You may be missing your best opportunity for high-return communication with your donors, clients or customers, patrons, and other stakeholders. Here’s why I think so.

I get a fair number of email newsletters. Only five of them come from you (my subscribers) or your organizations.

I get mass emails from many more of you, usually inviting me to events. That’s not what I’m talking about. (If every email you send me is trying to get me to go somewhere and pay something, I’m going to start ignoring your emails. Isn’t that how you react?)

I’m talking about a newsletter that’s published regularly and gives information away for free. If you’re not publishing one, you may be missing your best marketing and communications opportunity.

1. E-newsletters are cheap.

No matter what pricing scheme your email service provider uses – mine charges by the size of my list – it’s pennies on the dollar against printing and mailing.

2. E-newsletters are easy.

Setting up the template is the hard part. You can do it yourself, use an off-the-shelf template, or pay someone (recommended). After that, you don’t have to know a lick of HTML. Paste your text, use the intuitive B and I buttons for formatting, click Save… It’s all familiar stuff that you already know how to do.

3. You can track results.

The point of using an email service provider rather than your computer’s email client (such as Outlook) is that you can track how many people opened your email and how many clicked on a link. You can even see which people those are. These statistics are less reliable than they used to be, but you still get way more information than Outlook  –  much less the U.S. Postal Service – can provide.

What that information is good for would take another newsletter. Here’s one example: You can download the list of people who clicked on your Donate or Contact or Buy link. See if those people actually donated or contacted or bought. If they didn’t, you can email them to ask about their experience and what held them back.

(If they did donate or contact or buy, they already got a thank-you email, right? Of course they did. Good.)

4. You build goodwill as you demonstrate your expertise.

Everyone loves to get something for nothing. This newsletter gives away valuable information, no strings attached. So do all the newsletters I actually read, as opposed to the ones that arrive in my inbox unwanted and unattended.

For nonprofit organizations, this is a huge plus. A tiny investment can save you from the cardinal sin of contacting donors only when you’re asking them for money. Instead, send them a monthly email to show them the good work you’re doing. It’s a proven way to build repeat donations.

5. You extend your reach.

The Forward button is magic. You send valuable information to someone you know wants to receive it. If it’s good information, those “someones” are going to send it along to friends and colleagues.

I know what you’re thinking: “But what are we going to write about every month, and who’s going to do it?”

• It’s not as hard as you think. You are an expert in your field, aren’t you? You have information and stories to share.
• If you’re flummoxed, contact me. I can write your newsletter – it usually takes half an hour of your time – or help you devise a plan to get it done yourself.

For heaven’s sake, don’t miss your best opportunity just because you think you might not have enough to say. You do. Go for it.