The value of taking part in Giving Tuesday continues to grow bigger each year. It presents an opportunity for you to raise your fundraising efforts, continue to share the mission and gain new donors and supporters in the process. A solid email marketing campaign is one way to make sure you are successful.
First things first, know your audience!
One of the first things you need to do is understand your donor base and how you want to reach them. Ensuring you get a good open rate can be difficult on Giving Tuesday with so many emails being received, so here are a few things you can test to boost those numbers.
- A/B testing subject lines – An A/B test will allow you to see what entices your donors. Is it a softer or more straightforward approach? Is it long or short? Testing your tactics will help you decide.
- Segmentation – Segmenting your email lists into demographics or interests can help increase open rates. If your organization has more than one cause or campaign you are fundraising for, knowing what your donors are interested in can help you engage people in a more meaningful way.
- Time – In order to test email subject lines and narrow down your segmentation, you need to be proactive and map out some time ahead of Giving Tuesday to see what resonates with your donor base. Leaving this to the last minute will make it hard to maximize your impact. Plan to send some emails out a few weeks ahead to warm them up for the big day.
Tell your story
One of the first things to consider is understanding the value of what you are fundraising for and telling your story in a way that compels your donors to give. Creating an emotional message that connects to your audience is crucial to the success of your fundraising goal. When you map out your story, consider who, what, and why. Invite your audience to create a connection with the story and why it is essential to give to that cause. By creating this connection, you are allowing donors to bond and making the giving aspect more memorable for them.
For Giving Tuesday, it is vital to get your message out ahead of time to ensure your audience has a chance to create this connection. When the day arrives send regular emails, reminding donors of the opportunity and further creating that urgency in the campaign.
Get Prepared
Preparing for this storytelling prior to the day is fundamental. Prewriting and scheduling many messages in advance will allow you to keep track of things like donation amounts, click-through rates, and engagement. Being ahead will allow for some pivots in the lead-up, maximizing your efforts and avoiding extra work last minute.
Drafting up a content plan will be a massive help with this as it allows you:
- Keep a timeline for your campaign
- Keep your messaging consistent
- Stay aligned with all of your other forms of communication, like social media
- Stay organized on what can be a very hectic fundraising day
Have a great Giving Tuesday, everyone!
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