Even with the rise of social media, email newsletters are still one of the best ways to reach your supporters. If you offer good content people will want to read your emails, but they have to know you have a newsletter. The following are 12 ways you can easily promote and grow your email list:
1. Ask at events
Have a signup form available at all of the community events you attend and host. This way people won’t have a chance to forget about you between leaving the event and getting home.
2. Make it shareable
Your “share with a friend” button should be easy to find in your emails and simple to use. Likewise, with the social media sharing buttons—make it easy to share your content by a click of a button.
3. Offer exclusive content
Make some articles and incentives only available to email subscribers. Promote the exclusivity on your social media sites so that people know to sign up.
4. Write a blog
Create a blog about the top five reasons people love your newsletter. Add a call-to-action at the end of your post so readers can sign up for your newsletter right then and there.
5. Promote on your homepage
Have an easy signup option featured front and center on your website homepage.
6. Offer an incentive
People love discounts and offering coupons is a great way to get people to share your newsletter with friends. This can be done in fundraising as well—think matching gifts, refer-a-friend giving options, peer-to-peer giving, etc.
7. Allow subscription via social media
Use a third-party application to allow people to sign up for your newsletter right on your Twitter or Facebook page. ShortStack is just one of many third-party apps that can help in this area.
8. Create a contest
Require an email address for entry into the contest. Even if it’s a just-for-fun contest such as a photo caption contest or sharing a story of how your nonprofit helped someone. Engage your audience and make sure to ask for their contact information in return.
9. Use print advertisement
Mention your newsletter on all of your promotional materials, including print (yes, print still happens!)
10. Include a call-to-action
When you are guest writing for another organization or publication, promote your newsletter at the end of the article. This will allow you access to a fresh audience that is already interested in what you have to say.
11. Offer an opt-out option on snail mail
If your company sends out both “snail” mail and email newsletters, include a URL (or QR code) on the paper copy that gives people the option to opt-out of paper mail to receive emails instead.
12. Promote via video
If your nonprofit creates videos, include a link to subscribe to your newsletter at the end of the video.
For all of these options, make sure the signup form is simple. If you ask for someone’s life story, they will likely give up halfway through the form; all you really need is a name and an email.
