Sherene's Tips for Fundraising Professionals

So, What’s the big Deal about Social Media?

Lately, there seems to be a lot of buzz around Social Marketing. Has anyone else noticed this recent burst of interest? I have been on Facebook since it first came out and then about a year ago, I started hearing about Associations using this tool as one more way to build brand awareness and to create a buzz about their organizations. At first I was very resistant to the idea. I mean, I used Facebook to keep in touch with friends that I haven’t seen in a while or family that was abroad. I didn’t want to mix business and personal. How was this going to work? After rebelling against this phenomonan for almost 4 months, I realized that if I didn’t get a handle on this soon, my company would be left behind because social marketing was fast becoming a field unto its own.

So, I started reading various articles, books, blogs and attending almost 10 different sessions on Social Marketing, everything from Facebook 101, and “How to create a Social Media Strategy”, the one thing that I learned was this. Social Marketing is awesome! Now, I know that all this stuff is still fairly new, but if it is used effectively and tracked properly, organizations can actually measure ROI on their Social Marketing efforts. Not only that, you can get real time reporting and relevant feedback from your members or potential members that most associations didn’t have access to before.

So, what does this really mean? How does this translate into actual revenue for the association? I read an article on Social Media in the most Recent issue of Associations Now, entitled “Build Conference Buzz” that demonstrated one application for this tool. I know that many of clients are struggling with increasing attendance to their conferences and are looking for ways to get their members excited and engaged again. The article outlines the various social media tools that can be used to accomplish this and in particular shares the experience of one Association.

Of course, we all know that trying something new can be a challenge as we don’t yet know all the areas that will be affected. How will members react to the increased interaction and how do you use Social Media without turning people off to your message? These are all questions I had when I started out and I am sure others have similar questions too. In the same issue of Associations Now, in an article entitled “Welcome to the Social Media Frontier”, Rene Chapmin, the Membership and Communications Director for NADP outlines some of the challenges they faced as they began their journey through this uncharted territory. Fortunately, for those of us who are still catching up to organizations like NADP or AAPA, there is enough material out there, so that we may learn from others mistakes and experiences. What challenges is your association facing as you put together a viable Social Media Marketing Strategy?

Sherene Gupta

sherene@grcdirect.com

www.grcdirect.com

How people decide to open fundraising letters

You arrive home after a tiring day at work and head to your mailbox. Reaching inside, you grab the thick clump of paper – postcards, big and small envelopes, catalogs – and, walking to your front door, quickly shuffle through the stack. After tossing everything on the coffee table, you grab a beverage from the refrigerator, fall into your recliner and decide which postal pieces you'll open.

Plunk! You toss the heavy catalog for industrial supplies into the recycle bin. "What were these guys thinking," you wonder. "Why in the world would I be interested in ordering industrial supplies?" The children's clothing catalog gets pitched next. "Our kids are teenagers; why are we on that mailing list?" Gas and electric bills. "I recognize those logos. Need to pay them." National Geographic. "Madagascar's labyrinth of stone. Interesting. I'll read that later."

Next you come across an envelope from a local charity. "Nice animal picture. I don't recall donating to them. Wonder what they do?" Curious, you slit open the envelope and dump the contents onto your lap. You notice the self-addressed envelope and the reply card that has a heavy checkmark and a big bold “Yes” next to dollar amounts. ""Oh, they want money. What makes them think I'll part with my hard earned cash during these times?" Then that little voice inside you says, "They got my name right; that's a good sign.

Let’s analyze what really happened here: in less than 10 seconds you glanced at the envelope, opened it, emptied it and decided to read on. 10 seconds – that's the difference between success and failure in a fundraising appeal. Here is the process slowed down step-by-step:

1. Bills and “open” mail like postcards and catalogs are expected. You're 'programmed' to see them every day. A fundraising envelope with an appealing graphic, on the other hand, was a surprise. It stood out in the pile.

2. There wasn't a lot of consciousness as you quickly sorted the mail. You were sipping your drink, unwinding from your stressful day and simply going through the motion of the daily ritual.

3. Despite your lack of attentiveness, the first thing you noticed was your name was spelled correctly. That may seem like a minor detail, but think about how many times someone mailing to you gets it wrong.

4. The charity's name, cute picture of the animal and a few words on the envelope brought you from a state of unawareness to mild curiousity.

5. As the contents dribbled onto your lap several questions came to your mind. Mal Warwick, in his book “How to Write Successful Fundraising Letters” estimates that as many as 20 such questions quickly pop into a person's mind when they pick up an unexpected fundraising solicitation.

All this happens at an amazing speed – actually five to eight seconds. Make a connection with your audience in those first few seconds and your likelihood of success increases tremendously.

Arvind Gupta

arvind@grcdirect.com

Smart Budget Saving Tactics For Direct Mail

Someone once said, "In good times, you should advertise. In difficult times, you MUST advertise." That's as true today as it ever was.

While many businesses are cutting back on their direct mail, smart businesses know that is a losing strategy. Mailing less isn't the answer. The answer is to mail smarter. By using a few simple tactics, you can continue to mail while reducing your costs.

One way to cut costs is to turn your direct mail package into a self-mailer. As a rule, envelope packages get a better response than self-mailers. However, it's not just the response that counts. A self-mailer can sometimes reduce your mailing cost enough so that, even with less response, your overall profit is greater. And, occasionally, your response may actually be higher since self-mailers naturally appear more urgent.

To make a self-mailer work, include a strong headline, layout your copy in easy-to-read sections, use subheads to break up the copy, and present a clear offer. Also, be sure to give recipients an easy way to respond with a toll-free number or an attached reply card. Remember, a self-mailer is a quickread version of a direct mail package. It's not a corporate brochure.

You should also test smaller formats to reduce costs. Invitations and fliers are just two less expensive ways to deliver a targeted message. For example, you could send an invitation to invite prospects to a special demonstration of a new product or service. A flier is generally just a single sheet of paper that is folded and tabbed. Don't let the simplicity fool you. Fliers can be highly effective, especially for timely news, such as a sale or inventory- reduction offer.

There are also ways to create economical direct mail by recycling existing advertising. Do you have a successful print ad? Why not reprint the ad and mail it to your list? Include a letter that says something like, "We wanted to make sure you didn't miss this exciting news." Another way to reuse print ads is to mail them with a sticky note attached that reads, "I thought you'd find this interesting." And don't forget postcards. This humble direct mail format is popular now because of its simplicity. They're especially good for making offers to existing customers, generating phone calls or Web site traffic, and for repeated contacts with the same mailing list. Many businesses create a series of postcards, each with a similar look but a different message. This is a good way to build recognition and trust at a fraction of the cost of other media.

Sherene Gupta

sherene@grcdirect.com