Nov/Dec 2005

Four Principles to Turn Email Newsletters into High-Impact Tools for Driving Donor Loyalty

by Jeff Brooks, Senior Creative Director, Domain Group

An email newsletter can be an organization's best fundraising tool. That's because a newsletter is a unique platform to show donors the impact of their giving — and cement the relationship. The key is to make sure the newsletter builds donor loyalty. Loyal donors will give more, stay with an organization longer, and be an organization's best advocates.

A loyalty-building newsletter requires clear, muscular writing and eye-catching design. But that isn't enough. Applying these four principles to any newsletter will help to ensure that donors respond.

1. It's about the donor

The heart of a loyalty-building newsletter is showing the donor that she makes a difference. The "star" is the donor, not the organization.

In other words: An organization must know its audience. The audience is the donor. She wants to hear one thing: That her giving matters. This principle should guide all decisions about newsletter content. When an organization considers putting something in its newsletter, it should consider: "Does this demonstrate to the donor that her involvement matters?" If it doesn't, throw it out.

Once an organization has the right material, there's another step. Repeatedly, throughout every newsletter, the organization should include variations of this phrase: "This is possible because you and others gave." Never miss an opportunity to remind a donor of her critical role in the organization's work.

A loyalty-building newsletter is NOT about the success and competence of the organization. It's about the work made possible by the donor. The organization's successes should be framed as the donors' accomplishments.

2. An organization needs its donors

A newsletter doesn't have to be an appeal for funds. But don't shy away from asking for gifts. Contrary to what some people in the nonprofit world think, being asked is not an annoyance or an intrusion for donors. Donors want to be wanted. From a donor's point of view, evidence that the organization needs her tells her that she's significant! So, be clear and bold about the organization's financial needs. Ask for help. Donors will reward the organization by giving.

3. Use the power of story

Human beings need stories. Stories are a key way we assimilate knowledge. Wise leaders and thinkers throughout human history have used stories to communicate important truths. So should a loyalty-building newsletter.

What is a story? It's a dramatic account of people overcoming odds and achieving something worthwhile. It has a beginning, middle and end. A point of view. Tension and resolution. It's dramatic and well written.

Many nonprofits shy away from the "negative." This is a mistake, because the "all happy" story lacks depth and human interest. Any storyteller will tell you that conflict and trouble make a story fascinating. They are also what make our happy endings more meaningful. Don't be afraid of the painful. As long as it resolves in the end, showing that the donor made a difference makes for a powerful story.

A newsletter is a good way to recruit volunteers, solicit in-kind gifts, advertise events, generate planned giving leads, and promote other organizational goals. But the story must come first. Keep non-story material to a minimum.

4. Use headlines to keep readers reading

It doesn't matter how strong a story is if nobody reads it. Too many nonprofit newsletters obscure their material under bloodless, dispassionate headlines. Headlines should take sides, have a strong point of view, advocate, shout, tease.

The world's best headline writers work for the supermarket tabloids. They understand an important truth: The headline is what pulls a reader into a story. Buy a tabloid, and it's clear: Despite the questionable content, the headlines are exciting and enticing. Learn from them.

Good newsletter headlines should have:

• Strong verbs. A headline should be a sentence, not a title or a label. Avoid "-ing" verbs — they can really let all the steam out of a headline.
• Relationships. Because human relationships are innately interesting, feature them in the headline whenever possible.
• Multiple elements. Kickers (above the main headline) and/or subheads (below) enrich headlines by adding quotations or other interest-generating material.

Organizations trying these principles in their newsletters will find that they — and their donors — will be very pleased with the results.

Jeff Brooks is a senior creative director at the Domain Group, an international direct marketing and communications agency exclusively serving nonprofit organizations in North America and Europe. He oversees the creation of more than 60 newsletters a year. Jeff is the author of the Donor Power Blog for fundraising professionals (http://www.donorpowerblog.com/), and can be reached by e-mail at jbrooks@thedomaingroup.com or by phone at 206-834-1490.

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