Planning your communications increases your organisation’s chances of being seen by potential supporters at the right time, makes it easy for them to subscribe to your communications and keeps existing contacts interested.
1. Make it worthwhile to be on your mailing list
Offer an incentive to signing up, such as a free cake in your community cafe or early entry to your events. Then, keep them engaged with quality communications that are relevant, easy to read, useful and interesting.
2. Make it easy to sign up and promote, promote, promote
Make sure all your publications tell people you have a mailing list and how to get on it. Include a link throughout your website, add a reminder to your email signatures. Make sure staff and volunteers understand why supporters should be on your mailing list and ask them to invite visitors to join it. Make signing up as easy as possible - by email, a short form that is easy to return or a quick online form.
3. Test, evaluate, observe
If a campaign falls flat or supporters unsubscribe from your newsletter, consider why or ask people why your communications didn’t resonate with them. If something went well, use that technique again. Look at the communications you receive; if something prompted you to take action, consider adapting that idea for your organisation.