Strategies to Build Donor Love — How to Create Donor-Centric Communication and Response
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Transcript of Strategies to Build Donor Love — How to Create Donor-Centric Communication and Response
Building Donor-Centric Response and
Communication Strategies
Building Donor-Centric Response and Communication Strategies
How can creative, direct marketing and technology work to show donors you know and love them?
Building Donor-Centric Response and Communication Strategies
Flip the Focus
Its about YOU the donor.
• Who did YOU help • What did YOU make happen • What can’t be done
without YOU • Why is YOUR gift critical
Look for WE, US and OUR in your copy and change to YOU
Credit: Tom Ahearn
Building Donor-Centric Response and Communication Strategies
Flip the Focus
Gather stories to share
• Deputize every board member and volunteer as “story-collectors”
• Make it part of everyone’s role to listen for and solicit stories to share
• Keep an eye on your social sites. Follow up on comments that could turn into stories
Building Donor-Centric Response and Communication Strategies
Gather Great Images
Get eye-level and close up
Building Donor-Centric Response and Communication Strategies
Gather Great Images
Get action not just eyeballs
Building Donor-Centric Response and Communication Strategies
Using images to tell the story: Ask donors, volunteers and participants to post event pictures to photo galleries on Flicker and Facebook.
Building Donor-Centric Response and Communication Strategies
Create a Slide Video
http://animoto.com/education/case_studies#civilrights
Building Donor-Centric Response and Communication Strategies
Build a Photostory • Thank you gift • Personalized “brochure” • Event keepsake
Building Donor-Centric Response and Communication Strategies
Make it Personal
Respect your List
• Eliminate duplicates • Check spelling – Cathy is not Kathy • Note email unsubscribes in your main database • Add a form to update addresses • Create a process for getting new contacts into
the database • Segment
Building Donor-Centric Response and Communication Strategies
Make it Personal
Tactics for personalization
• Cold call vs friend call • Add personal notes from
board members and volunteers
• Variable data — giving history, specific interests
• Friends asking friends • Volunteer led events
Building Donor-Centric Response and Communication Strategies
Opportunities
What is the BEST way to ask for donations?
• 4-page Direct Mail Letter • 2-page Direct Mail Letter • Email • Facebook Causes • Online Donation
WHATEVER WAY WORKS!
Building Donor-Centric Response and Communication Strategies
• Test • To test you need a list
– a big list • To get your own big list:
– Invite people to join – Research prospects – Rent lists
If you haven’t tried everything you may not know what could work
Building Donor-Centric Response and Communication Strategies
How do you test?
• Make only one change at a time
• Provide that option to a portion of your list
• Track the different response
Building Donor-Centric Response and Communication Strategies
What Gets In Your Way?
Project Process - Breakdown Ahead
• Design by committee
• Content by volunteers
• Approval by board
Lots of opinions = watered-down message
Building Donor-Centric Response and Communication Strategies
What Gets In Your Way?
Project Process – tools to guide you
• Strategic Plan
• Messaging Plan
• Creative Brief
• Selected Representatives
Lots of INPUT = feedback stays focused
Building Donor-Centric Response and Communication Strategies
What’s Next?
No One Way Works for Everyone • Check and double check for more YOU than US • Be specific and personal • Keep growing and updating your lists • Test creative, message and timing …Until you find the best combinations that connect (Then test new ones…)
Building Donor-Centric Response and Communication Strategies
Thank You
Beth S. Brodovsky, President Iris Creative | Communications Build Community 610-567-2799
Connect at: [email protected] www.iriscreative.com www.linkedin.com/in/bethbrodovsky www.twitter.com/bethbrodovsky www.facebook.com/iriscreative