From the Desk of: Steve Elliott

I'm going to use this weekly email to address some of the age-old questions regarding direct response marketing and look at the new trends impacting the industry.

I can't say I set out with this end in mind, but I've been working in the direct response media for the better part of the past three decades. It started for me as a part-time job while I was pursuing my graduate degree, and I'm still here (a story I'll save for another day).

So here's the first question...

Q-How many emails should your organization send?

Typically, when I start working with an organization, their biggest shock is how many emails I recommend they send.

My biggest shock is how many emails they are currently sending! 

Most organizations are very concerned with unsubscribe rates. As a result, they want to email their constituents once a week or so.

That's simply not enough, and here's why...

Consider the competition....

A flood of 3,000 messages....

The constituents on your email list are, on average, each receiving over 400 email, text and social media "messages" every day. Here's the breakdown:

• On average, your donors receive 121 emails per day;
  
  
• On average, your donors spend 140 minutes on social media a day. Let's assume 30 seconds per social media post. That's 280 social media messages every day;
  
  
• On average, your donors receive 20 text messages every day (I think it's more, but let's go with this number);

Let's multiply that by seven days. That's about 3,000 direct messages every week.

And you sent... one email.

Good luck.

The psychology of our constantly scrolling world...

Now consider the psychology of direct response in today's environment. In the olden days, the unsubscribe fear was more real because people were not accustomed to flooded inboxes and social feeds. Today, we interact with these push messages quite differently.

In 2025, everyone is "pushing" messages all the time. All day. Every day. As consumers of the content, we expect it. We're not bothered by it. We just keep scrolling.

If your organization is not in that stream of messages, you can quickly become irrelevant, especially if there is breaking news that is connected to your organization.

For example, if there's an earthquake and your organization provides relief to victims, it's now expected that you will push content to your supporters in every way possible. As often as necessary. That might mean emailing your team two times DAILY during a crisis.

When I hear about a disaster, I immediately turn to X(Twitter) or I'll scan my email for updates. Why wouldn't you want to be in my inbox at that exact moment?

So here's what I suggest.

1. Have it on your schedule to email 3-4 times a week.

2. Email more when necessary!

My team at Grassroots Action has been on the leading edge of direct response messaging for more than two decades. We've flooded many inboxes over the years and raised many millions of dollars in the process.

I'd love the opportunity to help you grow your constituency, and be in their inbox at just the right time, with just the right message. Give me a call or set up a time to chat below.

Steve Elliott
[email protected]

P.S. Next week: the most important metric in determining the success of your donor database program.

Set up a 15 minute call with Steve.

Have a co-worker or friend you'd like to receive "ideas"? Add them here or forward this link

Upcoming "ideas":

• The most important metric in determining the success of your donor database program
• How much should I spend on new donors?
• Your organization's most valuable asset is (fill in the blank)
• The hottest trend in development right now
• Three fatal mistakes of emails
• Apple is spoofing your emails. Here's what it means
• Are your systems "siloed" or integrated?
• If it takes you more than 5 minutes to set up a donation page, you've got issues
• Do you have a vision problem or a too-much-vision problem?

© 2025 Steve Elliott. Grassroots Action, Inc.