If you have a mailing list with a solid subscriber base, email notification is usually the most effective way to use the internet to keep your organization's constituency informed of your activities, mobilize support when needed and promote specific areas of your web site.

We don't normally think of the design of email in the same way we think of web page design, but effective email formatting and composition is just as demanding as page design, if not more so. A busy reader will only grant you a microscopic fragment of time to be convinced that your message is worth the effort needed to digest it. Factors to consider:

Message format and style:

• Use normal sentence structure and capitalization. Don't capitalize words for emphasis, as this is interpreted as shouting.

• Don't use abbreviations or emoticons (smilies, for example).

• Limit lines to less than 65 characters to avoid word wrap in the recipient's email program.

• Most email messages aren't read; they are scanned to extract the main points. Use structured text to make the message content easier to interpret; for example,

       Volunteer tasks:
  
          Work we do in teams:
          - Hand out information to pedestrians
          - Collect petition signatures
          - Canvass businesses
          - Canvass residents door-to-door
  
          Work that can be done individually:
          - Photocopy and fold brochures
          - Phone supporters to spread word of upcoming events
          - Enter data into a database
  	

Message subject:

The subject of your message is the gateway to the message content. If the recipient can't see a reason to read the full message by the subject, it probably won't get read.

• The subject of your message should identify your organization and summarize the message content and purpose.
  
  Poor example subject lines:

  	Message from the MacKenzie Community Centre
  	Important! Read this immediately
  

  Good example subject lines:

  	Davenport Community Fair - Monday's the big day
  	Fairgood playground: public comments on equipment proposal due next week
  		

• Specify an important date or timeframe where applicable. Don't assume the recipient will be reading the message immediately. Use absolute instead of relative time references for hours and days in the near future ("Next week" is generally ok, but "Monday's the big day" is better than "two days to go").

• Don't use high-impact punctuation such as exclamation marks, but use colons or dashes to separate subject components.

• If time is of the essence, say it's 'urgent' rather than 'important' or other similar words that attempt to predefine the significance of the message to the reader.

• If it's a repeat message (such as a prompt to attend an event that was sent previously), say so (for example, 'Reminder: Monday is the last day to apply for a Community Service Grant').

Message body:

In general, you'll be trying to motivate the recipient to take some action in response to your message, rather than to inform by facts and arguments, which is best left to your web site and other media. Your email should be constructed accordingly.

• Maintain a single point of focus wherever possible. Don't burden your audience with multiple objectives in one email.

• State the purpose of the message at the beginning, including a reference to your organization and a time frame for action; for example, "The Community Employment Resource Centre is looking for volunteers and is hosting an open house on Tuesday, January 10."

• Briefly summarize relevant recent developments, if applicable.

• List specific information needed for any action the reader might take (for example, date, time and place for an event; summmary of tasks for volunteers; contact information). Referencing both days and dates (for example, 'Tuesday, January 10') makes it easier for the reader to confirm the time is available. Include link to a map of an event location.

• Link to additional detailed information or pertinent background material on your web site rather than include it. Put links at or near the end of the message at the end to encourage the reader to review the whole message before being diverted by an external link.

Example email:

   Fairgood Naturalists:  planning meeting for the 2006 tree planting program on January 10
	

   The Fairgood Naturalists are having a meeting on Monday, 
   January 10 to discuss plans for this year's tree planting 
   program.
   
   The City has recently finalized its financial contribution to 
   this effort and we'll be discussing how this affects our draft 
   plans.
   
   Last year's program was a huge success and we had great feedback 
   from volunteers who came out to our weekly planting events.  
   Volunteers for the 2006 program are most welcome; there will be 
   opportunities to talk to current volunteers about their experiences 
   last summer.
   
   Meeting time and place:
   
     Date:      January 10, 2006
     Time:      7:30 - 9:30 p.m.
     Location:  York Community Information Centre
                2696 Eglinton Avenue West
                York, ON M6M 1T9
                (416) 652-2273
     Map: http://local.google.ca/local?q=2696+Eglinton+Avenue+West+Toronto
     
   For more information about tree planting and our 2006 
   program, see:
      http://toronto.piconews.org/treeplanting/