How To Use Digital Media Marketing to Boost Fundraising Lucy Sytov Marketing and Annual Fund Manager, Central Scholarship LSytov@central-scholarship.org
Before You Jump In Determine what you want to get out of a digital marketing campaign before you begin This step will enable you to sharpen your message and measure your results What does success look like?
Common Objectives: To Build Awareness To Drive Action To Advance Engagement Citation #18
http://ijustdid.org/2012/07/how-social-media-helps-advocacy/
Do you want to Build Awareness? Gain a better understanding of the perception of your organization among supporters and detractors. Be more responsive to your supporters on a regional/local/individual level. Build a more meaningful relationship with constituents by providing them with useful information online. Establish your organization as an expert resource and information provider. Citation #18
http://www.rockthevote.c om/election-center/signup-for-election.html
Do you want to Drive Action? Empower supporters to create content for your organization. Drive traffic to your organization s various web properties website, blog, social media. Raise more funds online. Grow your email list by driving people through social media to online pledge sign-ups. Citation #18
https://blog.kissmetrics.com/marketing-lessons-from-charitywater/
Do you want to Advance Engagement? Enable your most passionate supporters to distribute information on your behalf and amplify the impact of your marketing efforts. Mobilize supporters to take a specified action in times of crisis or timely issues. Organize volunteer efforts in emergency situations. Citation #18
To improve awareness of your organization and acquire new donors among younger supporters aged 28-40 Campaign will include 4 different individual emails executed over a 12-week period. 1. First email will engage this demographic with an informational update on your organization s activities. 2. Second email is an invitation to a special event for younger supporters. 3. Third email is a fundraising appeal. 4. Fourth email is a reminder to those who have not yet donated. Citation #17
www.nonprofitmarketingguide.com/blog/2014/01/08/2014-nonprofit-communications-trends-report-infographic/
Is Your Homepage Donate-Friendly? 10 Questions to Ask 1. Do you correspond a call to action with correlated fundraising efforts? 2. Do you refresh homepage content at least once a month? 3. Do you keep who we are and donation info above the fold? 4. Does the page reflect your organization s branding, mission, and culture? 5. Do you give visitors opportunities to provide their contact information? 6. Do you make it easy to share (social media links)? Citation #11
Is Your Homepage Donate-Friendly? 10 Questions To Ask 7. Is there a sense of immediacy around your donate button? A reason to give right now? Can you find the donate button in 1-2 seconds? 8. Branding/logo in the top left corner? (visitors look there first) 9. Do you have a big emotionally affecting image or statement that connects on a personal level? 10. Do you have a clear third party endorsement on the page? (for example, GuideStar, CharityNavigator, testimonial) Citation #10
Blackbaud Charitable Giving Report, 2013
Blackbaud Charitable Giving Report, 2013
Donation Form Checklist Ability to make the donation in someone s name A look consistent with your brand Short donation form Limited navigation Automatic email tax receipts Opt-in for e-mail sign up Citation #10
Blackbaud Charitable Giving Report, 2013
Fundraising with Email Content Ideas E-newsletters Campaign Alerts Surveys/Polls Event Invitations Welcome New Donor Intro Volunteer Profiles Donor Highlights Impact Stories Relevant News Stories
5 E-Mail Sins To Avoid No Purpose Why am I sending this message? No Segmentation Focus on your best segments and personalize the message in ways that will resonate better with those targeted No Testing Test segments, subject lines, day/time of message No Call to Action the action doesn t always have to be a financial transaction, it can be a survey, contest, help spread the word No Follow-Up send a reminder email to those who have not registered, reminder to give before the end of the campaign Citation #12
Encourage Giving E-Mail Marketing Checklist Does your subject line entice readers to open? Are you making the most of the preview pane? Is your email easy on the eyes? Does the message come through, even if the images don t? Are you being CAN-SPAM compliant? Do you have permission to email those on your contact list? Citation #10
Objective (Purpose) To introduce former scholarship recipients who have never donated to Central Scholarship to the idea of making a contribution in light of Giving Tuesday and get them to begin thinking of giving back down the road Audience (Segmentation) Former scholarship recipients who have never given before Call To Action Donate to Central Scholarship in honor of Giving Tuesday (drive action) OR write a review on greatnonprofits.org if they are unable to donate at this time (advance engagement) Results 15 gifts from new (young) donors 30 new reviews on greatnonprofits.org
Twitter & Facebook Good news Non-profit facebook fans grew by 46% in 2013 Non-profit twitter followers grew by 262% in 2013 Bad news Only 3% of nonprofits raised between $10k and $100k on facebook in 2013 Conclusion A multi-channel approach will bring in the most donations https://nonprofitquarterly.org/management/22045-benchmarks-study-indicates-trends-in-online-giving.html
Multi Channel Approach and Cohesive Content Strategy Content is well-coordinated across different social platforms, which increases the number of people a message gets in front of and can potentially increase involvement.
Social Media Rules 1. Tell your organization s story over and over 2. Understand your audience 3. Post engaging content 4. Track everything and be datadriven 5. Coordinate with offline efforts http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/12/30/social-media-update-2013/
Multi Channel Approach E-mail Facebook & Twitter 10% increase in likes and followers
Nonprofits to Watch
Sources - Focus on Impact, Not Transactions, For Better Donation Pages AFP Information Exchange - http://ijustdid.org/2012/07/how-social-media-helps-advocacy/ - http://www.rockthevote.com/election-center/sign-up-for-election.html - Guide Using the Internet to Raise Funds and Build Donor Relationships AFP Information Exchange - www.nonprofitmarketingguide.com/blog/2014/01/08/2014-nonprofit-communications-trends-report-infographic - Your Website Homepage: Attracting Visitors and Getting Them To Stay AFP Information Exchange - The Online Fundraiser s Checklist 6 Lists to get your nonprofit on track AFP Information Exchange - Blackbaud Charitable Giving Report, 2013 - https://nonprofitquarterly.org/management/22045-benchmarks-study-indicates-trends-in-online-giving.html - http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/12/30/social-media-update-2013/