Acquisition Topics
Roger and I have begun preparing a series of posts focusing on donor acquisition.
Here is a list of topics we plan to cover … although perhaps not as systematically as this outline might suggest. We’ll probably jump around as events, bloggers and our readers inspire us.
1. Investing — What should you pay? … How much should you spend? … How to assess/calculate donor value … Any rules of thumb … Transparency
2. Metrics — Measuring/evaluating results … Knowing and acting on what works
3. The Product — Thinking about what are you selling … Differentiation … Branding … Weighing the competition … Gaining visibility
4. Structuring overall plan — Timing, testing and rollout
5. Targeting — Why/how? … Knowing your audience … Relevant research … New tools … Lapsed donors
6. The channel/medium –
- Mail — Is mail prospecting working these days? … For whom/in what circumstances?
- Online prospecting — Email … Traffic conversion … Social media … Online video … Online tools/mechanics
- Mobile
- Other methods?
- Integrated marketing
7. Offers — Premiums … Testing … Payment options … Lead generation as a two-step strategy
8. Generic principles about communicating with prospects — Don’t blame/whine, Credible actions, Program results, Testimonials, Urgency, Story-telling, etc
9. Creative — Any ‘givens’? … Testing, including new tools … Carriers … Components … Structure … Signers (same for online)
Plenty to keep us busy for a year or two.
We’d welcome your comments regarding priorities amongst these topics … or other acquisition issues you’d like us to address.
Tom & Roger
3 responses to “Acquisition Topics”
Behavioral Science Q & A
Integrating an individual giving appeal with other communications from a charity can have both positive and negative effects, and the outcome largely depends on how it’s executed. Advantages of Integration Brand Consistency: Maintaining a consistent appearance and messaging across all communications can reinforce the org’s brand identity and strengthen brand recognition and trust among your […]
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I’m not aware of any in-market tests specifically comparing recurring vs. gift frequency language. I suspect the answer might not be the same with all gift frequencies, nor with all people. It sounds like a great opportunity for you to test and find out what works for your audience. Based on the literature, here’s a couple […]
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Based on what we know from existing data, those renewal notices can actually be pretty effective in getting people to donate. They tap into our psychology – creating a sense of urgency, reminding us of past support, and using personalization to make the message hit home. They’re playing on our natural tendencies to feel obligated […]
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Interesting question. I had a quick look at the testing done on this topic. On the positive side, in all cases, over half of donors decide to cover the fee. In some cases, it goes as high as 65%. Not a negligible percentage at all. Here’s another test from iRaiser showing consistent results (see point […]
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There’s just one thing to consider when designing a supporter journey: the supporter. More specifically, you need to take into account: Who the supporter is i.e. their identity, which is the reason they support this cause, and their personality, which describes the way they “see” and process the world. These will determine the kind of […]
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I’m not an expert in this but a quick search surfaced this article on the effect of tax reforms on 2019’s charitable giving. The researchers didn’t find a reduction. Actually, they observed an “increase in charitable contributions in 2019, even with the lower tax rates and the dramatically smaller number of taxpayers who itemize their […]
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Hi,
You don’t mention F2F or telemarketing in your Channel topic for aquisition.
Is there a specific reason for that?
Best regards
Alf
How many touches (digital, postal, word of mouth, etc) does it take to get that first donation? And how should the donation be credited? I come from an assign direct ROI to a specific channel background and understand this poses a challenge.
I’m really thrilled that you’re doing this series. This is so important. Not to sidetrack you (much anyway) but I’d be thrilled to see a discussion sooner rather than later of any impacts the current Election environment might be having on charitable giving. Are your readers seeing or hearing anything unusual? You guys have both been around long enough to know how volatile these weeks can be every four years. We are seeing (and hearing about) some bizarre and abrupt pattern shifts in very recent weeks and are wondering what might be up. (Of course, there is always the Quadriga story to wonder about too.) …