Click or Skip? What About Headlines Makes Donors Want to Read More?

Move over response rates! "Engagement" is the new "it" metric in planned giving. With today's technology, we have the luxury of knowing how prospective donors interact with e-mails and Web sites—long before they "request more information."  In fact, with email engagement data, we know what percentage, how many, and exactly who is opening emails and clicking through on headlines.  But what is it about the email subject line or headline that is driving donors to want to click and read more?  Alternatively, what keeps them from clicking to read more?  The findings to be presented will answer these questions and are based on a Pentera research study of client data spanning several years that looks at thousands of clients, thousands of e-mails, and tens of thousands of headlines, words, and phrases. We will delve into planned giving marketing messages and discover what factors increase or decrease engagement—that is, what marketing messages make donors want to read more.  We will also propose how to use engagement metrics to boost your cultivation efforts. 

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