Summarize this article in one sentence.
A formal letter sent in the mail from an organization to an individual is often formal and distant because of the mode of communication. However, an email, like a blog, is less formal in its tone. Use second person "you" when addressing the reader. Use familiar expressions to help the reader relate to you, like "It cost an arm and a leg," or "He was knee-high to a grasshopper." Use direct, honest, open language when addressing the reader so that they feel connected and see you as authentic. Use basic fonts and streamline the visual appeal of the email. Don't try to use a fancy, cursive fontjust a basic serif font will do. And don't use two different fonts for the headings and text. Simply bolding or making some text larger than others will emphasize points just fine. Your email should also be easy to read from a language standpoint your writing should be at an 8th-grade reading level. Don't get too wordy or complicated. Your writing should be clear, mistake-free (no grammar or spelling mistakes), and easy to read. If you want to make sure that your emails are being opened, or determine what kind of people read your emails more than others, you don't have to wait for replies or donations. If you sign up for an email service like MailChimp, you can measure a whole list of different metrics each time you send an email in order to tailor your emails to your actual readers. You can review metrics like click-through rates, open rates, and read reports. Open rates are especially helpful for determining what subject lines are popular, increasing how many people read your emails. Another reason an email service is helpful is if you regularly send mass emails asking for donations, your email provider may become suspicious, even cutting you off as a suspected spammer. It also takes a lot of time to compile lists, break down your send-to list to fit the requirements of your email account (most email providers set a limit of around 50 recipients per email), responding to individuals, and dealing with emails that come back from inactive email addresses. Regularly review your email list to make sure you are sending it to people who are more likely to read it, especially ensuring that people who have expressed interest are on it. Your metrics will improve this way, and you will waste less time. Use a different tone with different groups of donors. For example, if you have a group of people who regularly respond to your emails, send them an email with a personal tone. Compile another list of readers you know don't usually open your emails with a less formal tone. And have an email with an explanatory tone for first-time emails. With an email service provider, you can also customize individual emails with the names of your addressees, like "Dear Henry." To keep your audience engaged, you may want to provide them with encouraging data showing them how their money worked or is going to work. This information can go in the opening paragraph or the call to action, or both. People like to give when they know they are already doing good things. Don't forget to send personal thank-yous to donors after you receive a donation. This is a simple act that can guarantee a repeat donation in the future. You want to send this email as promptly as possible; look at it as a type of receipt. If you get a large amount of donors each month, you may want to consider creating a template so that you can paste it into an email draft and quickly customize it.
Keep the tone more casual than a letter. Make words easy to read. Sign up for an email service. Make sure your list cares about your cause. Personalize by segmenting. Include data that supports your fundraising. Say thank you after receiving a donation.