Copywriting Genius
To say Jerry Huntsinger, who recently celebrated his 80th birthday, is a direct mail copywriting genius, is an understatement. It’s like saying Steve Jobs ‘tinkered with electronic gadgets’.
Roger and I have frequently pointed Agitator readers toward Jerry’s copywriting wisdom. And thank god (thank Ken Burnett) that SOFII has become the publisher of Jerry’s treasury of direct mail fundraising advice … embodied in these 50 ‘tutorials’. Not a single cubic zirconia here!
To those of you working in direct mail, read Tutorial 7 — A funny thing happens on the way to the mailbox. If you think of your donor as simply a wallet to be pinged because it’s time to mail special appeal #6 on your schedule, you’ll never ever be in Jerry’s league.
But then 99.99% of us won’t. Consider this …
Since 1965, there has never been a year when he hasn’t had at least one control package being mailed nationally by a major nonprofit organization.
That’s what I call ‘batting 1000’!
No matter what the size of your fundraising program, or how experienced you are (or are not) you can profit from Jerry’s tutorials. Get to school!
Tom
3 responses to “Copywriting Genius”
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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I owe Jerry a debt of gratitude. Though he has no idea who I am, he was my teacher. Years ago, he published (in print, through the mail!) a newsletter. I used that newsletter, learned to write our copy, and stopped paying a consultant to do it. My organization saved thousands, and I loved it. Like a good doobie, I left the newsletters behind when I left that job. I was crushed to learn that my successor just tossed them. All that treasure!
He’s a master, and a wonderful teacher, too. Anyone who doesn’t dive into everything of his on SOFII is just plain nuts.
Jerry hired me as a copywriter for Huntsinger & Jeffer 33 years ago and I ended up working at the agency two different times. He taught me not just about how to write fundraising appeals, but how to communicate. And, he taught me to stand up for my work! When clients wanted to change copy or water down the ask, he’d say, “You’re the writer! ” That was probably the most important lesson of all. It has served me well through a long and successful career of writing for nonprofit organizations. Thanks, Jerry!
I have been in the development field for over 25 years and during that time read religiously the Huntsinger newsletter. There were contests that Jerry posed where fundraisers could take a fundraising letter he presented which we could rewrite and submit to him. I loved that process and I am pleased to say I won first place at least once and received honorable mentions a couple of other times. The experience enabled me to hone my skills in writing compelling, interesting copy that engaged our donors. Unlike Mary, I took those newsletters with me because I was sure my replacement would not have appreciated them as much as I did and still do. They sit on my shelf in two notebooks dated 91- 93 and 93 – 94. I still refer to them. I was so sorry when he stopped publishing!