Want more people to read your eblast? Make your eblast moble friendly.

More email is being read on mobile devices than on desktop email clients.

That's why it's important that your eblasts are mobile friendly. There's an obvious correlation between the readibility of an email and the likelihood of it being read. Make the email easy for users to read and more of them will read and engage with it.  A user shouldn't have to zoom in or scroll. The more a user has to do to read your email, the less likely the user is to read it. Users should be able to read your email comfortably at arms length and click on any links with 1 thumb. Mobile friendly eblasts will also increase your click rate. Follow these simple guidelines to make your eblasts mobile friendly. 

Implement the steps below to make your eblat mobile friendly. Then get my Email Persuasion by Ian Brodie to learn how ot write emails that are engaging and how to turn your subscribers into paying clients.

Simple guidelines to make your eblasts mobile friendly

• Template - use a template that is mobile friendly or responsive design. 
• Layout - use a single column layout. Use a maximum width of 640 pixels (px). I recommend  a width of 320px which is the portrait width of an iPhone. Some templates with a single column layout may have other design elements on the side that increase the wide of the layout - get rid of those design elements or use a different template.
• Font - use a font that works well across all platforms; Arial, Verdana, Georgia, Times New Roman.
• Font size - use a minimum font size of 16 pixel (px) or 14 point (pt) for body copy. Apple recommends 17-22px Google recommends 18-22px. Mail Chimp has found that 16px Georgia works wells. Headlines should be a minimum of 22pt.
• Calls to Action (CTA) 
  • To get more clicks, place your primary CTA near the top of your message. You'll get fewer clicks if you bury the CTA at the bottom.
  • Have 1 clear, compelling CTA in your eblast.
  • Use large, thumb-tappable buttons.
  • Consider using a click-to-call button. Calling is easier than filling out a form. 
• Images - Don't assume your images will be viewed on mobile devices. iPhone's native email app will display images by default, but many email clients will block images by default. Many won't load background images at all. When you use an image make sure it's bold and bright with a single focal point. Don't put any important messaging on the image as many users may not see the image. 
• Content - your content should be clear and concise. It's important to engage users as quickly and efficiently as possible. Limit the amount of copy and use headings, short paragraphs, and bullet points, and short paragraphs. Do not insert any tables. 
• The goal is to drive traffic to your website and engage users there. When posting to a blog, I recommend that the eblast only contain enough content to compel users to click on a Read More link to the full post on the website. When users are on your website they can; buy products, submit a form, subscribe, watch a video, leave a comment, etc. Remember the Big Idea is to bring traffic to your website. 
• Provide a plain text version as an option. This is a CAN-SPAM best practice and it's helpful in trying to reach customers with email clients that don't support HTML email. You'll notice that many users will revert to useing the plain text version as well. That should tell you that people prefer a clean, easy to read email. 
• Test - Send a test email. If possible, check how it displays on different devices; desktop, iphone, android, ipad.
• Analyze - track your recipients engagement and pay special attention to mobile users. Engaging mobile users is increasingly important. 

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Many non-profits overlook the fundraising opportunities that printed newsletters have. I've listed some quick ideas to breathe live into your newsletter's fundraising efforts.

1. Make your newsletter interesting. It sounds obvious but that's why most newsletters don't get read - they are dull and boring. Start with a professional looking design to make your newsletter visually appealing. If you don't have design skills then buy a template or pay a designer. Use large, interesting images that portray some aspect of your nonprofit that will capture the reader's attention.  

2. Feature stories about changed lives. Focus your newsletter  on the impact that your non-profit is having on people. Stories of changed lives is one of the top factors that motivate people to donate.

3. Always include a response envelope. Sending out an electronic newsletter is cheaper and faster - but, a large segment of the population still prefers to give by check. Providing a response envelope facilitates their giving. My recommendation is to alternate months with an e-newsletter and printed newsletter.

4. Follow up on the newsletter. Segment your list of donors and follow up the newsletter with a personal meeting, phone call, or an e-mail. 

5. The #1 thing that get's read in newsletters - is the personal note that you write on them. Leave room in your newsletter design to allow for you to include a personal note to donors. Write it in blue so it stands out. Use these notes to thank donors for their giving, to let them know you look forward to meeting with them soon, to engage them to participate in some way in your nonprofit, etc.

6. Inform donors of additional ways to give. Use your newsletter to educate donors of additional ways they can give to your nonprofit. Stagger throughout the year the examples that I list below.

• Planned Giving - wills, bequests, etc.
• Gifts in Kind
• Securities - your organization will need to have an account set up with a broker to facilitate receiving the stock and then selling it. 
• ACH - donations automatically drafted from checking or savings accounts.
• Giving through your website. Provide an option for people to have a subscription if they want to want to donate monthly. Provide a PayPal option as well as credit cards through a merchant account.
• Memorial Gifts
• Matching Gifts - great way for people to leverage their giving.

7. Feature occasional stores about donors. Interview donors to find out why they give and what other ways they participate in the organization. If they give in some of the ways that are listed above - use this as an opportunity to explain some of these different giving opportunities and specifically how this donor was able to utilize a particular way to give.

Need Help?

If you're website isn't facilitating the variety of ways that your donors can give then contact us. We can set up your merchant account so that people can give online.  We can also set up your website to capture all of the additional giving methods we've mentioned.  

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