subject: 7 Post Event Email Sins [print this page] This morning, when I opened my email, the first two messages I read were transactional emails . The first was a post-event email from a fundraising walk I had registered for, and the second was from an airline about a recent flight I had taken.
The Subject Line: "Thanks for your participation" just doesn't cut it as a compelling subject line--after all, the subject line is arguably the most important part of your email because it gauges interest. If your email service provider supports A/B testing, then go ahead and test two options in your subject line to find what resonates: a) describe the email content using clear, succinct, descriptive language; and, b) use a deadline, appeal to emotions, or use a specific call to action.
1.Personalization: There's really no excuse for emails that begin with "Dear Supporter." At the very least, you should use a personal greeting, but don't stop there. Think about other personal details you might be able to drop into your email. for example, try segmenting your list by gender, geography or anything else you know about your event participants, so you can personalize the content based on the people to whom you"re sending.
2.No Mission Message: Your post-event email communications are a great opportunity to reinforce your mission with short, memorable messages that convey your organization's mission. Here's an example: Every year, more than 120,000 babies in the U.S. are born with birth defects. The causes of about 70% of these are unknown.
3.Word Count: Your post-event emails should have a clear purpose and should be written in your organization's unique voice. In this case, the airline message was 110 words of engaging content while the event email was over 300 words of dry content.
4.Fundraising Ask: This was a fundraising event, and yet the post-event email had no fundraising ask. Considering it's December and that the majority of event participants raise no money, shouldn't you be asking for a self-donation, or reminding people it's not too late to fundraise?
5.Design: Yes, your emails should be aesthetically pleasing, but most importantly they should be designed toward your ultimate goal. For example, what do you want your event participants to do with your email: read it, click through to the website, donate, register for next year, or share your email?
6.Rendering: Proper email rendering is key, as email recipients tend to view your email in five separate stages""judging each one individually before deciding whether to move on. They are:
oFrom Name: Your email fights for attention in a crowded inbox, and according to the Email Sender and Provider Coalition (ESPC), 73% of subscribers click "Report Spam" or "Report Junk" based on the content of the "from" field.
oSubject Line: After weighing the appropriateness of your "from" address, subscribers then move their attention to your subject line. The ESPC notes that 69% of subscribers base their decision to send your message to the spam folder on the subject line.
oPreview Pane: Your email doesn't necessarily have to be open for your recipients to view the content. When present, many recipients use preview panes to get a quick look at your message before opening. As such, it"s important to make sure your call-to-action is visible in the preview pane.
oOpened Email (Pre-Scroll): So, your recipient clicks on your email and it opens in a new window. But how many of those recipients view the entire email including the content "below the fold?" The answer is surprisingly few.
oView Full Email: You've enticed your recipient to view your entire email, but what will they see when reading your entire message? Nielsen Norman Group"s usability study determined that users, once engaged, spend an average of 51 seconds on each newsletter in their inbox.
