Daily Buzz: Create a Volunteer Newsletter

Does your organization communicate frequently with volunteers? It might be time to start a newsletter dedicated to that audience. Without one, you might be inundating volunteers with a flurry of emails.

“Adding another thing to your communication schedule may not seem all that enticing at first, but a volunteer newsletter can actually streamline your communication,” says Wild Apricot’s Tatiana Morand  (opens in a new tab). “Sending a newsletter can actually reduce email by corralling all the necessary information into one place.”

Publishing an effective volunteer newsletter means taking a few things into consideration. First, keep it short and don’t overload readers with too much content. If you have long pieces of content to share, include a couple of paragraphs in your newsletter and link to the rest of the story on your website, Morand suggests.

When it comes to what content to include, ask your volunteers if you’re not sure.

“As time goes on, you can also check in with your audience by looking at your email analytics,” Morand says. “What kind of links do they click on? Which emails never get opened? That’s all data about what your volunteers want in the newsletter, too.”

Don’t forget to show appreciation for your volunteers in your newsletter. Morand says to showcase their contributions, thank them publicly, and celebrate their service.

Telling Your Members About Price Hikes

How to Explain a Price Increase to Your Members – https://t.co/DFYEVXagyu  (opens in a new tab) #assnchat  (opens in a new tab)

— MemberClicks (@MemberClicks) June 17, 2020  (opens in a new tab)

Though it’s sometimes necessary, talking to members about price increases is not easy. But to avoid upsetting them or pushing them away, be transparent in your communications. On top of that, let them know far in advance so they have time to prepare.

“NEVER hide—or gloss over—the fact that prices are increasing,” says MemberClicks’ Callie Walker  (opens in a new tab). “This will allow them to think things over (evaluate cost versus value) and budget accordingly, depending on the significance of the price increase.”

Other Links of Note

Need to meet on the go? Google announced that its video collaboration tool, Meet, will be available through the Gmail mobile app. ZDNet has the story  (opens in a new tab).

To better market your virtual events, think about who your audience is  (opens in a new tab), says a recent post from Campaign Monitor.

Want to educate members? Organizations can do this with content curation  (opens in a new tab), suggests a recent post from Association Success.

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