Growing your e-mail list is the most important thing you can do to further your online fundraising potential. Instead of the "A, B, C's" we are offering the "3 A's" for growth:
Ask:
Online, often and boldly: When we added a pop-up box for new visitors to npadvisors.com we increased subscription rates from first-time visitors by 40%.
In the mail, carefully: Test to see the drop in direct mail response, if any, before you roll out any changes to your reply forms.
On the phone: March of Dimes added 60,000 new e-mail addresses by asking volunteers for their e-mail address at the end of a telemarketing call.
In person: Ask for e-mails at event signups, in guest books, and in personal conversations
Append:
Consider sending your donor file to a reputable computer service bureau that can match the names and addresses in your file to those in their file, and assign e-mail addresses to your records. You can achieve a 5% to 20% match rate, and typically you pay $.40 to $.50 per e-mail matched (with a minimum charge of $1,500 to $2,000). Typically the appending firm sends an e-mail to the matched addresses, introducing you and either requesting an opt-in or allowing an opt-out. You get back the e-mail addresses that don't opt out and don't bounce.
Acquire:
There are four ways to advertise online to bring new visitors to your site, where you want to capture their e-mail address as part of a newsletter signup, donation or other action.
- Chaperoned e-mail: the owner of a list sends your message to his list
- E-newsletter sponsorships: the owner of a list sends your brief message, usually four to six lines and a link, within his e-newsletter
- Targeted banner ads: graphic images and text on sites that link visitors to your site
- Search engine optimization & keyword buys: Showing up on top of keyword searches for phrases that relate to your organization
These aren't either/or possibilities. Use all of these techniques to find the best ways to attract meaningful visits to your site.
