89. Grow Your List + Build an Email Welcome Series - Jonathan McCoy, CFRE and Becky Endicott, CFRE
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Overview
We finished unpacking 10 steps to make your website irresistible to donors in last Friday's episode, and there were some serious questions and interest around creating a freebie and welcome series from our attendees. So we decided to break it down for those who might be stuck. You might be asking, "Well, I got their email address. Now what?" No worries, friends. We got you👊 Join us as we outline how to create an irresistible freebie then breakdown how to employ a drip email welcome series to engage your donors from the beginning. And do it genuinely and with heart. Let's do this!
“You have one chance to make a first impression. Your welcome email is one of the single most important emails you will send.”
Episode Overview
What happens when you get that email address? The steps after are crucial (2:20)
Start with a goal. One of the greatest goals you can have is to grow your email list (3:40)
The importance of a welcome email: they are 4x more likely to be opened and 5x more likely to get click throughs (4:30)
Hack: utilize freebies! Provide value add for your community (6:00)
Examples of freebies you could implement today (6:20)
Utilize automation: in today’s world, there are lots of different ways to automate this (8:30)
Work on your tone: get rid of the robotic corporate voice. Talk to them like they are humans (9:40)
Humanize the organization (10:20)
Think of the welcome series as a journey. Create multiple connection points over the days, months, and years (11:00)
Don’t know where to start? Try this 3 part cadence (13:20)
Be strategic about your schedule: turn someone into a donor in 3 weeks (20:00)
Episode Transcript
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Powerful quotes
“We come to this space with gratitude, and we hope you are too.” -Jon
“People don’t understand the currency that goes along with having someone’s personal email address. You can 1:1 connect with them in a smart, compelling, and human way.” -Becky
“We talk about the value of an email address because we get wrapped around follower accounts on social media accounts, but really, are you getting that jazzed about how many emails you have?” -Jon
“If your goal is to get an email subscriber, think about aligning the call to actions on your website to that goal.” -Jon
“You have one chance to make a first impression. Your welcome email is one of the single most important emails you will send.” -Becky
“Welcome emails are 4x more likely to be opened and 5x more likely to get click throughs.” -Becky
“This stuff probably already exists somewhere in your organization.” -Becky
“This is the prime medium to try stuff. Constantly be looking at your metrics. What is your open, click and unsubscribe rates?” -Jon
Don’t know where to start? Try this 3 part cadence!
1. Welcome Email
This is super heartfelt. Include what your mission is, videos, and something compelling. Send an invitation to connect new subscribers to your social media accounts. They are looking for ways to engage with you. Keep your mission and beneficiary at the center, and be kind in all that you do.
Who does this well?: The 19th
2. Focus on the Partnership
Ask them to do something to help your mission. No this is not making a gift. We’re asking them very gently if they would like to lean into the mission that we are trying to solve or elevate. Could they take a survey, sign a petition? Can you provide tips for how they can advocate for your mission? Can you ask them to volunteer? Ask them why they subscribed and are interested. People love to be asked. Give people the microphone and show that you care that you want to hear their stories. Allow people to be seen.
3. The Ask
We’re trying to welcome and introduce them to your mission. This is the time to be a little more specific about where you need support. Share an impact story - what can $50 do? Make the giving a number that they could attach to.
What should your release schedule be? Try this!
Send that Freebie ASAP
Welcome Email needs to come in within the first 72 hours (if you want to be a rockstar - 24 hours!
Partnership email - 1 week after the first welcome series
Ask email - 1 week after the partnership email
A few final Tips:
Throw the social channels at the bottom
Use this as an opportunity to introduce new people throughout your mission
Be sure that you aren’t doing this once and calling it “one and done”
Explore some of our favorite Examples of Freebies
DIY projects you can do at home with kids, family, or friends
Watch a performance / attend an event - signup with email address
Your best blog posts
Downloadable white paper or e-book
Discount/coupon
Exclusive Video
Helpful Tips (if you’re hospital, social service org or someone with wise counsel to share that’s good of group)
Fan favorite blog posts or articles
E-cards
Related Episodes
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