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People Instead of Profits: Email Marketing for Non-Profit Associations
DM News
October 5, 2006
By Jeffrey E. Barnhart
Non-profit groups and associations face an up-hill climb when launching an email marketing campaign to their potential members: selling an idea rather than a product on a limited budget. Many of the same techniques of conventional e-marketing translate, but there are major differences in assessing your audience, copywriting and the use of the group’s website. It is important to tailor your email campaign to the demographic whose time and money you hope to win.
Assessing Your Audience. When assessing the target prospects for non-profit organizations, it is essential to consider their profession and how they might relate to your organization. Although education is often touted as an all-encompassing benefit, the main attraction for members who join associations is networking. Building work relationships through common organizations helps people learn more about the industry through mentors and provide connections to help further their careers.
People can also relate to your organization independently of their profession. Charitable giving continues to steadily increase around 2 percent every year according to recent reports. While corporate clients are restricted to appealing to the prospect’s business interest, some non-profit organizations are able to tap into personal connections or special interests.
Connecting to the Content. The language of the email must speak directly to the person whose in-box you have infiltrated. Keep subject lines brief and try asking a question that is specific to their interests – “Looking for networking opportunities in your field?” The benefits of joining the organization should always be front and center. For example, in an email announcing the organization’s annual conference, the educational theme must be prominently displayed and supported with details to hook the prospect personally to the event. Buzzwords like “trends” and “future” can be used to show timeliness, persuading the prospective member to attend in order to stay up to date on their field.
Instant Info from Web sites. One of the non-profit’s major goals is to increase traffic to the Web site. Non-profit organizations have benefited tremendously from the convenience of the Internet. By linking from the email to the website, prospects can instantly act on their impulse to find out more and can quickly gain access to online registration and event information. Plus, most marketing companies can interpret the return on investment by analyzing the number of views the website receives. Databases that accurately track leads and store information are used to predict the email’s success.
A non-profit email campaign that considers all of these factors is sure to increase membership and therefore drive revenue. Paying extra attention to how your prospect will connect with the organization’s goals and keeping key information readily accessible will help keep your email from hitting the trash bin.
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About the Author
Jeffrey Barnhart is the president and CEO of Creative Marketing Alliance Inc. (CMA). Based in Princeton Junction, NJ, CMA is a full-service marketing communications company with expertise in a wide range of industries. Celebrating more than 19 years of service and more than 150 industry awards, CMA operates across seven major areas of expertise—strategic marketing, advertising, public relations, sales support, interactive, direct response and publications—through MarketectureTM, a proprietary strategic marketing analysis process. CMA designs, develops and implements integrated communication solutions for regional, national and global businesses. For more information about CMA, visit the company's Web site at www.cmasolutions.com or contact Mr. Barnhart at (609) 799-6000 or jbarnhart@cmasolutions.com.
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About Creative Marketing Alliance, Inc.
Based in Princeton Junction, NJ, Creative Marketing Alliance (CMA) is a full-service marketing communications company with expertise in a wide range of industries. Celebrating more than 19 years of service and more than 150 industry awards, CMA operates across seven major area of expertise—strategic marketing, advertising, public relations, sales support, interactive, direct response and publications—through MarketectureTM, a proprietary strategic marketing analysis process. Please visit www.cmasolutions.com for more info