--- title: "Friday Buzz: Use Email to Create Personal Connections" id: "42277" type: "post" slug: "friday-buzz-use-email-to-create-personal-connections" published_at: "2018-04-13T21:10:53+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T16:05:15+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/04/13/friday-buzz-use-email-to-create-personal-connections/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2018/04/13/friday-buzz-use-email-to-create-personal-connections.md" excerpt: "Are your association’s emails building relationships? It may be time to rethink the way your association thinks about email blasts. Also: In a cluttered social environment, keeping your tone consistent is key." taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Communications" - "Marketing" - "Membership" - "personalization" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "C-Level" - "Director" - "VP" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Friday Buzz: Use Email to Create Personal Connections These days, all of our inboxes are overflowing with emails from retail stores, publications, vendors, and, yes, even associations. What can your group do to rise above the clutter? Take a cue from Ann Handley, chief content officer of *MarketingProfs*. She recently relaunched her personal email newsletter, Total Annarchy, to develop “personal connection at scale.” “I write each issue like a letter to a friend, and I want them to be delighted by my letter,” [CMSWire quoted her as saying (opens in a new tab)](https://www.cmswire.com/digital-marketing/how-to-put-the-trust-back-into-email-marketing/) . “I’ve always loved getting and receiving letters. Growing up, I had a million pen pals. I guess I’m trying to replicate that at scale.” Your association probably has goals tied to your email program, including driving clicks, donations, and meeting attendance, but CMSWire asks whether your email could be made more personal for members. What if, instead of “email blasts,” you sent your subscribers “love letters,” writes Dennis Shiao. ### Refining Your Tone > Why Voice and Tone Might Be the Secret Sauce to Social Fundraising Success [https://t.co/OPPGq9IYHp (opens in a new tab)](https://t.co/OPPGq9IYHp) > > — Kivi Leroux Miller (@kivilm) [April 11, 2018 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/kivilm/status/984153614989123584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **While nonprofits used to be able to contol their own narrative**and messaging,social media has changed that. “Supporters are now taking the missions derived by organizations and nonprofits, and are adding their own personal twist onto the message,” writes Gary Wohlfeill, director of marketing at CrowdRise, in a recent [post for Kivi’s Nonprofit Communications Blog (opens in a new tab)](https://www.nonprofitmarketingguide.com/blog/2018/04/11/voice-tone-might-secret-sauce-social-fundraising-success/) . Wohlfeill says that the key to staying true to your organization’s messaging is consistency with voice and tone. “Your organization’s voice and tone are two of the most crucial factors in helping your messaging, your cause and your brand stand apart from the rest,” he writes. “Think of them as unique identifiers that make you YOU.” ### Other Links of Note **Volunteers are free to walk at any time,** so it’s important to keep them engaged. *Idea Architects* reveals ways to [make the most of their talent (opens in a new tab)](http://www.ideaarchitects.org/2018/04/six-principles-for-harnessing.html) . **Infographic of the Day:** Design the [perfect landing page (opens in a new tab)](http://www.socialfish.org/2018/04/cool-infographic-friday-the-anatomy-of-a-perfect-landing-page/) with tips from *SocialFish*. **Instagram Stories recently updated the ways** people can use text. *Social Media Examiner* does a [deep dive on the new type mode (opens in a new tab)](https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-use-instagram-type-mode-in-instagram-stories/) . (Chunumunu/iStock/Getty Images Plus) [Raegan Johnson](https://associationsnow.com/author/raegan-johnson/) Raegan Johnson is a contributor to Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/raegan-johnson/) Tags: [#Communications](https://associationsnow.com/tag/communications/) [#Marketing](https://associationsnow.com/tag/marketing/) [#Membership](https://associationsnow.com/tag/membership/) [#personalization](https://associationsnow.com/tag/personalization/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoSneak Peek: Highlights from Day 2 of the 2025 ASAE MMC+Tech ConferenceMay 14, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/05/14/sneak-peek-highlights-from-day-2-of-the-2025-asae-mmctech-conference/) - [VideoSneak Peek: Highlights from Day 1 of the 2025 ASAE MMC+Tech ConferenceMay 13, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/05/13/sneak-peek-highlights-from-day-1-of-the-2025-asae-mmctech-conference/) - [VideoThe Future is Yours to Create. 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