Digital Fundraising 101

Mikaela King, VP of Marketing, Defenders of Wildlife Heather Marsh, Director of Digital Marketing, ABD Direct Sean Powell, The Engage Group

Here’s the plan…

• Introductions

1. Fundraising and Your Website 2. Email and Donation Systems 3. Finding Supporters 4. Content and Messaging 5. Testing 6. Data and Tracking 7. Channel Integration 8. Social Media 9. Responsive and Mobile 10. Getting Past the Basics

• Q & A Discussion

Introductions

Heather Marsh ABD Direct Mikaela King Defenders of Wildlife Sean Powell The Engage Group

Why Charities Fail Online

Based on Flandez, Raymund. "Most Charities Fail at Online Fundraising Basics." The Chronicle of Philanthropy. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Feb. 2014.

1. Bad website experience on mobile 2. Take too long to ask for money 3. Not communicating 4. Not testing 5. Not giving donors a reason to connect 6. Lack of urgency 7. Not encouraging sharing 8. Not making the next ask

When you cut out all of the BS and get down to the basics of digital fundraising, the only things that really matter are: - your email list and - your website - your messaging

tl;dr

1. Website fundraising basics

1. Website fundraising basics

Evaluate the opportunities to sign up for your email list. At the very least there should be an option to sign up on every page of your website.

1. Website fundraising basics

…but make those frequent touch points compelling for prospective donors.

1. Website fundraising basics

1. Website fundraising basics Similarly, for donations, you want as few clicks as possible to make a donation.

1. Website fundraising basics

1. Website fundraising basics Other basic web tools that every fundraiser should have:

– Google analytics – Lightbox functionality

• For email signup, donation alerts, etc. – A/B/V Testing tools

• Google Experiments (buyer beware) • Optimize

– QC Tools • Browserstack, Browsershots, Browserling, etc.

2. Email and Donation Systems

Four main areas • Email • Landing pages/forms • Reporting • Data management

– Query and segmentation

2. Email and Donation Systems

Technical considerations • Email and landing pages in sync • Recency of updates/upgrade • API? • Triggered and/or scheduled messaging • Custom ask strings • SQL/advanced querying for building targeting

segments

2. Email and Donation Systems

Other considerations • Data portability

– Can you take your recurring donors with you when you leave?

• Speed to generate campaign reports – To quickly diagnose issues

• Does testing feel like it is “built in” (weak)

3. Digital Acquisition Building Your Email File Organic growth

SEO Optimize website for fundraising & acquisition

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Google Grant

E-Appends

Petition Networks

Ask for email on everything! (make it compelling)

Remarketing

Ad Buys

Search Engine Marketing • Google, Bing, Yahoo Institutional ad

Campaign specific ads

Social Media Advertising

Display Advertising • Contextual • Behavioral • Retargeting

– Segment your visitors based on what they look at (gift catalog vs. action vs. blog)

– Tailor the ads to those segments – Do not retarget people who have converted – Include clear call to action and/or promotion – Think about timing – urgent content should be

retargeted immediately, something like a catalog can be retargeted later

Doctors without Borders Retargeting

Engaging the Newly Acquired

• Welcome series • One call to action • Invite to engage with social media • Other ways to bring them closer to the mission

– Poll or survey – Ask them why they joined – What’s their story? – More ideas?

4. Content and Messaging

Types of Messaging • Appeals • Action Alerts • Event Invitations • eNewsletters • Cultivation • Specialized Messaging

4. Content and Messaging

Appeals

Issue Awareness Fundraising

4. Content and Messaging

Action Alerts Programs Engagement

4. Content and Messaging

Event Invitations Engagement Programs

4. Content and Messaging

eNewsletters Engagement Social sharing Cross-sell offers

4. Content and Messaging Cultivation

The Magic Formula:

4. Content and Messaging

Audience Offer Messaging

ID Key Audiences on Your File

Create Appropriate Messaging:

Timing, Tone, Copy, Creative

Develop Offers to Engage Them

Target Content to Specific Audiences Matching Audience to Offer

5. Email Testing • Develop Your Own Best Practices

– Testing Goals • Improve Open Rate

– From Line – Subject Line – Unique Characters – Day and Time

From Lines – What Won?

• The Wilderness Society • Jamie Williams, The Wilderness

Society +7%

From Lines – What Won?

• Jamie Williams, The Wilderness Society • Jamie Williams +4%

However, revenue declined by 37%

5. Email Testing • Testing Goals

– Response Rate, Average Gift, Revenue • Ask String

– Descending vs. Ascending – Dynamic versus static – Open text box – some interesting results for

conversions and average gift (prospects?). Dare you to try it .

• Copy – Short form vs. long form

• Graphics, Photos – Square/horizontal – None at all – Very little copy/large image CTA

Call to Action – What Won?

CTR +12%, Revenue -22%

Call to Action – What Won?

CTR +34%, Revenue +141%

6. Data and Tracking • Audience Segmentation

– Low Dollar Donors – Mid-High Dollar Donors – Prospects – Activists – Sustainer – Lapsed Donors

6. Data and Tracking • Smart Growth

– Tracking Return on Investment – Setting Goals for Campaigns – Monitoring Engagement

6. Data and Tracking

• Learn Your System • Use Free Tools

– Google Analytics • Track Everything!

7. Channel Integration Bringing It All Together

Mail and Phones:

Fundraising and

Awareness

Mobile: Advocacy

and Fundraising

Blog: Issue Awareness

and Engagement

Email: Advocacy

and Fundraising

Social Media: Engagement, Advocacy and Amplification

Website: Education

and Amplification

7. Channel Integration

Multi-Channel Omni-Channel – Data Syncing – Coordinated Messaging – Tracking the Donor, Not the Channel – Specifics:

• Online and DM • Online and TM

7. Channel Integration

7. Channel Integration But It Doesn’t Have to Be Complicated!

8. Social Media Fundraising’s favorite mythical unicorn!

Engagement NOT Fundraising

8. Social Media Where are your supporters?

• Largest Audiences:

– Facebook, Twitter, YouTube

• Other Social Media sites: – LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Google+ – Niche communities – Care2, change.org – Whatever makes sense for your audience

8. Social Media

Your Social Media Messaging Should Be: • Engaging • Fun • Interesting • Shareable

What does your audience want?

8. Social Media Examples

9. Responsive Design and Mobile

• What is responsive design? • Some Examples • Why it matters to fundraisers

9. Responsive Design and Mobile

Responsive Design – Defenders of Wildlife Traditional Donate Form Responsive Donate Form

9. Responsive Design and Mobile

9. Responsive Design and Mobile

10. After 101…

• What’s next?

Heather Marsh ABD Direct heather.marsh@abdata.com Mikaela King Defenders of Wildlife mking@defenders.org Sean Powell The Engage Group sean@engageyourcause.com