A Few Words Mean So Much: Your Email Microcontent

Article by Kivi Leroux Miller, Network for Good Learning Center

If we told you that microcontent was the most important part of your e-newsletters, what would you say?

“Micro-what?”

Microcontent is a phrase that catches your eye and is often viewed out of context, like an article headline displayed on a search result page or the subject line of your emails.

Good microcontent grabs your supporters’ attention and keeps them reading. Bad microcontent is generic, drab or missing entirely.

Every email has four key pieces of microcontent:

• The Subject Line
• The From Line
• The Headings and Subheadings
• The Next Step or Call to Action

Good microcontent tells the reader what’s in it for them.

The busier your supporters are, the more likely they are to look at your email subject line and nothing else before deciding whether to read it or delete it.  This is your first chance at grabbing their attention. Make it good.

• Your “From” field should stay the same with every message. For most nonprofits, this will be your organization’s name or a well-known campaign or initiative.
• Descriptive headlines and subheads with active verbs and vivid nouns will grab your supporters’ attention and nudge them into actually reading the text. Headlines and subheadings that make people think “This is useful” or “This is timely” or “This is about me” will always work.
• Your call to action tells them what they can do next, including donate, volunteer, or simply learn more.

Want to give your supporters a little nudge to actually read what you’ve written in your e-newsletter? Great microcontent is how it’s done.

Want help constructing an effective newsletter or email campaign? Call us at 501-244-0573, or send an email to Gwen Canfield. To see samples of our design work – visit our website at www.creativeinstinct.biz. (Promotional email pictured at top of article designed Creative Instinct.)