The Power of Email Newsletter Marketing: Unexpected Reach
- Jan 15
- 2 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
A recent newsletter item I wrote for the non-profit OAR (Opportunities, Alternatives, and Resources) was printed in the local weekly newspaper, word for word.
Newspapers need news, and with cost cutting measures that have plagued the industry, they are looking for stories to fill their pages.
I wasn't even aware that any journalists were on the email list. And yet - upon opening the weekly paper - I found that my blurb about a recent award had been printed as news.
This is the power of newsletters.
They showcase the work your organization is doing, and reaches out: across clients, supporters, funders, and interested citizens.
Consistent newsletters also help keep your non-profit top of mind, building a case for why it matters, and a connection to the community and to its funders, taking some of the heavy lift off an annual appeal.
The more your newsletter has something to give the reader (inspiring stories, education about a topic, a recipe or how-to on a topic related to your organization's work), the more you are building a relationship with audience.
Effective newsletters bring their readers along on a journey, in bite sized pieces, delivered once a month over a year - or several years, where you slowly - but surely - make a case for why you matter.
This is true both for non-profits and businesses.
The more you are giving to your reader - rather than selling or fundraising - the more they want to open your newsletter. The more they feel invited into the work, and the more favorably they think of you.
Check out the news item here, in Tompkins Weekly:
