I do. I really, really do. And that's not my usual response to yet another email.

Let me tell you why this e-news to Museum members stands out:

  • The subject line is short and simple -- The Newark Museum August 2007 E-News -- so I can absorb it (and note I want to read it, when I can) in a second. The complete line shows up on my Blackberry (a max of 30-40 characters show up on email subject lines on a handheld).
  • I get frequent mail communications from The Newark Museum. The look and feel of those brochures and letter packages is absolutely consistent with that of the e-news, so at a glance I know just who the email is from.
  • The e-news is clean and clear -- lots of white space, color and type sizes used effectively to differentiate headlines. I can easily scan it, and see what I want to read more about.
  • It features activities and news relevant to me, to my husband (we have different art interests) and to Charlotte -- our four-year-old daughter. Even better, I can click through to read more or register for a special event. But all the info about what's happening at the Museum this month is there in one place. They're making it easy for me, and I love that.

Take a cue from The Newark Museum in crafting your nonprofit's e-news. Make sure you feature content relevant to the full range of your target audiences, and make it easy for them to find out more.

Source: http://www.gettingattention.org/my_weblog/2007/08/i-love-receivin.html

About the Author
Nancy E. Schwartz helps nonprofits succeed through effective marketing and communications. As President of Nancy Schwartz & Company (http://www.nancyschwartz.com/), Nancy and her team provide marketing planning and implementation services to organizations as varied as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Center for Asian American Media, and Wake County (NC) Health Services.

Subscribe to her free e-newsletter "Getting Attention", (http://www.nancyschwartz.com/getting_attention.html) and read her blog at http://www.gettingattention.org/ for more insights, ideas and great tips on attracting the attention your organization deserves.

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