1. Best Practices for Email Engagement
Email Consumption Stages
Sender Name/Email Address
• Consistency in both helps build recognition and trust.
• The from line is the first thing people read, and is an important factor in whether or not the email
is opened.
• As little as 20 characters will display in the from line.
• Determine what is most recognizable for your event. An event with a newer coordinator can use
the event name, while an event with an established and well known coordinator can use the
coordinator name, followed by event name.
• Use the same email address for the entire event season and from year to year. Ask to be white
listed (to be added to safe senders list).
Subject Line Email Marketing puts the focus on
the organization/event.
• Be specific, not misleading.
Email Engagement puts the focus on
• Provide a sense of urgency. your constituents.
• Speak to their needs and interests.
• Put the most important information first. Write what is important to them, not
what is important to you.
• Length: Between 20 and 50 characters, 60 max.
Preview Pane/Above the Fold
• More than 70% of email users report utilizing the preview pane.
• The preview pane often only shows the top 2 – 4 inches of the message, frequently with images
blocked.
• Put the most important content, the value proposition, or the action item in the first few lines of
the email.
• The first few lines should draw the person in and encourage them to continue skimming in the
preview pane or to open the message.

2. The Email Challenge: Online distractions Attention Span
Put the most important content in components of the emails that can be easily
skimmed. Headlines get the most attention followed by bulleted or numbered
lists. Links are also eye catching.
Only 19% (and
declining) of
Use a conversational tone. No corporate or flowery
emails are read,
language.
the rest are
Nearly 20% (and skimmed.
increasing) of all Short, to the point sentences. Paragraphs should be no
email opens take longer than five to six lines. Email itself should be no
place using a longer than two screens.
mobile device.
One call to action - Bring the horse to water. Tell them what they should do, why
they should do it, and how to take the next step. Use colorful buttons and
multiple links that lead to the action.
Audience Segmentation and Conditionals
One of the most important decisions you can make in preparing an email blast is who the recipients will
be and what content is relevant to segments of your overall audience.
Ideas for audience segmentation and content conditionals
Team captains
Survivors, program recipients
“Even if you have permission to send
Funds raised
Team members an email, people will not open it,
Individuals read it, or stay on your list very long
Number of emails sent if the information you send isn’t
Date of registration relevant to them.”
Updated personal page
Changed goal -Jeffrey Rice, MarketingSherpa
Self donors
Past participants
Virtual participants
Improving email response rates is a long term undertaking, with a foundation in trust-
building. Your job is to provide relevant content to people who want to receive it. Your
email campaign should have constituents at the center, not the organization or your
event. Remember, it is not all about you and one size does not fit all.