Search results matching tag 'marketing'

Effective Appeal Letters — Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

B087A473-A354-4812-B2BE-DFFA19F22C9A — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:13:00 GMT

Now that we’ve covered how to write compelling content for your appeal letters, let’s discuss the other details of your campaign. In my research, I have found that many fundraising professionals ask these common questions:

How Often Should I Send Appeal Letters?
The frequency that you should send appeals depends on your organization. It’s important to remember that your donors’ cash flow fluctuates, which means they could have the ability to donate on some occasions but not others. For this reason, experts say that once a year is not enough. Some organizations send appeals monthly; others conduct quarterly mailings. I would suggest using this information as a starting point and aim to send appeals 4 – 12 times a year. Remember two important rules. First, if you don’t mail to your constituents, someone else will. Second, most people won’t donate unless they are asked.

What Kind of Response Should I Expect?
Unfortunately, there is a lack of research that can tell us the average response rate to an appeal letter. Direct mail response rates average at .25 percent to 3 percent, but some say that nonprofits get better results. Anecdotal evidence indicates that nonprofits can expect response rates anywhere from .25 percent to 7 percent. Some people say that if you are mailing to contacts you closely know on a personal level (friends and family), you can expect a quarter of them to respond. Regardless, if your organization has the resources and can afford it, conduct a follow-up calling campaign to boost your results.

Other than a Calling Campaign, What Else Can Trigger Better Results?
List segmentation and personalized appeals. Identify the groups that your constituents naturally fall into, such as members, loyal donors, new prospects, alumni, volunteers, patients, and employees. Create appeals specifically for each. Spend time tailoring your message so that it speaks directly to their needs and preferences. Check out some of Blackbaud's white papers to find out how to ask your patients or employees for money.

How Can I Incorporate the Web into My Appeals?
Including your organization’s website address is a great way to offer your constituents a convenient way to donate or find out more about your organization. But don’t use your website as the only method for donors to give money. Too often, donors get distracted and forget to take that important step! As I mentioned in the eNewsletter, always include a remittance envelope.

A better question would be, “How can I incorporate my appeals into my web marketing?” Use everything from your eNewsletters, email signatures, Facebook® page, Twitter® updates, and other social media to promote your donation page. To find out more about the subject of online marketing and fundraising, check out the NetWits blog.

What Part of My Letter Will Get Read The Most?
Research shows that besides a headline, the portion of a letter that gets read the most is the postscript! Make sure to take the time to write a postscript, and make sure to write it as if you know your recipient personally. I would recommend re-stating your one-sentence takeaway in a creative call-to-action.

Do you have any burning questions about appeal letters that you would like anwered? Did you find the tips for writing appeal letters helpful? Do you have any tips of your own that you would like to share?

Writing Appeal Letters that Inspire Action

B087A473-A354-4812-B2BE-DFFA19F22C9A — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Appeal letters are considered a crucial aspect of any nonprofit’s fundraising plan. The Internet has certainly changed the way organizations raise money, but experts still say that direct mail is here to stay. It’s the end of the year, which means that Americans will receive an onslaught of appeals. And that’s okay — after all, not everyone is passionate about the same cause. Still, all these factors contribute to stiff competition for donor dollars, which should motivate you to take every necessary step to get your appeals in tip-top shape.

Before You Pick Up Your Pen: Creating a Plan

Successful writing begins with a good plan. Make sure you know the short answer to WHY you’re writing an appeal letter — your letter’s content will be better off because of it.

Of course, your primary answer for why you are writing to your constituents should be, “Because I want them to respond.” So, what inspires and motivates people to respond?

Research shows that donors give because they feel connected to an organization’s vision and mission, they want to help others, or they want to make a difference in their communities by giving back. But if you’re sending appeals to new prospects who don’t know much about your organization, you can’t depend on these factors to motivate them to give. That’s why it’s important to treat your appeal like it’s any other piece of direct mail, which needs to be especially enticing to get a response.

Direct marketing professionals say that the top motivating factors that get people to take action are guilt, fear, exclusivity, greed, and anger. But how can you weave these motivations into your letter and ensure that they apply appropriately? Here are a few tips:

Make sure to give readers the opportunity to feel an emotional connection so they are compelled to help. (Motivating factor: guilt)
Write in a way that makes the reader feel singled out. (Motivating factor: guilt)
Illustrate the consequences of NOT contributing to your cause. (Motivating factor: fear)
Ensure that the tone of your letter is friendly and engaging so readers feel like they know you. (Motivating factor: exclusivity)
Mention the recognition they’ll get. (Motivating factor: exclusivity & greed)
Give them something tangible in return. (Motivating factor: greed)

When you set out to apply any of these techniques, make sure not to go overboard. While these emotions can inspire action, they can also serve to alienate your readers if they seem too threatening. Americans need positive messages, especially today.

For example, if your organization’s mission revolves around serving food to the needy, a sentence like, “Without your help, 800 citizens in this area will go hungry in 2010” sounds dire and threatening. Consider mentioning your organization’s successes and re-write as, “In 2009, our organization distributed 12,000 fresh meals to people in need. For many of these disadvantaged citizens, it meant they wouldn’t have to choose between paying their heating bills and purchasing food to fill their stomachs. With your help, we hope to double the number of meals we distribute in 2010.”

Not only is the re-written message stronger because it’s more positive, but it also paints a better picture of the need. Blandly reciting facts and figures (“800 citizens will go hungry”) doesn’t truly illustrate the problem your organization is trying to remedy. When you tell a story, even a short one, (in this case, we told a story about how hungry people sometimes have to choose between paying bills and purchasing food) the reader will be able to better identify with the situation and make an emotional connection.

Before you begin writing your letter, gather testimonials from the people you serve. You can also come up with a tangible story by thinking about how your organization’s services impact the community and ask yourself, “But what does that really mean?”

Putting Ink to Paper: Tips for Writing Effectively

A first impression can make or break your letter. Your first paragraph should include motivational language (as mentioned above) as well as the one thing you want your reader to remember. Writers call this the “one-sentence takeaway,” or the single most important thing that needs to be communicated. Think of it as the only sentence your supporters will read before making the decision of whether or not to throw your letter in the trash. Make sure your one-sentence takeaway is clearly written and stated in the beginning of the letter.

Make sure to avoid using the passive voice and write to your supporters as if you are having a one-on-one conversation. Use action verbs, avoid lengthy words and sentences, and use the words “I” and “you.” These are easy ways to ensure your readers will make a connection with you.

Be explicit in your “ask.” Don’t hope that readers will understand what you’re asking for. Make it clear, and repeat it as often as you can. For example, write, “By making a tax-deductible donation, you can help…” and then repeat with a variation like, “Join this important cause by making a one-time or recurring donation.”

Always mention that there is a tax benefit to donating to your cause. For many donors, this is one of the most motivating factors.

Beyond the Letter: Other Important Elements

The content of your letter is extremely important. But not as important as your mailing list and the timing of your appeal. These elements should be carefully considered while you are making plans. Other important factors include the appearance of the envelope, and whether or not your letter offers a tangible reward. Letters that are part of a campaign in which individual donations are matched by another donor are highly successful.

Many organizations struggle with the decision of whether or not to include a “teaser” on the outside envelope. While a teaser can offer incentive for opening the envelope, some savvy constituents might see through it and consider it a marketing ploy. One way to settle the dispute would be to use a direct mail service that can print text that appears hand-written.

Last, and most importantly, make it easy to donate. If you leave out that critical step, you might never get a response, even if you’ve gotten your constituents to open your letter, read the contents thoroughly, and make the decision to respond. Include a remittance envelope so that when your constituents decide to donate, they can do it right away before they forget.

Want more tips for writing fundraising letters? Check out the post Effective Appeal Letters — Answers to Frequently Asked Questions, which explains which portion of a letter recipients read the most — it will surprise you!

7 Webby Sessions Not to Miss at BBCon

EAA7057A-B726-48EA-8917-7E7ED883ADC6 — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:59:00 GMT

I can't believe our 10th Conference for Nonprofits is just a few days away! There's still so much to get ready, but I'm really getting psyched to see all the peeps coming into town. And while networking is a key benefit of BBCon, it's really the sessions that everyone is excited about. With over 130 topics to choose from, there's definitely something for everyone. But if you're a webby geek like me, there are some amazing Internet sessions you won't want to miss. My picks for this year are...

Branding Your Nonprofit Online - This session is based on case studies, and will help you realize the impact branding has on online communication. Social media rock star Danielle Brigida (National Wildlife Federation) will be co-presenting and providing some great insights from NWF.
Making Event Participants More Successful with Social Media Tools - If you are rocking Blackbaud Sphere, this is the session for you! Mark Davis (Blackbaud), Donna Wilkins (Charity Dynamics) and Jodie Kolkowski (American Heart Association) are going to cover how to incorporate Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube into your online events.
Online Metrics Demystified: Understanding Your Hits, Clicks, and Errors - If online metrics really freak you out, be sure to check out Steve MacLaughlin's session to soothe your soul. He covers all the metrics you should be looking at, and will help you understand why they are important.
Tools and Techniques to Make Your Web Content More Interactive and Shareable - Frank Barry (Blackbaud) is a genius, and this session will explore all the third-party tools you can use to make your web content dynamic and sharable. Don't miss this!
Live and Interactive: Does Your Website Meet Your Organizational Objectives? - If you're wondering if your website is meeting your mission, be sure to attend Raheel Gauba's session. He'll be doing live, 10-minute brainstorms on the actual sites of attendees - maybe yours!

I'll also be talking about webby things throughout the event, so come find me! My sessions include:

50 Social Media Tactics You Can Use Today - I'll be presenting this rapid-fire session with Melanie Mathos (Blackbaud), and it will cover 50 things you do using social media. We're assuming you have a strategy and goals already, so we're hoping this session will give you the ideas to push ahead.
Social Media Workshop - This 40-seat workshop will allow attendees to actually do some of the things we discussed in the 50 Social Media Tactics session. We'll setup a Google Dashboard, add a blog to a Facebook profile, and find some good people to follow in Twitter.
New Frontiers in Marketing and Fundraising - This is a cool panel discussion that is focused on emerging technologies. We'll be covering how video, SMS, and podcasting can be using to enhance your engagement and fundraising.

There you have it. Be sure to check out all the Conference sessions - there's a lot of great stuff to see. Follow @BBCon on Twitter for updates and I'll see you in Charleston!

Relationship Management Conference 2009 Part 1

8b9f0e08-8fb4-4cfc-9f37-481188b88382 — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Thank you to everyone that attended our conference in London - 12th and 13th October.

We reworked the Arts and Culture track this year, as part of the wider Relationship Management Conference. A significant element of the programme were guest speakers, from Arts and Cultural organisations across the country:

Su Matthewman - West Yorkshire Playhouse

Nick Boaden - West Yorkshire Playhouse

Jennie Gentles - The Drum

Sarah Ogle - Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse

Paul Williamson - London 2012

Sue Uings - Delfont-Mackintosh

Martin Barden - Tate

Raychel Perks - Barnsley Civic

Chris Palmer - Audiences NI

Thank you to you for taking time to share your insight. As if to continue the technological theme across our sessions - YouTube today announced that 20 hours of footage are uploaded every minute, 1 billion hits a day. Consider that YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world, but only 4 years old. We will post excerpts from discussions held at the conference here. We welcome comment and feedback, which you can do direct onto this site.

Call for Upcoming Conference Feedback

06C0951D-0F3F-44D1-AA8F-3C9415303DC1 — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:17:00 GMT

One of the sessions at November's Blackbaud conference will be Effective Pricing and Discounting Strategies for Arts & Cultural Organizations. With that in mind, we wanted to gather as much feedback as possible to tailor the session to your needs. If you can, please check out the quick, five-question survey below. Please email your responses to the session coordinator jackie.huffman at blackbaud dot com. The more responses we get, the better the session will be. Thanks!

When do you offer discount pricing to the general public (non-members)? Choose all that apply.
1. The day of the event
2. The week of the event
3. The month of the event
4. All of the above
Do you use any of these promotion strategies? Choose all that apply.
1. Coupon with a promotion code
2. Buy one get one free offers
3. Combo offers that include multiple events
4. Packages with different types of events/items (e.g. dinner discount and event tickets or a CD and the performance tickets)
5. Other? Please specify.
Have you used any revenue management techniques? Choose all that apply.
1. Airline style pricing in which the closer to the event the higher the prices
2. Charging premium prices for specific events
3. Last minute discounting
4. Other? Please specify.
What are the biggest challenges your organization faces in regards to pricing and promotion? What are you doing to deal with them?
Would you be willing to share your experiences? If so, please provide contact information and one of our presenters will contact you.

Buzz and Flattery Will Get You Everywhere

FD0BF85E-6DCC-4C02-9FEB-EA38C07A8E8A — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:55:00 GMT

"Buzz" as it applies to Advertising and Public Relations is defined by Wikipedia as the following:

Marketing buzz or simply buzz is a term used in word-of-mouth marketing. The interaction of consumers and users of a product or service serve to amplify the original marketing message. Some describe buzz as a form of hype among consumers, a vague but positive association, excitement, or anticipation about a product or service. Positive "buzz" is often a goal of viral marketing, public relations, and of advertising on Web 2.0 media. The term refers both to the execution of the marketing technique, and the resulting goodwill that is created. Examples of products with strong marketing buzz upon introduction were Harry Potter, the Volkswagen New Beetle, Pokémon, Beanie Babies, and the Blair Witch Project.

It is possible for firms to track the marketing buzz of their products online using buzz monitoring. For some companies it is important to understand the buzz surrounding a product before committing to the market.

Those of us who have the chance and/or the responsibility to create or approve marketing and PR campaigns for any organization are always striving for such "Buzz". This is especially true in the new Internet marketing age where a comment, mentions, re-Tweets and "posts" can be tracked to the extreme degree. We might be close to achieving such buzz with our latest eTapestry marketing campaign. Here is a recent blog post about campaign pictured below from Donald Temper.

Here is an excerpt from his post:

There are all sorts of rules for marketing, whether by direct mail or e-mail. There should be a guarantee. ("Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back.") There should be urgency. ("This offer expires in 48 hours.") And so on.

Sometimes the marketing can include a suggestion of exclusivity. ("This offer isn't for everyone–just those who want the best." Or "We're only making this offer to a select few.") One thing I haven’t seen–and I’m an avid reader of marketing advice from Glazer-Kennedy and a slew of others–is: Don't deliberately insult the recipient. Nor have I seen: Don't cast the product you’re marketing in a bad light.

Maybe we can learn something from the folks at eTapestry.com. That company's latest e-mail promo compares its potential customers to dung beetles. But, hey, that's not the end of it. It compares its own product to skunk cabbage.

Mutualism. It's what they call it when two things benefit each other. And just like the dung beetle and skunk cabbage help each other out, so too do eTapestry’s fundraising software and your cause.

Donald we appreciate your flattery and the mention out on the web. I personally think your comments have true merit. Yours is just one of so many comments, emails and notes we have received about the campaign. More importantly our prospective customers have really noticed too! In the economy of 2009 this has been a real blessing for our sales teams.

Please allow me to give credit where credit is due. The campaign was the brainchild of our advertising firm Young and Laramore and Steve Rusche on our team. When they presented it I immediately loved the concept and the offer associated with it. Like the originators of the idea, I had a hunch that our market, consisting of non-profit executives, was smart and witty enough to truly appreciate it and respond. Happily, that has been the case. Boy, I am glad that I am not marketing to attorneys as I was 30 years ago. They picked over every marketing piece and seldom had a sense of humor...

Steve, now what do you suggest for next year?

9 Simple Things Everyone Should Know about Twitter Hashtags

EAA7057A-B726-48EA-8917-7E7ED883ADC6 — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:30:00 GMT

A couple weeks ago, we had a rip-roaring conversation about Twitter on The Baudcast. We gave Twitter center stage for the entire episode, and picked a couple of topics we know people often have questions about. Wendy Harman (American Red Cross), Danielle Brigida (National Wildlife Federation), Anna Richter (NTEN), Frank Barry (Blackbaud), and Steve MacLaughlin dropped some great insights, including how to setup your account, the best tools to use, and hashtags.

Here are 9 simple things we discussed that everyone should know about hashtags:

They're great for grouping and tracking conversations (#nptech)
Hashtags make keeping up with events easy (#10ntc)
Useful when searching for real-time information (#iranelection)
Great for finding new people to follow (#nonprofit)
Don't overuse them in your Tweets - save room for content!
Funny ones can add some humor to a tweet (#justsayin)
You can integrate them into a program (#nwf)
Keep them short of you want people to use them (#ff)
You can search for them at hashtags.org

Now, if you're not that into hashtags, the show had plenty other stuff to chew on. I really liked the discussion around whether to use a branded Twitter account or just let your staff be your evangelists. There was also a lengthy discussion on Twitter tools.

Be sure to get all the juicy details on The Baudcast: (iTunes or direct)

Add A Facebook Fan Box To Your Site

06C0951D-0F3F-44D1-AA8F-3C9415303DC1 — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:27:00 GMT

My colleague Chad recently wrote about 6 Dogooding Webby Things Your Nonprofit Should Check Out, and I wanted to show how quick and easy it is to implement one of those webby things, the Facebook Fan Box. It's not a fit for every organization, but if you have a strong Facebook presence and want to promote it on your website, don't let the idea of building this custom piece intimidate you. And the steps work for everyone, whether your site uses PEO or a different application.

Step One: Visit your Facebook page. Go to your organization's Facebook page and click the link on the left that says Add Fan Box to your site.

Step Two: Get the code. You will be taken to a second page where you can check whether you want to include both your stream and fans, or just one of the two. You will get the auto-generated code along with a preview, like this:

Step Three: Add the code to your site. Edit the "connections" entry in the code if you want to display more than 10 fans at a time, and the "width" bit if you want it to be wider than 300 pixels. If you use Patron Edge Online as your content management system, save this code to Notepad as a .htm file and add it to PEO as a screen part. If you use a different CMS, the process should be pretty similar. Of course there are advanced options and extra styling you can get into, but these three painless steps get you from zero to Fan Box in five minutes.

Is your site using the Fan Box feature or custom Facebook applications? How do they fit into your marketing strategy or promote your mission? Leave a message for other readers in the comments.

Cornell University Lab of Ornithology Membership Manager- now posted

09556d7a-1e3f-4bb8-8eb6-44d0eef770cb — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:45:53 GMT

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is looking for an intelligent, high-energy person to come lead our Membership Team. The Lab is the world's leading bird organization with over 46,000 people giving financial support in the last 24 months, and 35,000+ active members. In addition we have hundreds of thousands of citizen science participants - submitting data from their neighborhoods to support conservation reasearch across North and South America. Cornell University is an amazing institution; the Lab is a world leader in conservation science, birding and citizen science; and Ithaca, NY is a beautiful, affordable place to live. Please apply on line at: http://www.ohr.cornell.edu/jobs/ then "Staff (non-academic) or Library Positions" and then look for job # 11053 with the title of "Communications Specialist III, Lab of Ornithology". If you additional questions, please email Sean Scanlon at scanlon@cornell.edu. Thanks.

6 Dogooding Webby Things Your Nonprofit Should Check Out

EAA7057A-B726-48EA-8917-7E7ED883ADC6 — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:19:00 GMT

The Internet, nonprofits, and cause-based action have been natural partners since day one, not unlike peanut butter and jelly...and, um, more jelly. So it's no surprise that the successes nonprofits have seen with social media are constantly being cited, something I observed at SXSW. This happens because social technology works, and new methods of interacting with supporters are emerging every week. Here are six great webby things that every dogooder should check out:

Act.ly
A tactful use of a petition can work wonders for a cause, and Act.ly is an easy way to integrate this activity into your Twitter strategy. Act.ly allows petitions to be created that target Twitter users (politicians, businesses, organizations, etc.). The platform provides a way for your supporters to sign the petition, send a tweet about the effort, see others that have joined the cause, and embed a badge on their own sites. Check out how the League of Conservation Voters is using the platform to urge Oprah to discuss President Obama's clean energy plan, and then integrating the petition into their home page. www.act.ly

Facebook Fan Box
Having a Facebook Fan page is a great way to engage supporters, and many organizations are integrating these pages into their overall communications strategy. The Facebook Fan Box is an embeddable widget you can place on your website, blog, and other web properties to integrate the Facebook experience. Visitors can use the Fan Box to become a fan, view status updates, see who is supporting your cause, and read what they are saying. The Lance Armstrong Foundation uses the widget to connect connect fans with Lance himself, and drive visitors to this valuable social channel. www.facebook.com

IdealistNews
Using social news sites like Digg, Yahoo Buzz, Mixx, and Reddit can bring new visitors to your cause, but only if your stories don't get lost in the vast pool of content. Idealist.org has partnered with Reddit to create IdealistNews, a nonprofit-focused social news platform. Once your organization's news stories and blog posts have been submitted, users have the opportunity to vote them up. The more votes, the more likely people are to hear your message. www.idealist.org

Actions for Facebook
For advocacy-based organizations, providing easy ways to communicate with politicians is critical to success. Grassroots Enterprises has released Actions for Facebook, and powerful online advocacy application for Facebook. The tool makes it easy to turn your fans into activists by helping them send letters to state and federal officials, find appropriate local activities, and invite friends to participate. Features like widgets, unique URLs, and data collection make it easy to integrate into your communication strategy. www.grassroots.com

eBay Giving Works
While this isn't exactly new, I like that eBay helps users create positive change with every purchase. eBay Giving Works allows buyers to find sellers that support good causes, give direct donations via PayPal, and enables sellers to donate proceeds to nonprofits. All you have to do is sign-up your org to participate in the program. www.ebay.com

Good.ly
If your organization is using Twitter, then you're probably familiar with URL shortening tools like bit.ly, ow.ly, and TinyURL.com. Good.ly has taken the short URL business into the nonprofit sector by generating donations from users. When purchases are made from Good.ly click-throughs, a portion of the referral fee goes to one of three featured charities. While this may not be a financial windfall for the nonprofits, it is still a great application of technology for social good. www.good.ly

I also want to give a shout out to a few other webby things I've been digging lately. Check out Geoff Livingston's List of Change for a dynamic list of the most popular nonprofit blogs. Socialbright is a great resource that can help your nonprofit use social media, as is Social by Social. And of course there is the Summer of Social Good, Mashable's push to promote dogooding through social media.