By Jen Lieberman

[Written with synagogues in mind but applies to all nonprofits as the ideas are universal.]

Here’s a simple question. How frequently do you reach for your phone to check your email? Chances are, the answer is quite often. Just how popular is mobile? A recent study by Litmus noted that in September of 2016, mobile opens increased to 56% of total market share. That is an extraordinary number and one that should make all synagogue communication teams consider how to best adapt to this new reality. It’s easy to see that with an ever growing number of emails being read on a mobile device, mobile-friendly communications are no longer a luxury, they are a must. Creating a mobile-friendly email requires making adjustments to all aspects of the email from subject line to how text is linked.

Here Are 5 Tips To Help You Better Engage Your Members
With Mobile-Friendly Emails:

1. Think “Tapping” Instead of  “Clicking”

How easy is it for members to access the links in your emails? Touching or clicking a single linked word or line of text can be a challenge for mobile readers. Instead, create buttons that are large enough for your members to easily touch. Use these buttons in place of a linked word or sentence.

2. Enlarge Text Size

A tiny screen combined with tiny text equals an uncomfortable reading situation. If readers find your emails hard to read, chances are they won’t stick around to hear what you have to say. By increasing the size of your text to 16 px, you are creating a better experience for your mobile readers.

3. Single–Column Email Design

If you don’t have access to email templates that are responsive in design, one of the simplest changes you can make is to eliminate multiple column emails. Mobile screens are narrow. An email designed with a single-column allows all content to be seen clearly.

4. Shorten Subject Lines

How long are the titles or subject lines of your emails? Take a moment and count the number of characters in your last subject line. If your subject line exceeds 30 characters, any letter or word after that first 30 may be lost for mobile viewers.

5. Choose Your Words Carefully

Check out some of the emails in your inbox. You may begin to notice some trends. Email marketers are shying away from long paragraphs and are moving towards more concise text supported by engaging images. The folks over at Campaign Monitor have some great advice, “When you write copy for mobile-friendly emails, it’s crucial to keep it short and concise. Create short, scannable, and consumable chunks of content (i.e., bulleted lists, short paragraphs) that make it easy for your reader to digest your copy and understand the action they should take with your message.”

Mobile is here to stay. If anything, during the upcoming year, more of your members will use a mobile device to read your emails. By implementing some simple tweaks and adjustments, you can ensure a superior experience for these readers. Got some more ideas? Let us know in the comments section.

Jen Lieberman is Client Relationship Manager at Jvillage Network.