When it comes to open rates, my e-news clients usually score in at least the low 30 percentile – above industry averages, in case you didn’t know. Click here to view the latest industry rates.

When I’ve sent out an e-news to a small, very targeted list, I can easily get an open rate of 50%, sometimes even 100%! But, let’s be honest – when you’re talking about 10 to 20 people, that’s really no big deal.

However, now we have the case of the latest e-news sent to volunteers at Verde Valley Caregivers Coalition.  VVCC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization providing direct services free-of-charge throughout the Verde Valley (AZ) to ‘neighbors’ – seniors and adults with disabilities who ask for help to remain living independently at home.

Out of 203 email addresses (bounces already excluded), VVCC enjoyed an open rate of a whopping 55.2% or 112 contacts! That says a mouthful.

So to what do we attribute this awesome open rate?

Well, first of all, volunteers have been getting acclimated to receiving an e-news every 2-3 weeks for the past 3 months or so (consistency). In this organization, word of mouth is strong, so folks have been talking up the e-newsletter to other volunteers. Articles are relevant to the audience, interesting, down-to-earth, and kept brief; for more information, there are links to connect to the organization’s website. The formatting is simple, with some nice graphics throwing in a splash of color and art.

VVCC had been enjoying open rates in the high 30’s and 40’s. With this leap into the 50th percentile, it will be interesting to see what happens moving forward.

In any case, congrats to Verde Valley Caregivers for the great e-news they mail to their volunteers. Communications are blossoming, and relationships are strengthening thanks to their using this tool.

And, kudos and many thanks for the awesome work Verde Valley Caregivers does in the community!