Using Email Designer Templates
There are at least 5 emails you should be sending out regularly. In order to create beautiful and engaging emails you need to create them using a good design tool. Email templates can be used and re-used to send automated emails and bulk emails. Templates save time so you don’t need to type up the same information over again, they are used as the base to work from for newsletters and campaigns to keep your messaging or branding on track, help your brand be recognisable, plus many other uses. I have listed 5 email templates that charities need to have.
1. Welcome email
When someone becomes a member or subscribes to your newsletter you want them to hear from you as soon as possible. Welcome emails should be sent automatically and not take weekends or holidays, or only be available during office hours. You don’t want your new member to forget who you are or why they signed up.
Welcome emails are important as they confirm you have received their registration, they are now on the list. They are a first impression and set the expectation that you are active and listening and will provide what they signed up for.
infoodle allows automated emails to be sent as soon as a form has been submitted. Click here for more information.
2. Event Invitations
Event invitations need to stand out, be attractive and engaging, you want people to attend the event and the most important information needs to stand out:
What – is the event about e.g. fundraiser or party
When – date & time
Where – venue and address
Cost – for entry/seat and if there will be any further expenses e.g. cash bar
anything else. e.g. formal attire
Also it needs to clearly show how to book or register for the event.
infoodle allows for beautiful eye-catching invitations with clickable links for easy registrations.
3. Newsletter
You need to keep your members engaged and informed about your organisation. Newsletters are a good opportunity to thank your donors and share the stories about the difference the donations have made.
Newsletters are a great way to keep your subscribers informed of updates and changes to the service or program you provide and inform them of upcoming events.
Having a designed template makes your newsletter recognisable and easy to read. The format each month is the same so the person who prepares the newsletter doesn’t need to spend hours styling the email, they can just put in the different content and maybe change an image or two.
Newsletters are also a good way to establish thought leadership, see it as an opportunity to provide commentary on things that are happening in your industry. Your subscribers can see you as an expert on a range of topics and appreciate your perspective.
Send beautifully designed newsletters through infoodle at no extra cost and track opens, clicks, bounces and manage your unsubscribes.
4. Fundraising Campaign
Sending donation requests via email is often easier and more targeted than running expensive advertising campaigns, printing flyers and donor envelopes etc. Since covid, this has become much more acceptable.
Sending emails is more cost effective, and you can track if they are reaching the target audience, open rates and clicked links etc.
Emails are more convenient for the organisation and the donor – easier and more instant for the donor to make a contribution.
Emails can be personalised and so grab the reader’s attention.
Your fundraising emails need to have clear and precise messaging defining your fundraising goals.
5. Receipts and statements
When sending your statements and receipts this is a good opportunity to share about the success of the project the funds were given to. Includes stories and images from the project. Maybe more funds are needed so a link to re-donate could be added.
If the donation was part of a campaign use the same branding as the campaign.
The receipt will have all the information required but you can use merge tags to include how much was donated etc. into the email as well.
All communications
It is important to use personalisations, or merge tags in all your email, this is one of the metrics used to determine if an email is spam or not.
Keep it simple, short & sweet – Most of us are time poor and our email inboxes are overflowing. It is important to have a title that grabs your readers attention. Then to keep it short and to the point to keep their attention. Having a link to a blog page for further reading is helpful for those who want to know more.
