Inflight Briefing: 024

William Henry on Mar 23, 2023 11:11:48 AM

Delivered weekly, the Inflight Briefing is designed as a blueprint for the builder and inspiration for the curious. It's for those doing good marketing.

024: "Words matter, y'all"

From newsletters and solicitations to invitations to your upcoming event, emails are one of the most effective channels for nonprofits.

While building Feathr’s State of Nonprofit Marketing report, we asked over 400 nonprofit marketers, leaders, and experts their most important channel, and 86% of respondents placed email in the top three — making it the clear winner.

Every piece of content your team makes matters, but by their nature, emails have to do a lot with just a little, so the stakes are raised for making the most of every single word.

Are you using the magic words that create connections with your audience? Are you telling a compelling story about the work that your organization is up to and how others can join in?

We believe that marketing can and should be fun. Even if your organization is doing difficult work, connecting people with a community and a cause is Good. This means there's good reason to celebrate the amazing work you do, enticing others to join the movement too!

Snackable snippets

30 practical steps for improving your
newsletter 📖

With 30 actionable ideas for boosting engagement and maximizing ROI, this piece is a must-read for any marketer or nonprofit leader aiming to maximize the impact of their newsletter. From personalization and segmentation to interactive content and gamification, the ideas are practical, easy to implement, and backed by data. Whether you're just starting out on the newsletter journey or looking to level yours up, this guide offers insights for every stage.

Words matter, y’all 💡

We’re huge fans of everything Jon McCoy and the whole We are for Good team produce, but his recent call for empathy and giving real weight to our words challenged me personally. We all know that there’s little truth in the children’s rhyme: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words shall never hurt me.” But I still often miss the chance to make the greatest impact with my words. From my next email to the next conversation with my mom, I’m going to keep Jon’s phrase front and center: “Words matter, y’all.”

Are you having fun? 📖

If you thought play was just for kids, think again! A new study suggests that adding a little fun into your day can lead to significant benefits for your mental health. Not only can play reduce stress and anxiety, but it can also increase happiness and overall life satisfaction. From playing a game of catch to trying out a new hobby, the options for adding play into your life are endless. So the next time you're feeling overwhelmed or stressed at work, take a break and have a little fun! Your mental health will thank you, but also your marketing may just be more effective because of it. Our team strongly believes that marketing is fun, and fun has the added benefit of being highly contagious.

Using magic words to increase influence 🎧

Spoiler alert: these words aren’t really magic — they’re just smart applications of psychology. Good marketers know the right words to use to build trust, extend empathy, or urge action. And they know that humans, although they can be very logical, often make decisions based off feelings more than reason. One key takeaway is to steer clear of hedging. Instead of “I think” or “probably” or “maybe,” words like “definitely” and “certainly” have a big impact on a reader’s perspective. I certainly would trust someone more who was definite instead of iffy on a subject.

In the news

Google and Microsoft are in the process of adding generative AI into their workspaces. From Gmail to Google Docs and Word to Outlook, AI may soon be offering us ideas for the blank page whether it’s an email, an upcoming blog article, or our next big presentation.

If you missed the Oscars a few weeks ago, you didn’t miss much as Everything Everywhere All at Once won nearly every award — as expected. What was noteworthy was that the Best Original Song went to “Naatu Naatu” — the first time the award has gone to an Indian film.

Something for your inspiration folder

We know the Oscar news is a week old, but showing appreciation to your mom never gets old. This speech by Ke Huy Quan may have been the highlight of the whole night. “Dreams are something you have to believe in.”

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