Hi Reader,

Imagine this.

You’ve sent your weekly email newsletter to your growing email list.

You’re excited to learn how to use email to raise money, but you know the list is a mess, so there’s work to do.

You’ve been too busy to sit down and arrange it all.

You’ve heard about ways to organize your list, such as adding subscribers to tags.

You’ve tagged people on your list but don't know how to leverage this strategy. You can personalize your communications to your email list if you do it right.

In today’s edition of the Social Profit Stack, we’ll look at the magic of adding tags to your list of email subscribers, personalizing them, and turning them into raving donors.

Let’s dive in.

Demystify the Tag

Tagging subscribers allows you to personalize and offer relevant content to your subscribers.

You’ve glossed over your list a bunch of times, but know that adding this layer of organization will improve the donor journey tenfold.

Adding tags to your list of subscribers opens up a new way to think about your audience.

Tags are like those little sticky notes you use to keep track of your subscribers—only digital.

Email marketing platforms allow you to arrange and add tags to subscribers' profiles, helping you categorize your email list into neat, manageable groups.

Want to know who your loyal donors are? Add a tag.

Curious about who’s here for specific data you shared in the newsletter? Tag them, too!

Tags help you segment your audience and tailor your message to resonate with their preferences, ensuring you share the correct information with the right people.

Here’s how I add a tag when I create a new landing page in my ConvertKit account:
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Integrate Tags with Your CRM:

Now that you understand more about how tags work, it’s time to ensure your CRM (Customer Relationship Management system) is in on the action.

Think of your CRM as the brain of your operation. It keeps all your data in one place and ensures smooth operation.

Here’s the scoop: when you tag a contact on your email platform, that information needs to sync with your CRM. This way, you’ll track what you’ve sent while keeping a tidy record of who’s getting what and when.

Tracking and logging data between your ESP and CRM helps keep your data consistent, communications relevant, and stress levels low. So, connect those dots and let your CRM do the heavy lifting!

Most email marketing platforms offer ways to integrate with popular CRMs. For example, if you’re using Mailchimp and Salesforce, you can set up an integration through the Mailchimp app in Salesforce. It automatically syncs your tags to ensure your CRM is up-to-date with the latest email activities. Unsure where to begin? Check-in with your IT staff or the CRM support line.

Best Practices for Creating Tags:

• Each tag should be specific to a segment or action. For example, use tags like "Event Attendee—2024 Gala" instead of "Attendee."
• Use Clear and Consistent Naming Conventions to stay organized. If you start with "Donor - " for donor tags, stick with it. For example, use "Donor - New," "Donor - Recurring," etc.
• Limit the Number of Tags: Avoid over-tagging. Use enough tags to segment effectively but not so many that managing it becomes painful. Keep the process simple.
• Review your tags often to ensure they are still relevant and useful. Remove outdated or redundant tags.
• Create tags based on engagement metrics like "Opened Welcome Email," "Clicked Donation Link," etc., to track and segment based on interactions.
• Ensure your tagging practices follow privacy laws and regulations, such as GDPR. Avoid sensitive or personally identifiable information in tags.

Add Tags to the Welcome Sequence

Here’s an example of when and where to add tags when sending an email welcome sequence:

Initial Signup: When someone subscribes, automatically tag them as "New Subscriber" or "New Donor."

Welcome Email: Immediately after signup, ensure the welcome email triggers the "New Subscriber" or "New Donor" tag.

Follow-Up Emails: After the welcome email, add tags based on interactions, such as "Opened Welcome Email" or "Clicked Welcome Link."

Engagement Tracking: Use tags like "Active Subscriber" or "Inactive Subscriber" throughout the sequence based on their engagement with your emails.

Segment-Based Actions: If a new donor makes a second donation, update their tag from "New Donor" to "Recurring Donor."

End of Sequence: Once through the welcome sequence, tag the subscriber with "Welcome Sequence Complete" or move them to a new segment based on their activity. Adding this tag is important because you don’t want to welcome a new subscriber twice.

(And trust me, this is the one that led me to learn more about tags and how they all work.)

According to recent research by Neon One, email marketing has become one of the top ways to raise more revenue for your nonprofit, with 48% citing it as their preferred method of giving. This trend is increasing in a digital world that enjoys the privacy of email communication.

Remember, not all subscribers are the same. Dumping them all into one segment will only get you so far in your email marketing strategy.

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