Shareability: You can’t get much more share-friendly than this e-mail. There is a “share” bookmarking icon in the top left corner that lets you share the message charity: water is sending to anyone, anywhere. Taking sharing a step further, the action of “tell your friends what you really want for Christmas” is a clever and different way of saying “get involved or “share with friends.”
There were many e-mails I went through that have embraced the challenge of integrating new media to e-mail appeals and newsletters, and many who have not. What may work for one organization may not work for the other, but I suggest testing certain aspects or elements mentioned in the e-mails above and monitoring the feedback, open rates, clickthrough rates, etc. Testing allows you to learn from your donors and refine messaging strategies to interest a larger audience base, but if you never test, you’ll never know.
Christina Johns is senior manager of direct-response television and social media for the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.
