DonorPerfect
Welcome to nonprofit expert, presented by DonorPerfect.
Mallory Erickson
Welcome to nonprofit Expert presented by DonorPerfect. I’m Mallory Erickson, and I’m here for a little podcast takeover, a mini series of episodes where we’re going to Read More
DonorPerfect
Welcome to nonprofit expert, presented by DonorPerfect.
Mallory Erickson
Welcome to nonprofit Expert presented by DonorPerfect. I’m Mallory Erickson, and I’m here for a little podcast takeover, a mini series of episodes where we’re going to dive into fundraising strategies that make our lives easier and your organization stronger. Today we’re talking about one of my favorite things and it’s an essential strategy that can really change your engagement when it comes to emails, creating curiosity through compelling subject lines. So first of all, why is this so critical? Because your subject line of an email is your initial opportunity and sometimes it’s your only opportunity to capture your donors interest. Without curiosity that carefully crafted email that you spent so much time on might actually never see the light of day. So first let’s address a common and frustrating challenge. Right? You spend all of this time crafting this detailed and thoughtful email to your supporters only to find like low open rates and minimal interaction. I totally get it. This can feel super disheartening, especially when you know how impactful what was actually inside the email was, But here is the reality, no matter how perfect your content is, if your subject line doesn’t spark interest your donors just won’t open the email. So if your subject line is something like newsletter number ninety two, That isn’t going to get people super excited to see what’s inside. So how do we fix this? The key really lies in harnessing curiosity. One of the strongest motivators of human action is curiosity. And so a curious subject line is something that encourages your recipient to learn more, right? Instead of revealing everything in the subject line, instead of saying exactly what’s inside the email, you try hinting at valuable insights or unexpected outcomes or maybe intriguing stories that your donor will discover once they actually open your email. So here’s an example of what this could look like. A straightforward subject line is something like please support our annual fund, but you could consider something that would be more compelling and inspire that curiosity like you won’t believe what your support did last year or discover the surprising impact you’ve had. So why does curiosity like this work so well? The research shows that our brains naturally seek closure, so when we’re presented with incomplete information we’re actually driven to find out the rest. The psychological principle is known as the curiosity gap and it’s what makes suspenseful movies, gripping novels, compelling email subject lines, do you see where I’m going there, so effective. By strategically creating these curiosity gaps in your subject lines, you’re naturally motivating your donors to click through and engage more deeply. So here’s a really specific and simple action step that you can implement right away. Before sending your next email, pause and look critically at your subject line. Ask yourself, does this provoke curiosity? Would I feel compelled to open this email to satisfy my own curiosity? And if not, experiment with a new angle. Try rephrasing your subject line as a question or an unfinished thought or a teaser about an inspiring donor story. And if you’re a DonorPerfect user with any email tools or add ons built in, look at features that track your email campaign open rates and effectiveness and pay close attention to how your curiosity driven subject lines are performing, right? You want to analyze the patterns and insights from these results to continue to refine and enhance your future email communications and maximizing donor engagement on all of your emails. Last thing, just remember that every click, every opened email, and every interaction begins with curiosity. Your donors generally want to be inspired and connected. Your job is really just to open that door and engage them with an intriguing invitation, so keep practicing curiosity both internally and with your communications. You’ll find that your donors not only are opening your emails more, but they’re more eager to support support and champion your cause. So thank you so much for joining us today on Nonprofit Expert. Keep sparking curiosity, fostering connections, and creating positive change. Until next time.
DonorPerfect
Thank you for listening to Nonprofit Expert Expert, presented by DonorPerfect. For more information and a special offer, visit donorperfect.com/podcast.
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