Having a strong email list is one of the foundation blocks of any successful digital fundraising program. To raise money in an expanding market where every inbox is full of your competition, it’s critical to invest in building your email list early and often. The payoff of having time to build rapport and a relationship with your list will increase your bottom line, especially at key times when you need an infusion of money.
Not convinced about investing in your list? Here are some reasons why you should as early as possible.
This is the most practical reason. When you’re investing and purchasing names, it’s going to take time to “warm” them up, get them bought in and then convert them to donors. In a political off-year that time is typically in the 180-day range, sometimes longer.
When making an investment in your email list, the longer you have to integrate these names, the more money you’ll make at the end of the day.
When you invest in your list and are consistently increasing the number of active names growth opportunities will begin to present themselves. For example, the more 30 day openers you have, the more emails you can potentially swap with another partner. This grows your list exponentially faster than 1–2k swaps.
You also have more people engaging with your content and signing on to your calls to actions. If you participate in joint actions, the more people that sign, the more names will be matched back to you.
And it goes without saying that the more people who open and interact with your email, the more likely you are to convert them to donors, which translates to more money raised.
The average email opener spends 3 seconds or less with your email, so you have a very limited time to inspire them to take action. Studies have also shown that people need to see a message at least seven times before it sinks in. Therefore, it takes awhile for people to remember your narrative and brand. Having time to talk about your priorities in simple, easily digestible bits of information is critical to long-term success. The more time you spend in conversation with your audience, the easier it becomes for them to really understand and internalize your message.
There aren’t a lot of downsides to investing in your list early — however, there is a time when it becomes too late to invest. Don’t get caught with list burnout or a lower bottom line because you didn’t take the time to build your list. Start building your long-lasting and high-performing email list TODAY!
If you don’t know where to begin on list growth, don’t panic. We’ve got you covered and we’d love to partner with you to help you bring your digital program up to the highest possible standards. Let’s have a conversation about how to take your program to the next level.