Don’t Read This Post Till Saturday
If you are inclined to read this post on Friday, or any other weekday, please refrain.
Weekdays are work days … days when fundraisers should be raising funds.
This post features a link to an article from the Non-Profit Marketing Blog about social media, which means pretty much by definition that it’s not about raising funds. So read it instead in your ‘mulling over’ time over the weekend.
You know, when you’re having one of those reflective moments, as in … “Wouldn’t it be nice if …?!”
Yes, I get it. Social media is an additional channel to get your message out, add further engagement opportunities for your donors or potential donors, and generally be cool. So, sure, pay attention, allocate some mind share.
Just don’t let it interfere with real fundraising. Or if you really must spend serious time and resources on it, please give me (as your virtual boss) a case for doing so that somehow links your efforts to a specific fundraising objective … like improving donor retention. But I don’t just want the rhetoric. I want to hear how you plan to measure the lift in retention your social media ‘investment’ is expected to generate.
OK, if it’s now Saturday or Sunday, feel free to read 10 Social Media Stats for Non-Profit Marketers.
Tom
2 responses to “Don’t Read This Post Till Saturday”
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 orgās brand identity and strengthen brand recognition and trust among your […]
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Iām not aware of any in-market tests specifically comparing recurring vs. gift frequency language.Ā 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, hereās 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 ā 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. Hereās another test from iRaiser showing consistent results (see point […]
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Thereās 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 āseeā and process the world. These will determine the kind of […]
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Iām not an expert in this but a quick search surfaced this article on the effect of tax reforms on 2019ās charitable giving. The researchers didnāt find a reduction. Actually, they observed an āincrease 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 am wondering how most NFPs track their Social Media ROI.
– With source tracking and click-through rates (CTRs) to donation, advocacy or survey form?
– Shares and Likes
For donor retention, are you tracking who becomes a Fan in RE and then pulling donor frequency reports or following up offline with communications once someone engages in a SoMe channel?
Thanks, Tom š
Alex, that’s a great question and I’d love to hear what others are doing. I think you’re on the right track with the metrics you’ve mentioned, but I’d take it a step further and analyze the behavior that comes after the social media referral. What steps do they take next? Do they complete an action (email sign up, event registration, donation, petition, etc.)?
Depending on your role in the org, you will want to look at different aspects. One often-overlooked use of social media is as a listening tool, so there would be a separate set of metrics you’d want to pay attention to there.