Sue’s Muse

Okay hands up boys and girls - anyone received a mailing, a telemarketing call or an email … perhaps even a TXT message … this campaign season!

Yes … you my friend have been microtargeted! 

According to Wikipedia: Microtargeting is the use by political parties and election campaigns of direct marketing datamining techniques that involve predictive market segmentation (aka cluster analysis). It is used by United States Republican and Democratic political parties and candidates to track individual voters and identify potential supporters.

They then use various means of communication - direct mail, phone calls, home visits, television, radio, web advertising, email, text messaging, etc. - to communicate with voters, crafting messages aimed at building support for fundraising, campaign events, volunteering, and eventually to ensure they turn out to the polls on election day. Microtargeting’s tactics rely on transmitting a tailored message to a subgroup of the electorate on the basis of unique information about that subgroup.

Sounds a lot like what we try to do in fundraising … using predictive models to acquire gifts, increase donations and move donors and advocates to take an action. 

I recently ran across a video on YouTube of Adam Conner from Facebook.  (Okay so I was looking at all the videos on the convioblog). Adam was sharing how the most powerful microtargeter is an individual … particularly in their social graph … because “YOU” know the arguments and ideas that will move your friends to take an action or support a cause. 

In other words … the reason social networking is so successful and why we are all so desperate to run viral campaigns for our organizations is we want to create our own group of microtargeters! 

Marketers know that the most powerful communication form is “peer to peer.”  For fundraisers it goes back to one of the first lessons you ever learned … “People Give to People.” 

So now that you are armed with these vital “new” buzz words … go forth and create your social graphs … enable your donors to be microtargeters … in other words, give your donors and supporters the tools they need to share your organizational message and to evangelize your cause … it will be worth the investment! 

Regards,

Sue

No I am not making a joke or slamming a political party on this blog … the question is one that pops up on, of all places, the Washington Post website.  (Please no comments about the liberal media!)

I often go to the Post website to find articles that don’t appear in the print copy … and just to do a little old fashioned research.   However, what I found this time of clicking around the site was both fascinating and frightening!

Fascinating because of the use of two different interactive forms of communication in one simple little game … the Internet and my cell phone.  Frightening … because I wonder how many folks have been taken in and are now going to see $9.99 on their cell phone bill every month … because they now have unwittingly subscribed to myiqquiz.com?

Okay a little confusing? Let me tell you how this works.

As I am scrolling down the list of Post articles in my chosen area of research … I notice on the right hand side is a box with a graphic of Bush 43 that shares the President has an IQ of 125 … enticing me to take the 10 question quiz to see if … I am smarter than “W”. 

You can see my temptation.

The idea is that you take the quiz … share some info (including gender and a cell phone number).  Why your cell … because they want to text you your own personal ”pin” and then you can enter your “pin” on the site after taking the test … you will then be redirected to a page to review your results … and see how smart you really are - duhhhhhhhh!

When I checked my cell for the promised “pin” and saw a brief reference to $9.99 per month …my radar lit up … then I go back and read about accepting terms and conditions on the website … which doesn’t mention $9.99 per month up front … you have to go beneath the fold of the website to see the charges and the hoops you have to go through if - for some unbelievable reason - you decide to unsubscribe!

I didn’t accept the terms, didn’t get my results, but I figure I am smarter … because I am not going to be charged $9.99 per month for a service I will never use!

Back to the frightening part … that the Washington Post, a supposedly reputable newspaper … is allowing this type of online advertising on its web pages! 

I must admit that it is a clever use of online and mobile, and could prove to be a great strategy someday for gathering cell phone numbers … but for nonprofits and reputable businesses … full disclosure will need to be obvious and at the beginning of this type of strategy!

Regards,

Sue

If anyone has made their share of mistakes in trying to figure out how to send emails and solicit funds online, it is yours truly!  I can remember sitting in a room in 1997 talking about renting JUNO names to try and build an online donor file.  (Although I don’t think we were that sophisticated - we just called them donors!)

Yes folks … this was before there was a Convio, GetActive, Kintera, NetCommunity and everything else out there!

I went from famine to feast in 2005, while at the American Red Cross - where my team raised over $500 million online … then came the question of how to cultivate, steward and convert as many of these onetime donors for ongoing contributions.

As many organizations now face the challenges of … building a file … retaining current online donors … and scrambling to meet fundraising goals for 2008 … why not try and incorporate more ideas and suggestions from the experts. 

If you don’t subscribe to Media Post or Uncle Roger’s Agitator blog, then perhaps you haven’t read the latest from Silverpop’s Loren McDonald. Read on and find out what Loren says are the biggest email design & marketing mistakes to avoid! 

  1.        Making it difficult to unsubscribe.

  2.        No “welcome” message and/or waiting weeks to send the first

             message.

  3.        Over mailing.

  4.        Using a large single image as the core of your email.

  5.        Not using alt tags.

  6.        Relying on graphical links.

  7.        Not having a preference center.

  8.        Not designing for the preview pane.

  9.        Using a person’s name in the “from” line.

10.        Hiding email registration.

Utilizing these tips, should help you garner the most out of your online email campaigns!

Regards,

Sue

Okay the Tour De France is over … no more reason for early morning TV … and as promised … here is Part Deux of “A Zillion Great Ideas in 90 Minutes“ from the 2008 Bridge Conference.  The session focused on associations, but many ideas can be applied to nonprofits.  Today is about Membership/Donor Renewals.

1-   Successful membership marketing requires you to:

o    Clearly Outline Benefits

o    Build Relationships

o    Integrate Traditional Methods and Technology

o    Ensure Ongoing Cultivation 

2-  Include if possible – an online option to change / or update member information instantly.  (Member Name / Password)

3-  Have information pre-populated with members’ information in all online forms.

4-  Renewals are an excellent time to gain more information about your members … drive members to your website in the mail or through your online communications to get their input using a survey format. (Utilized free online tools … like Survey Monkey.)

5-  Strong membership renewal and cultivation programs build bonds with new constituents, while continuing to strengthen your relationship with your existing members. Organizations should connect to all types of constituents with targeted messaging in a variety of formats both “On” and “Off” Line, including: Newsletters, Updates, Renewal Programs, New Membership Kits / or welcome series, and if an advocacy organization – information on latest efforts around legislation or calls to action.

I hope you found some of the tips in this two parter blog helpful as you finalize your year-end plans.

Regards,

Sue

Okay if I was truly faithful to my second passion I would have written … “If it’s July - It Must Be the Tour De France!”  But, since that is going on across the pond … and I am here … then it must be the AFP/DC - DMAW 2008 Bridge Conference! 

The Bridge Conference is one of my favorite conferences … bringing together fundraisers and direct marketers from around the world … sharing plans, networking, gathering new ideas and simply having a good time!

I always think a conference is successful if I meet some new folks and walk away with one to two good ideas for my clients.   Following that theme … a colleague of mine created a session ”A Zillion Great Ideas in 90 Minutes“  that includes yours truly on the panel.  Since many of you can’t be at the conference I thought I would post a couple of the zillion that you might want to consider, if you haven’t already, in your upcoming fundraising plans. 

The session is focused on Associations, but many ideas can be applied to nonprofits.  We are discussing a number of areas … but for this blog … I will focus on Membership / Donor Recruitment.

1-  Your Website is Your Storefront - what does your storefront say about you? A recent survey from Harris Interactive found that 62% of adults surveyed link directly to an organization’s website to find out more before joining or donating.

2-  Clearly List the Benefits of Membership - you might even consider a 30 day free trail of services as an incentive to join. (Okay, so you give them 13 months of membership instead of 12 … but, be sure to get that credit card number upfront!)

3-  Promote Your Organization on Social Networks … they are designed to … stimulate conversation for people with like minded interests, build communities and engage.

4-  Establish a Rewards and Incentive Program to motivate current members to sign up new members, with a promise of a special renewal rate, or offer of a back-end premium.

5-  Create a New Member Online Automated Welcome Series to go out over a 3 to 4 week period including … letter from president, how to get involved, survey, and your latest eNewsletter. (For those who raise funds beyond membership - after the series has been sent this would be a great time to ask for a gift or invite the constituent to become a monthly giver.)

More tomorrow - with a couple more ideas from the conference.

Regards,

Sue

For the faithful readers and even not so faithful readers … thank you for your patience while Sue’s Muse was upgraded and moved to a different server.  I am now back up and running and looking forward to getting back to writing. 

To kick off … I wanted to share with you an article forwarded from a client about Social Media.  It shows again how Social Media has become a big factor in the commercial marketing arena … and how nonprofits can take their cues from large companies and corporations to build your brand with a new generation of donors!

Did you know that Wells Fargo - one of the country’s largest banks has four blogs, a virtual world and a YouTube Video Channel?  Who would have thunk it?

1 to 1 Media did a recent interview the the SVP of Experimental Marketing, Tim Collins at Wells Fargo about the decision to jump with both feet into Social Media … including a virtual world for financial education, blogs for various audiences, along with social networking pages … and the results to date! 

The video interview is about 20 minutes long … so for those of you with short attention spans be a little patient … it is worth the listen!

Regards,

Sue

IF you haven’t seen the most recent JibJab political satire from Evan and Gregg Spiridellis then you are missing out!  No matter whether your politics are to the left or right of center, you can’t help but be impressed with their clever use of animation and the Internet!

Their latest Time for Some Campaginin’ is even more clever and humorous then their earlier efforts … and now you can join in!  Yes, you too can be a part of the campaign experience.  Talk about getting interactive!

Simply go to the JibJab website and select your favorite animated feature (they have several) … and follow the instructions to upload your pic and the site will walk you through the four steps to put yourself (or a friend, family members, even a pet) in the picture.

That said … I would suggest using head shots as it is easier to enlarge the image … be a little patient as it can take around 5 to 10 minutes to size … longer for the perfectionists in the crowd … and then you simply email to all your friends for their amusement.

Now anyone can be a star!

Regards,

Sue

Any good fundraiser knows that cultivation is the key to donor renewals.  Yet I am amazed at how many organizations don’t bother to send the most simple of cultivation pieces. 

Usually it comes down to somebody looks at the dollars needed to create and send a newsletter and baulk at the expense … or staff are so stretched that they are running full steam ahead trying to get out appeal mailings and can’t focus on any other mailings … or (and this is the one that just guts me) deciding on some level that they simply don’t work!

Well I am here to tell you that for many organizations … creating and mailing a newsletter (and of course doing the same online) is paying off and raising significant dollars for a variety of organizations.  Some to the point that they are outperforming appeals. 

Now don’t get me wrong I am NOT saying to do away with appeals!  What I am suggesting is that every organization needs to review how and when they communicate with donors in order to build a relationship for ongoing support.

This can be as simple as a letter from the CEO with program updates and a reply envelop (please don’t forget to include on of those - yes I have seen that happen) to a four page format with lovely pictures, program updates and more ways you can give. 

This strategy has proven so effective for one client that instead of an appeal in September we are creating a “Special Edition” newsletter.

Does your nonprofit make the donor feel a part of the organization - or simply a source of revenue?  A good question to ask in this current fundraising environment. 

Regards,

Sue

It is always difficult to write a tribute to someone you have known and who was a mentor to a generation of direct response fundraisers. Yet, that is the place I find myself this morning. 

Many of you may not have know Polly Agee … but for those of you who did get a chance to work with Polly … you soon found out that she knew this business and never settled for simply getting the job done.

I would speak to Polly a couple of times a year … catch up on the latest news … and true to Polly - find myself sharing as much information as I was gleaning! 

Polly served as Senior Vice President of Craver, Mathews, Smith & Co for 10 years.  Roger Craver and Tom Belford who knew her well share more in their daily blog The Agitator. 

For me … just a simple note of thanks to practitioner who made it look so easy. Thanks Polly.

Regards,

Sue

Sustainability - that seems to be the current watchword for nonprofits.  Working to keep those folks you have … trying to get more from them … and finding new and interesting ways to provide continued engagement.  (Doing more with less.)  Been there - done that!

A number of years ago I created a list of “Top Ten Fundraising Tips” that nicely fits with the sustainability concept.  I have seen variations over the years - as none of this is new and exciting - but it sometimes helps seeing the list again - now that as fundraisers we are having to rethink how to make up the continuing drop in annual donor numbers and revenue. 

As your fundraising team creates new programs and initiatives or simply is dusting off the old … this top ten list might just come in handy.

Regards,

Sue

Top Ten Fundraising Tips

1-   Fundraising is “relationship-building.”  People give to people.

2-   Successful fundraising focuses on an organization’s mission and values.

3-   In building a case for philanthropic support, an organization must be strategic in identifying its priorities.

4-   Donors want to know their gifts make a positive impact on what an organization is trying to achieve.

5-   Know your donors — who they are, what they respond to, and when they give.

6-   Make sure your current donors feel appreciated, informed, and involved with the organization.

7-   Organizations need an ongoing plan to identify, cultivate, and solicit prospective middle and major donors.

8-   Be clear as to your expectations of board members and volunteers, and inform them of what they can expect from staff.

9-   Maximize the effectiveness of your fundraising systems and the technology used in your fundraising program.

10- Continue to heighten donor confidence in your organization by following IRS rules, federal and state solicitation registration regulations, and practicing ethical standards.