Photo by Darwin Bell on Flickr

Earlier this week, I was the guest speaker for Network for Good’s Nonprofit 911 series and the topic was how to launch a successful email marketing campaign or e-newsletter. I explained what I would do if I were plucked out of my office and dropped into a small nonprofit and told to launch a new email marketing program from scratch. 

Here are the six basic steps I covered during the call:

1. Get an email newsletter service provider.

2. Get your current mailing list into shape.

3. Make is really easy for people to join your list and manage their own subscriptions.

4. Create an editorial calendar a few months at a time.

5. Write and design your email messages, always with your readers in mind.

6. Measure the results and track over time. 

Why so much emphasis on the list and process? For as much as I write about constructing good e-newsletters, the reality is that your bottom-line success depends largely on the size and quality of your list. Great content is a must (it will help you build and maintain your list), but the list itself is really key.

You can read my full list of talking points from the call and an abbreviated article that summarizes them. You can also listen to the recording now (mp3). It’s about an hour long.

Thanks to Rebecca, Jono, and Katya at Network for Good for having me!

P.S. If you need some help with your email campaigns or e-newsletters, I’m teaching the Email and Web Writing Webinar on November 12 and the Easy and Effective Ways to Build Your Email List webinar on December 9.

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