Calling all Copywriters
Your words matter. Anybody saying people don’t read copy hasn’t done a copy test to prove they do. Heck, we’ve done seemingly really minor copy tweaks and seen that matters. Subject line testing anyone?
All copywriters know the copy needs to be simple and relatable. It should read like a personal letter or conversation.
And story? Who doesn’t love a good story? It lights up the same parts of the brain as if one actually experienced it. Short of teleporting all your donors to the frontlines of your mission, this is your golden ticket to conversion.
We’re hosting a learning session to showcase what we call the Science of Words and how it can improve your copy, register here.
It’s been said Jack Nicklaus, arguably the greatest golfer of all time, would start every golf season anew. He had a swing coach and insisted the coach treat him as a newbie golfer starting with step one, how to grip a club.
Why? Muscle memory and habit can get us into a groove but the groove can become a rut and one that’s worn with bad practice sneaking its way in. We’re almost always unaware of it and need outside help to see it.
The Science of Words is your outside help, flagging words to use and drop to make your copy feel more personal and readable. And science has guidance on storytelling too, helping create that ‘real page-turner’ feeling among our supporters.
Join us for a more in-depth tour of the Science of Words in this June 7th learning session. We’ll share easy to follow rules of the road to improve your writing.
And we’ll show you a really slick, easy to use online tool, Copy Optimizer, to systematize all this and build new muscle memory. We’ll show examples of Good and Bad and easy fixes to turn the latter into the former.
Kevin
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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