Newsletter Headlines That Work

The previous post gave you a simple outline for how to easily write newsletter stories.

Today is about newsletter headlines; a massively important part of your newsletter’s success, but a part that most organizations spend very little time on.

Remember our belief that about 80% of the people who open your newsletter will read only your headlines and picture captions?

Doesn’t that make your headlines important? Maybe even more important than the story the headline is for?

We think so. So here’s how to write successful headlines…

Headlines Have One of Two Jobs

We try to do one of two things with newsletter headlines.

• Be so dramatic and interesting that the reader wants to read the article. Think of this this way; the headline is the ad for the story. And/or…
• Share the outcome of the story and involve the donor. Think of it this way: your reader should know, just from reading the headline, that their gift did something powerful.

Example Time

Here are a handful of examples of ineffective headlines – taken from real newsletters in our files – that do not accomplish either of the objectives above:

• IFI Training Day Expands
• Elizabeth’s experience encourages others to get their annual mammogram
• Committed to change lives
• Together We Rise
• 5th Annual Zip 5k + Fun Run Breaks Record For Participation
• Board Of Directors Highlights/News
• What is Extreme Poverty?
• Upcoming Fundraisers
• Camp and Retreat Centers as Holy Ground
• Staff Updates
• Pathways Supported Employment program fills in the missing pieces for people recovering from homelessness

And here are examples of effective headlines:

• You’re helping find “Desperately needed” new treatments
• “I wanted to Die”
• The power of One Meal
• “There is no more disease!”
• Blind from a Chemical explosion, today he can see!
• You did this!
• You’re a hero!
• Food delivered!
• He used to eat garbage, you gave him dumplings!
• “We never expected this to happen”
• Cancer Patient Living On French Fries And Soda Pop
• From Abuse to Prison to Redemption
• “Your baby has cancer”
• 100 Happy Children
• You helped save Darryl’s life
• The Joy of Clean Water – Thanks to You!

Take a look at those effective headlines again.

Don’t you want to read the stories for those more than you want to read the stories after the boring headlines?

And don’t you know – just from scanning the good headlines — that your gift made a meaningful difference?

In other words, you didn’t even have to read the story and you knew your gift made a difference. Which made you trust the organization a little bit more. Which made you more likely to give them a gift the next time they asked you. Which made the organization raise more money and retain more of its donors.

All that from a good headline.

You are in a BATTLE for your donor’s attention

Always remember: nobody has to read your fundraising.

You’re competing with people’s phones, with the internet, with making dinner, and with all of the other mailings from nonprofits that your donor received that very same day.

Strong dramatic and/or donor-focused headlines are one of the most powerful tools you have to convey your main message and get donors to read your stories! They are an integral part of whether your newsletter is going to raise money… or not.

So go look at your headlines – for both your printed newsletter and your e-newsletter. If they aren’t doing either of the two jobs above, it’s time to fire them and get some headlines that will do their jobs. There’s too much at stake to have your headlines causing fewer people to read your newsletter!

This post was originally published on March 5, 2020. Get a free downloadable “e-book” of this whole series here.