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BlueTree Marketing is a firm that specializes in online marketing and online fundraising auctions for nonprofit organizations and businesses.  We work with organizations of all sizes to help grow targeted traffic to websites nationwide, and our auctions earn more than a 300% return on investment and are a profitable and fun way to increase fundraising revenue.

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With an increased number of organizations integrating email marketing to both cut costs and achieve a higher return on investment than traditional mail campaigns, maximizing this marketing strategy in 2010 is vital.  Here are the Top 10 Email Marketing Tips for 2010.

1.    Subject Lines – Keep your subject lines creative and short.  If you do not provide creative subject lines, no one will ever open your email.  Besides being creative, to achieve optimal open and click-through rates, keep your subject lines under 50 characters.

2.    Create A Clear Call To Action – Be sure to create a clear call to action within your email marketing newsletters.  Lay out exactly what you want the recipients of your message to do, and design the message to make that path easy for your recipients to follow.

3.    Experiment With Link Placement – The place in which a link appears in your email marketing campaign can be crucial for click-through rates.  Experiment with link placement in your newsletter by segmenting your list, or separate your list into multiple lists to determine which link works best in a certain position.

4.    Address Recipients With Their Name – Personalize your marketing emails to greet and address recipients individually with their name.  People are more likely to read your email when you address them with their name, instead of making them feel like a number in a bulk email.  

5.    Provide Both HTML & Plain Text – Your email recipients may not like HTML messages that much.  Be sure to offer a text version of your emails that your recipients can subscribe to instead of the HTML version.

6.    Content Is King - Providing great content is the key to increasing your ROI through email marketing.  When writing promotional copy, be sure to know your audience and establish an objective or action you are trying to get the reader to take.   

7.    Engage Your Audience In The Dialog – What are people thinking about when it comes to your organization?  Invite your subscribers to engage in a dialog with you through your email marketing newsletters.  Ask readers to submit their questions or concerns and then publish your answers and opinions.  This kind of dialog shows that you care and is the best form of relationship building.

8.    Make Landing Pages Fit Your Email Marketing Campaign – Landing pages are an important component of an email marketing campaign.  Make sure the design of the landing page matches the design of the email campaign.

9.    How Often To Send Your Newsletter – Studies reveal that one newsletter a month is optimal in communicating with your subscribers.  However, your subscribers will let you know how frequently they want to hear from you.  They’ll let you know by means of unsubscribing.

10.    Brand Your Emails – Email marketing is a great way to reinforce the brand of your organization to all of your stakeholders.  During email campaigns, include your logo and locate it in the same place each time.  Make sure to use both the same colors and fonts in your email marketing as you do on your website and in all printed collateral.

Post comes from our February 2010 Newsletter

With an increased number of organizations incorporating online fundraising auctions into their fundraising repertoire, maximizing this fundraising strategy in 2010 is paramount. Here are the Top 10 Online Fundraising Auction Tips for 2010.

1. Market Your Online Auction – Use multiple communications channels to market your online auction. Make sure to incorporate email, social media, and local radio and television stations into helping market your online auction.
2. Solicit Sponsorships - The revenue generated from sponsorships is exempt from any fees and can help offset expenses for your online auction. Remember that you can give back to your sponsors by putting their name and logo in front of desirable supporters, on your auction home page and in your emails.
3. Find The Right People - List the job functions required for your online auction, then enlist help from people with skills that match your requirements.
4. Creative and Informative Item Descriptions - Make sure your item names are descriptive, but also intriguing and interesting. Remember to also include detailed descriptions that include all terms and conditions.
5. Set Reasonable Starting Bids - Inflating opening bids and values will not result in higher bids or revenue if they are unreasonable. It is generally best to start the bidding at approximately one-third of the actual item value.
6. Stagger The Addition of New Items – Instead of listing all of your auction items when the online auction opens, try staggering the addition of new items. This encourages return visits to the auction site, and also allows you to stagger opening and closing dates.
7. Promote Your Online Auction – Throughout the duration of your online auction make sure to constantly promote your auction to supporters, donors, and members through email and social media platforms.
8. Solicit Specific Auction Items - Tell people what auction items you are looking for and the approximate value range desired.
9. Use Reserve Prices on Key Items – Make sure to set reserve prices on any items that are purchased or on consignment so you don’t lose money. Also, always set reserve prices on any items that a donor requires cannot be sold for less than a certain amount.
10. Recognize Donors – Show your appreciation to donors by providing recognition and links on items that they have donated.

Post comes from our January 2010 Newsletter