"I don't want us to sound salesy. I just want people to know about the work we're doing." << A nonprofit client said that to me on a call recently.
It's true that nonprofits (usually) aren't selling a service, they are trying to grow their supporter base by nurturing prospects who support their mission. That means people need to know who you and what you do.
And no one will know unless you tell them.
People need to know they can trust you before you ask them for money.
It doesn't matter whether it's sales or donations, you still need to market yourself/your organization.
Amazon and Target have no problem jumping in your inbox every day.
So why are you nervous about emailing your list once a week?
Your mission is just as worthy of a space in the inbox as big box stores' sales emails.
You're actually doing good work that makes a change in your community. Your mission is the breath of fresh air in a suffocating news cycle.
...And yet you're still worried that you shouldn't show up.
In his book, Story Brand, Donald Miller references data that shows people need to hear your name an averge of 7 times before they remember you. How they hear from you is entirely your choice. The frequency at which they hear from you is entirely your choice.
To grow your mission, it's your job to tell them what you do. Show them they can trust you - they want to know their money is in good hands.
>> Then, invite them to join you. That's the point at which you know you've communicated effectively and have put the choice back on them.
That's not being salesy.
That's an invitation. Connection. A partnership.
The difference is in how you communicate. You get to choose how to do this. Luckily, it's not as hard as you might think it is. I've got easy prompts for your next 3 emails below:
Connect with your audience this week
Try these 3 email prompts for clearer communication with your audience. Start with email 1 this week, then continue to emails 2 and 3 at your frequency of choice:
- Send an introductory email about who you are and what you do. Whether this is your 1st email or 101st, people still need a reminder. Give them a brief overview of what you do. Direct your Call-to-action to an informative peice of your content (blog post, YouTube video, podcast episode, etc)
- Tell them why you do this work. Give your brief origin story or show data that you're solving a big problem. Direct your call-to-action to educational content about this problem OR about how you are the expert who can help solve this (an annual report, a peice of content, a current study or report).
- Show the transformation. Show them how you helped someone else solve a problem. This could be in the form of a client testimonial or a program case study with beneficiaries. Direct the call-to-action to your contact or donation page.
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Small business doing big things
The Russell Nashville
Planning a trip to Nashville? Stay at The Russell! They donate a portion of their proceeds to local charities to provide food and shelter to our unhoused population. This place is also just gorgeous (see my brand photos for reference!) and in one of the coolest neighborhoods.
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Reader, how you communicate determines what you will be remembered for. What do you want that to be? Reply to this email and let me know. I love to hear about the difference you're making.
Stay Kind,
Amanda Nicholson, Copywriter
