Save the World: Pick the Right Email Tool

Article Written By: waterwordsthatwork

If you help run a nature center, land trust, hunting club, or local river protection group, you've probably wondered how to best keep in touch with your members. After all, they won't come to an event, donate to support your work, or write that elected official unless they hear about it from you first! A few times a year, I have the opportunity to survey the memberships of organizations like this and the answer is always the same: email. They like your paper newsletter, they visit your website once in a while, and they are open to the idea that they'll connect to you on Facebook or Twitter, but the communications channel they prefer is email.

So if you're serious about communicating to hundreds or thousands of members by email, then it's time explore using a modern bulk email tool instead of Outlook or Hotmail. Most email tools offer a free trial, so after you've narrowed your list down to a couple of top contenders, sign up and kick the tires. Now is the time for a gut check -- "Do I like working with this program?" It takes a while to get the hang of a bulk emailer, so check out the various training materials and customer support options that are available. Can you get your question answered? Or do you just get more confused?

Your free trial will eventually expire, so it's important to scrutinize the payment plans, which fall into two major categories: pay as you go, and subscription. "Pay as you go" is the a la carte version. You only pay for the emails you send, and just a penny or two each. It's a good plan if you have a small membership or don't email often. The subscription plan is kind of like an all-you-can eat buffet restaurant. You pay a fixed price per month it's cheaper if you mail often or to many people. Many bulk email providers offer free or discounted service to nonprofit organizations, so check that out before you finalize your decision.

Some of these email tools let you set up an "autoresponder." That means you can program a series of emails to go out whenever people sign up. So if for example, somebody visits your website and signs up to receive notification of your upcoming bird watching or canoe trips, you could program a series of "welcome" messages to go out once per week for three weeks.

If you already have a database of some kind that you use to keep track of your members, you may be able to sync it up to your bulk email tool. These can be a little tricky to get the hang of, but can save you a lot of time in the long run.

About the Author

Eric Eckl runs Water Words That Work, LLC., an environmental communication company. He helps nature protection and pollution control organizations plan and carry out environmental fund-raising, issue advocacy, and behavior change campaigns. Eric has developed a unique message method for effective environmental writing.

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