Historically, mosques have used Friday prayers, in-person events, radio & television ads, and direct mail to do fundraising. I have not yet come across any masjid which uses email for marketing in an organised and well-developed manner.
A solid email marketing strategy is essential for any masjid to build a reliable revenue stream. It is easy to manage & implement, very cost-effective and increases donor engagement. According to a recent study by Mailchimp, the open rate (per cent of automated emails actually opened) for emails from non-profits is around 25%. This number appears small, until compared with an average open rate of around 6% for all other emails.
So why is email for marketing and fundraising so effective?
1 Email marketing saves time and is cost-effective
Once an email has been crafted based on the organisation’s needs, it can be sent to hundreds or thousands of potential donors at the click of a button. There is no need to sign letters or postcards, put a stamp on them, and go to the post office!
2 Personalisation is easy
Any aspect of email can be personalised, from subject line to email content. It’s easy to make changes to a message which makes the recipient feel like it was written just for them. You can create campaigns based on segmented user groups.
3 Campaigns and results are easily measurable
Email marketing is one of the most measurable channels of communication. Measure open rate, conversion rate, click-throughs, time spent reading, etc. By testing email marketing campaigns, you can gain powerful insights to inform other marketing strategies.
4 Emails are permission-based
Unlike other types of advertising, your email subscribers have given you permission to email them. They welcome your message and possibly even look forward to it. A receptive audience will always work in your favour.
5 Campaigns are easy to test
You can tweak a prominent element of your email in A/B testing. Change the subject line, opening sentence, call to action, etc. Gain insights into what donors are responding to, optimise, and repeat.
6 Email marketing achieves high ROI (Return on Investment)
One of the best ways to increase awareness about your organisation and seek donations is through emails. Emails also help nurture leads, increase website traffic, and, most importantly, return $36 for every $1 spent.
7 Email informs other digital marketing efforts
You can integrate email marketing within an overall digital marketing strategy. Email supports video marketing, social media sharing, and landing page promotions. Whatever digital campaign you launch, email can directly promote your message to your donor base.
Effective use of email marketing and fundraising is not an art, but a science. I encourage you to use emails as part of your cohesive digital marketing effort. Be consistent and persistent; the results will surprise you.