Empathy Still Rules

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The fundraising marketing world is awash in data. And much of it is very valuable. There are fascinating studies on on-line giving and behaviour. You can find the latest trends on shrinking email open and click through rates. Direct mail specialists will give you the most up-to-date analysis of response rates for various types of mailings.

In addition, smart marketers are doing their own research by polling and/or running focus groups with their organizational donors and constituents. Alternatively they are using studies conducted by similar organizations or the results of omnibus studies conducted by leading research organizations.

But at the end of the day, empathy still rules. I define empathy as the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes - to think like they think, to see what they see and ultimately to feel what they feel. The data can point you in the right direction, but to really connect with the donor or prospective donor, you have to know what’s in their head and more importantly their heart.

So, how can you gain this empathetic insight? Part of the answer is to always keep it top of mind. When I look at data, I am always thinking, “what does this tell me about my target group? What are the messages that would emanate from this data? What does it tell me about how people might react?”

Another obvious (but often overlooked) ingredient is just listening - and better yet eavesdropping. You need to know what people are talking about but accept the reality that when donors talk to a representative of an organization, they are likely more guarded about what they say. It may be frowned upon socially, but standing within earshot of a group of people and just listening can be very fruitful. And, the conversation doesn’t have to be about your organization or philanthropy. Some of my most inspired ideas have come from listening to what people are saying about seemingly banal topics. I heard one communications analyst say that the one of his most important tools was knowing what was being talked about on Oprah. Clearly, monitoring social media (blogs, facebook pages) is also a critical part of eavesdropping.

But finally I have to say that the ability to be empathetic may not be accessible to everyone. I actually believe its what distinguishes marketers who are able to get results. In the same way you may be prepared to pay for research, you may ultimately have to hire the talent that will allow you to make that research really work for your campaign or organization. It’s probably the best investment you can make.

The Right 1000 Words

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OK, we’ve all heard it. A picture is worth a 1000 words. But are they the right 1000 words? Choosing the right photos to appear on your web site, e-newsletters, and in print collateral is critically important. People form an irrevocable first impression based on visual elements. Even when working with a design firm, it’s likely you will have to supply photos. So, how can you pick that photo that’s going to be the difference between an online donation or just another website visit? Here are some tips:

• Content - We’ll talk about photographic and technical considerations later but first, you have to ensure that the content of the photo fits your strategy. Do the people or situation in the photo reflect the way in which you want prospective donors to perceive your organization? This can involve elements like ethnicity, dress, grooming, activity and facial expression. Look at potential photos in great detail and critically. Solicit opinions. Ask people what the photo makes them think or feel. Better yet, would it influence their decision to give? If you’re not getting the right answers, keep looking.

• Composition - Close ups of faces will have the greatest visual impact. Faces convey character and communicate. Consider the amount of space you’re setting aside for the photo. How many people can be accommodated in the space so that you can still clearly see their faces? For sure, less is better. Large group shots are visually meaningless. You may want to think that it will demonstrate the breadth or diversity of the organization. But the person viewing it isn’t likely to get it and will probably be bored. Photos of lectures and seminars in progress have the same problem. You’re better off with a photo of one smiling lecture participant because it will capture the reader’s attention and make it more likely that the ask or the article will get read.

• Photo Quality - There’s a host of technical/photographic issues to consider. Is the space being allowed for the photo vertical or horizontal and can it work in that space? Is the photo in focus? Does the photo have enough resolution? This is more of an issue for print applications but you should always take digital photos at the camera’s highest resolution setting to avoid situations where you have a great photo that just can’t be printed. Is the photo too dark or too light? Don’t assume your designer can fix this. There’s a limit to the miracles that can be worked in Photoshop.

It may sound like a lot of work but there’s no question that the right photos - and the right 1000 word - can lead to fundraising success.

Direct Mail Lives On

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Direct mail is far from dead. I have spent an amazing amount of time in the past few weeks working with clients on direct mail campaigns and issues like:

• Is it worthwhile to use brokered lists?
• Who is the best person in the organization to sign the letter?
• One page or more?
• Will the incremental costs of segmenting bring results?

These are real life issues that organizations are grappling with. The answers aren’t always simple, but here are a couple of things that I strongly recommend:

• Invest in the tools and resources that will maximize the value of your database. The more you know about your donors and prospective donors, the more effective your direct mail campaign will be. Can you segment your list geographically, by donation amount, by dates of donations or asks? Whether it means acquiring/updating software or providing the manpower to ensure that data is entered and kept current - do it.

• Segment and target - however you are able. This doesn’t have to be difficult. Different letters can be variations on a theme. There are probably 2-4 paragraphs that can be the same in each letter. But a letter that for example acknowledges and speaks to a recipient as an alumnus of an institution or as a member of a profession or as a previous donor will undoubtedly be more successful.

• Test. If you are trying to decide what will be more effective (like who signs the letter), do some one way and some the other. Just make sure you have a way of tracking results - like a code on a pledge card. It’s not perfect because there are other factors that may be at play, but if the results sway dramatically in one direction, you’ve probably proved something.

Most studies say that direct mail is still a tremendously effective fundraising tool. You can maximize its value through forethought, planning and preparation.

The Whys of your Web Presence

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A recent study about why people use the internet says a ton about how you should be developing your organization’s web presence. Ruder Finn’s Intent Index asked 500 internet users why they go on line, providing them with a list of 295 possible reasons.

And the results? 100% - everyone - uses the internet to pass time. Some of the others in the top ten - educate, connect, share, research, be entertained, be informed. And those reasons that you might think are most related to fundraising? Join a cause - 26%, sign up for e-mail list for causes/organizations - 23% and get this - donate money to a cause - 12%.

So what does that tell you? People clearly aren’t going on line to make a donation. If you want to attract people to your cause, you’re going to have to satisfy their needs and provide opportunities to educate, connect, share and maybe even entertain.

For many of us this study simply corroborates what we have been saying for a long time. To have a successful web presence you need to:

• Create community - provide forums for people to share information and experiences, to tell their stories, to meet other people, to help other people. This can be done directly on your site or through the use of Facebook or other social media applications.

• Create value - give people a reason to come to your site. Provide useful information, an opportunity to ask questions, photos, videos and maybe even a little humour.

In the end it’s all about taking a customer (prospective donor)-centred perspective and thinking about the whys before the whats.

Obama & The Big Idea

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Many of the hundreds of articles that have been written about the Obama marketing campaign and in particular the digital campaign make it seem that the techniques that were successfully used by Obama can be easily integrated into your organization’s marketing efforts. I’m not so sure.

You might think it’s a matter of budgets. Yes, the Obama campaign had resources that most organizations can only dream of. Imagine having individual directors for each of online advertising, email marketing, social media marketing and mobile marketing - and each of them with a large dedicated staff. And that’s in addition to similar leadership and resources in traditional marketing channels.

But its not money that stands in the way of most organizations being able to capitalize on the Obama experience. It’s the lack of a big idea. You see, what really drove the Obama campaign was the powerful concept that captured the hearts of Americans. The “Yes We Can” message of hope, optimism and individual empowerment was irresistible. The entire campaign was built on the strength of that message and its ability to connect with and engage Americans.

With a big idea, even organizations with limited budgets can use the Obama marketing principles of empower, engage and evaluate to achieve some success. Finding that powerful emotional driver isn’t simple but here are some places to start:

• Talk to donors, board members and volunteers about why they support your organization. Look for the visceral, not the intellectual. The likelihood is that it’s a personal (not organizational) motive and has something to do with an individual circumstance - either theirs or that of a family member.

• Review or solicit or testimonials from constituents or clients.

• Find out what other people are thinking and feeling. Go to the websites of polling companies. They frequently release studies on a variety of issues. Listen to radio call in shows. Watch Oprah. Read the letters to the editor.

You’re looking for the emotional common denominator that can drive your campaign and once you find that big idea, you have the potential for big results

For the Greater Good

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I'm really pleased and proud that this blog will now be part of the Nonprofit Marketing & Fundraising Zone, a topic hub featuring some of the industry's leading experts and practitioners.

Having worked in both the for-profit and nonprofit worlds, I am still often struck by the willingness of those in the not for profit sector to put aside competitive instincts and share ideas and insights for the sake of the greater good. After 20 years, I think I'm getting used to it and I hope that this blog will help others make their marketing programs work better and achieve their fundraising and other goals.

And, if you like the blog, you'll probably enjoy a conversation about what you're trying to accomplish and how we can help. So, feel free to be in contact. (Well, I guess some of that for profit sensibility never goes away).

Keeping creative on track

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Sometimes the creative stage of a marketing project can derail the whole initiative. Decision makers in the organization get frustrated because they are not seeing what they want and the designers are feeling exasperated – not only because the client doesn’t like what they’re doing but also because they are now putting more time into a project than they’re being paid for. Cutting through means either paying more than originally estimated for creative or having a difficult decision with the design firm. Inertia sets in. Before you know it, the project is going nowhere.

Here are two quick suggestions on how to avoid this all-too-familiar predicament.

• Make sure that those who are making the decision regarding creative issues have the opportunity to meet with the design firm before any work is done. This would apply when professional staff is working with the designers but lay people are making the ultimate decision or when the design firm is briefed by a staff person but more senior staff are making the final decision. There may be lots of push back in terms of making the best use of the time of lay people or senior staff but a face-to-face meeting between designer and decision maker will ensure that everyone is on the same page. It will provide the design firm with a deeper understanding of the strategic objectives and the opportunity to get “inside the heads” of key stakeholders. You may even have to pay the firm to attend one more meeting but any additional time and money will yield better results.

• Have the design firm provide two or three distinct options for whatever is being designed. Make sure the firm understands you want different options and not just variations on a theme. It will cost more but in the end will avoid a project-ending impasse. There is little more frustrating or more useless to a designer than hearing the client say, “I don’t like it but I can’t really tell you why or what I would like better.” Where do you go from there? And who pays for it? Having the additional points of reference that more choices bring will almost always guarantee the possibility of “mixing and matching” between options to arrive at a sense of creative direction. This effect is magnified in a committee situation where multiple minds must meet. There is little chance that everyone will agree on one option but with multiple choices there is a very good possibility of building consensus.

After over 20 years of experience, I can guarantee that these things works and will help you keep projects chugging along.