Newsletter: Why Your Emails Need an ‘Emoji Identity’ 🪧; Kia Donates $8 for Every Car Sold to St. Jude 🚙 ; Greenhushing vs. Greenwashing: What’s the Difference? 🤔

I'd wager a coffee (a fancy one too!) that you are not spending enough time thinking about how to get people to open your emails. With more and more emails flooding people's inboxes these days, how can you get yours to stand out and get opened?

One tactic that I believe has worked for me and others is using an "emoji identity" in my subject line.

For some time now, in the subject line of my newsletter I've used these emojis: 😈😇

😈 = Selfish

😇 = Giving

I'm not alone in using an emoji identity.

The popular Marketing Brew (part of Morning Brew) always uses a ☕️ emoji in its subject line.

Another email newsletter I subscribe to, Marketing Examined, always uses a 🔍 emoji in its subject line. With this and other tweaks they've boosted their newsletter open rate 12%. Impressive!

🚨The benefit of having an emoji identity is simple: In a sea of emails, yours will stand out. When people see 😈😇 they know the email is from ME.

In addition to my newsletter, I've started using my emoji identity in regular emails as well so people know it's me!

So, what will be the emoji identity for your emails???

I brainstormed a few ideas for clients of mine.

The National 4-H Council could use 🍀 or they could go with 🐮 or 🚜.

My friends at the Black Dog Institute in Australia could go with ✌️, which is part of their logo. Or they could use 🧠🔬 to emphasize their focus on mental health research. Or how about just 🙂.

Wounded Warriors Project could use 🤕🩼 or 🫡 or 🪖.

Serve Minnesota could use 💁‍♂️ or 🇺🇸 - the flag emphasizing their strong connection with AmeriCorps.

The American Lung Association could use 🫁 or 🔬.

Coaching for Literacy could use ✍️ or 📖 or 🔤.

The Friends of Minuteman National Park could use 🇺🇸 or 🤝 or ⏳ or 📜, the latter two emphasizing their connection with history. I kind of like the scroll, personally! As the place where the first battles of the American Revolution took place they could also use 💥 or how about 🥁. Oh, if only there was a flute emoji!

Fun, right?

Need some help with your emoji identity? Just reply to this email and I'll share my thoughts! 🤔💭

The key is to be consistent in using one emoji so people recognize it as YOU when they see it in their inbox.

Of course, the critical thing here is not to disappoint people with your emails. Or they'll use that emoji to ignore your emails!

No pressure, right? 😂

✍️ Partnership Notes

1. This company is donating $8 for every vehicle sold to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. "We did some research with customers on which charities resonate with them and St. Jude placed high on the list."

2. The owner of a multi-million dollar jewelry business explains how she used cause marketing to grow her business. "Our client acquisition increased by 30%..."

3. My annual reminder that NOW is the time to approach local theater productions of A Christmas Carol (and other annual holiday shows) so they can host a fundraiser for you in December.

Washington D.C.'s Ford Theater raised over $47,000 For Love of Children last month. They've raised nearly $1M since 2009. That's nothing to bah humbug about!

🤑 Marketing Your Cause

1. According to the CEO of email service provider Aweber, this is the ideal time to send your corporate partnership newsletter. Notice that you received my newsletter 10 minutes early today!

2. This image is raising money for a Toronto charity. The only problem? It’s not real. It was generated using AI. Is that a problem? Maybe.

3. Speaking of AI, here's a good 20-minute video on what you should and shouldn't be doing with it when it comes to fundraising and AI.

😎 Cool Jobs in Cause

1. Director of Partnerships & Engagement, Cradles to Crayons , Newtonville, MA

2. Corporate Partnerships Project Manager, The Trevor Project , Remote ($75k - $90k)

3. Corporate Partnerships Manager, The Arc of the United States , Washington, DC, ($60k - $75k)

🧠🍌 Brain Food

1. Greenhushing vs. Greenwashing. What's the difference?

2. Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s toy drive was hoping to raise $2,500. Instead, it raised $8.7 million. Here's the very latest update on how the funds will be used .

3. There has never been a better time to be short. Anyone who's ever flown a direct flight from Boston to Los Angeles knows that!