Multichannel Marketing Mojo

Steve MacLaughlin — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 14:20:00 GMT

There is a lot of talk and discussion about multichannel communication out there in the nonprofit world. Organizations want to do it, consultants recommend ways of doing it, and technology vendors claim to have the tools to actually get the job done. But in many cases, it's more sizzle than steak.

At Blackbaud, we've been working on delivering a true multichannel tool that allows nonprofits to do the complete lifecycle: Data Segmentation, Channel Selection, Message Creation and Delivery, and Roll-up Reporting. While some tools on the market handle bits and pieces of this process, there aren't any that embrace both online and offline channels. Until now.

Our Blackbaud Direct Marketing (BBDM) application will soon include functionality that integrates with Blackbaud NetCommunity's email capabilities. It's a great example of the Infinity platform in action that pulls multiple products together as a single robust solution.

BBDM has a very strong set of marketing planning, scheduling, segmenting, and reporting features that clients are using. With a solid foundation in place we've added new channels that can be leveraged as part of a direct marketing campaign. And we're surfacing BBNC's email tools on the Infinity platform to do it.

This is a big step in the right direction for nonprofits that want a solution that does more than just talk about multichannel capabilities. Gone are the days when you have to do your direct mail in one application, your email in another, and other passive channels somewhere else. (Nothing legacy about what Blackbaud is doing here.)

Blackbaud Direct Marketing allows users to make segmentations made up of highly granular data selections from any data source, including but not limited to The Raiser's Edge, Blackbaud Enterprise CRM, or BBNC. Then you have the option to create mailing packages that may be a direct mail piece and/or an email. If you choose email as one of the options, then you can setup the various email settings and design options without having to switch to a different application. Sending test messages or final blasts can also all be done within BBDM.

From there the integrated reporting and tracking capabilities of BBDM and BBNC kick-in. No spreadsheets or disparate system for tracking source codes. Nope, we have the tracking and finder number goodness baked right into the mailings. And conversion information can be round tripped back to the CRM. (I won't confirm or deny the rumor that grown men have openly wept upon seeing this.)

Look for this capability to get even more powerful over time. Adding additional active and passive marketing channels will allow for a more comprehensive approach to marketing and fundraising efforts. Two thumbs up to the development teams and customers that helped shape this unique solution.

No Constituent is an Island

Steve MacLaughlin — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 20:51:00 GMT

(originally posted on BlogBaud)

I am in London this week visiting some Blackbaud Europe clients and presenting at the 2008 Digital Communications for Charities Conference. The event is being hosted by Professional Fundraising magazine. The main presentation is all around integrated communication and how working in silos within charities means that digital media is currently set adrift.

I have used quotations in presentations for as long as I can remember, and I usually try and put in something relevant to the audience. For this presentation (and blog entry) I’m putting a new spin on the English poet John Donne’s famous phrase:

“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend’s or of thine own were…”
- John Donne, Meditation XVII (1623)

Many nonprofits find themselves awash in an island chain of programs and data silos. Every program has its own goals and objectives that often result in a fragmented landscape. Major giving programs guard their constituent information, the annual fund staff does the same, membership keeps different records, volunteer information exists in spreadsheets, and anything online is set adrift with the Web people. To build successful relationships you can’t maroon constituents on any of these islands. No constituent is an island.

Relationships between people and organizations are multi-faceted. We interact across multiple channels that often intersect in very unpredictable ways. Nonprofits have used traditional channels such as events, direct mail, person-to-person meetings, telephone, and many more for a long time. The Internet adds an entirely new and often different set of channels. Web, email, RSS, person-to-person fundraising, social networks, and other online capabilities continue to transform how nonprofits can interact with constituents.

A key change is to stop thinking in terms of online vs. offline, but instead you should start thinking of them as simply different channels. For the most part, people no longer see the spatial differences between online and offline. The two are blurred in most interactions and the expectation by constituents is that they are properly recognized no matter the channel they choose. Imagine if you deposited a check at the bank but the online banking website had no record of it. Imagine if you purchased concert tickets online but the box office didn’t know about it when you arrived to pick them up. Now just imagine what your constituents are thinking about their interactions with you.

People only come in units of one. (Or at least that true in 99.99% of cases.) Splitting them up or having lots of duplicates can have dire consequences. (Ever seen the movie Multiplicity?) A channel driven approach allows you to personalize interaction across programs, but still keeps people in one piece. This allows organizations to make more strategic decisions because they can look at all the touch points with a constituent. And running an event, sending a mailing, or personalizing content on the website is always more successful using this approach.

You can’t think strategically or act tactically if your constituents live on islands. It will only take one or two bad interactions before they build a raft and sail off to more friendly surroundings. Don’t let that happen.

Connections : integrated channels

Multichannel Marketing Mojo

No Constituent is an Island