Raise your hand if you’re not thinking about your year-end appeals. (Cue crickets chirping.) That’s what we thought.
Gail Perry, nationally recognized fundraiser and past NLC conference speaker talks about the importance of subject lines.
“Remember, as much as 10% of your ENTIRE ANNUAL GIVING will come in the last 3 days of the year. You better be ready!”
What’s the first step to raising money online? It’s getting your email opened by your donors.
What compels someone to open an email or not? The subject line. But how much time and attention do you give to your email subject lines? Be honest: Is it sometimes the last thing you write, just before hitting send? If so, you’re not alone.
If your subject line is boring, you can pretty much kiss your well-crafted email good-bye.
Gail offers several tips to craft an email subject that gets opened:
- Create intrigue: Craft your subject line in such a way that has your reader wanting to find out more.
- Consider curiosity: Tease the first part of your story, so your reader has to open your email to see the outcome.
- Communicate urgency: Especially for year-end appeals, you want to create a sense of immediacy to encourage your audience to act now.
See Gail’s list of example subject lines in her blog post as well as the helpful resources.