Turquoise, pink and golden yellow graphic with the caption “WildStory QuickTip: Build relationships with your community with strategic follow-up emails.” with picture of a hippo in water.

This blog post explores how conservation organizations turn one-time visitors into lifelong supporters by strategically building relationships beyond the first experience. You’ll learn actionable approaches for engagement, retention, and creating meaningful connections that last.

The work of engaging your audience doesn’t end when they visit your organization, attend an event, or sign up for updates. In fact, that’s often when the most important work begins. Read more about ways to build meaningful connections with your organization’s audience through targeted follow-up.

Learn how to use automated email sequences to connect with zoo and aquarium email subscribers, nurture members, and inspire donors.

WildStory QuickTip: Connect with new subscribers by sending a welcome email sequence.

Learn how to connect with zoo and aquarium email subscribers by segmenting your email list and defining who you are talking to in your emails.

If your zoo or aquarium is sending broad, one-size-fits-all newsletters, you're not alone — but you are missing easy opportunities to deepen visitor, member, and donor engagement.

Learn why generic newsletters don’t work and how to shift from broadcasting to the masses to relationship building through personalized emails.

One of the biggest mistakes I see zoos and aquariums making in their email marketing is writing generic, templated updates to the masses, rather than speaking directly to the reader.

Learn how to use a post-visit email marketing strategy to turn one-time visitors into engaged supporters.

After a visitor leaves your zoo or aquarium, send a personalized follow-up email within 48 hours — thank them for their visit, share a meaningful story from your zoo, and invite them to stay connected.

You can share all the facts in the world, but if your audience doesn’t feel connected to your cause, they won’t act. 

Learn how zoos and aquariums can use stories to connect with their members and donors, build trust, and drive action.

In every great story, there’s a hero and in marketing, that hero isn’t your zoo or aquarium, it’s your supporters.

Learn how to speak to your donors so that they want to give again and again.

As a conservation organization, your zoo’s email list is one of your most valuable, but often most underutilized, assets. 

Here are 5 mistakes you might be making in your organization’s email marketing and what to do instead to grow and nurture an email list that deepens relationships, builds trust, and inspires action for wildlife.

Your email list is your most important marketing and fundraising tool as a zoo or aquarium.

Learn how to invite your prospects into your story, so they want to join your email list.