution. Personalization can increase engagement, boost open rates, and improve ROI.
With Signal by EverTrue, you can leverage data to identify donor behavior patterns and segment accordingly. For example:
- First-time donors might appreciate a personalized ThankView video expressing gratitude and highlighting the impact of their gift.
- Lapsed donors may need a nudge with an “We Miss You” campaign, followed by a thank-you video upon re-engagement.
- Loyal donors respond well to inside updates and gratitude messages—bonus points if these updates come via ThankView, making the thank-you even more personal.
Smart segmentation ensures your messages are relevant—and that relevance drives action.
2. Craft Click-Worthy Subject Lines
The subject line is the gateway to your email, and it needs to grab attention fast. Here are a few proven strategies:
- Use questions: “Will You Join Us on Giving Tuesday?”
- Create urgency: “Last Chance: Make Twice the Impact Before Midnight!”
- Add personalization: “Hi [First Name], Can We Count on You Again?”
- Keep it short: 50 characters or fewer generally perform best.
Test subject lines with A/B testing to see what resonates most with your audience. And if your campaign includes a ThankView video, mention it! Subject lines like “A Special Message Just for You” or “See the Impact of Your Gift in 30 Seconds” spark curiosity and increase opens.
Don’t forget the preview text—it’s prime real estate to complement your subject line and encourage that all-important click.
3. Focus on Accessibility
Your beautifully crafted email is only effective if it can be easily read by all recipients. Accessibility ensures your message reaches everyone, including those using screen readers or other assistive technologies.
Here are a few tips to keep your emails accessible:
- Use alt text for images and videos, including ThankView thumbnails, in case they don’t load.
- Stick to 14pt font or larger for readability.
- Ensure high-contrast colors between text and background.
- Avoid walls of text—keep paragraphs concise and use headings for easy scanning.
Accessibility isn’t just ethical; it also improves engagement for all your supporters. And video content, like ThankView, offers an easy way to create accessible messages by enabling captions and transcripts for every video.
4. Make Your Call-to-Action Clear and Easy to Follow
Every email should have one clear call-to-action (CTA). Whether it’s a donation button or an event registration link, the CTA needs to stand out. Best practices for CTAs include:
- Use action-oriented language: “Watch the Video,” “Donate Now,” or “Join Us.”
- Make it visible: Use buttons with clear text.
- Repeat the CTA: Include it multiple times within the email to increase the chances of action.
If you’re using ThankView, a great CTA is “Click to Watch Your Message” or “See How Your Gift Made a Difference.” This simple action makes donors feel appreciated, leading to higher retention rates.
5. Timing is Everything
When you send your emails matters as much as what you send. Here are a few tips for perfecting your send times:
- Morning and early afternoon tends to be the sweet spot for opens.
- Avoid Fridays and weekends, as open rates generally drop.
- Use video strategically—timing a ThankView message after key events like Giving Tuesday can strengthen follow-up efforts.
Remember, with holidays like Giving Tuesday or your own Grateful Wednesday, it’s important to build a cadence that leads up to and follows those key dates. ThankView videos are perfect follow-ups to major events, ensuring your donors feel appreciated and engaged.
6. Analyze, Adjust, and Improve
Email success requires ongoing optimization. Monitor key metrics, including:
- Open rates: How effective was the subject line?
- Click-through rates: Did your CTA grab attention?
- Conversion rates: How many recipients completed the desired action?
Using Signal by EverTrue, you can analyze email performance, adjust segmentation strategies, and improve your next campaign. Adding ThankView videos into your cadence offers an additional layer of engagement, creating moments that connect donors emotionally to your mission—and those moments translate into higher retention rates.
Mastering these email practices will help your fundraising communications hit home, from segmentation to send. When you tailor your outreach with tools like Signal by EverTrue and combine it with smart timing, strong subject lines, and accessibility-first design, you’ll drive better engagement—and better results.
Happy sending!