How to Use Automated Emails for Your Newsroom’s Membership Program

One key element of building a membership program is setting up automated emails. Sent to newsletter subscribers and members, these emails act as a way to steward readers toward becoming paying contributors and to encourage current members to renew or increase their donation.

The beauty of these emails is that they’re a one-and-done project: set them up and let them run, and they can provide a reliable, ongoing source of revenue. The Hub typically recommends two types of automated emails: a welcome series to introduce readers to the brand and the organization’s work, and a renewal series for existing members to ask them to donate again. While the renewal series is focused squarely on generating revenue, the welcome series is primarily intended to build loyalty and brand recognition – with the occasional donation ask.

We analyzed last year’s data for Hub organizations that run these automated emails, and here’s what we found.

• Organizations with a renewal series earned a median of $11,703 in 2021 from these emails alone. These emails accounted for an average of 8% of total donations under $5,000 for these organizations.
• Organizations with a welcome series earned a median of $2,635 in 2021 from these emails alone.
• Organizations with both series earned a median of $15,075 in 2021 from these emails alone. Both sets of emails accounted for an average of 11% of total donations under $5,000 for these organizations.