Raising Money With E-Mail: Do's and Don'ts

October 06, 2008

Raising Money With E-Mail: Do's and Don'ts

When using e-mail to reach out to supporters, don’t just be yourself, “be different,” advises the marketing consultant and blogger Katya Andreasen in her post, 9 Ways to Fix Bad E-Mail.

“People are drowning in e-mail.” she writes. “Whether it’s the tone of your message or the startling honesty of your subject line, a standout element is required.”

Ms. Andreasen cautions her readers against purchasing commercial lists of prospective online donors. She also urges them to make any action they want e-mail recipients to take “incredibly easy to do.” She adds: “Strive for a one-click or one-second level of ease.”

Ms. Andreasen is a fan of including useful information, such as tips, in e-mail messages.

But she’s not much of an admirer of Microsoft Outlook when it comes to sending e-mail to large numbers of donors.

“Don’t e-mail donors, subscribers, etc., via Outlook. Ever,” she writes. “It will get you into trouble. You need a professional e-mail outreach tool.”

What tips would you add to Ms. Andreasen’s list?

— Holly Hall

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Raising Money With E-Mail: Do's and Don'ts