Every Marketing Challenge Involves These Questions
Personally, I think Seth Godin is at his marketing guru best when he’s at his briefest.
Here’s a recent post of his that’s impossible to condense or abridge, so forgive me for simply re-publishing it in its entirety. On the other hand, the editorial comments attempting to apply his thoughts to fundraising, are mine, and carry far less mana.
Every marketing challenge revolves around these questions
WHO are you trying to reach? (If the answer is ‘everyone’, start over.)
[Do you have clear, empirically-based perception of your prospective donor … what’s in their heart and head? And then, where to find more of them? In direct marketing-speak: It’s the list, mate!]
HOW will they become aware of what you have to offer?
[Do you know where they hang out and the best path to their door? Have they previously indicated a channel preference … are you respecting that?]
WHAT story are you telling/living/spreading?
[It had better be a story in which your donor is the hero.]
DOES that story resonate with the worldview these people already have? (What do they believe? What do they want?)
[Forget about converting the heathens. You are empowering and enabling your believers … helping them fulfil their aspirations.]
WHERE is the fear that prevents action?
[What makes you credible? Can they trust you? Why? How can you reassure them? Try transparency, clearly offered. Show how, despite their possible skepticism, they will in fact matter … indeed make a difference.]
WHEN do you expect people to take action? If the answer is ‘now’, what keeps people from saying, ‘later’? It’s safer that way.
[Urgency, yes. Show the ‘cost’ of ‘later’. But not to the point of sounding ridiculous.]
WHY? What will these people tell their friends?
[This is the holy grail: Will they care enough about helping you to tell anyone else? Will you have made them feel good enough — to overflowing — about their association with you and the support they’ve given? What is the difference they will have made and be enthusiastic about enough to share?]
Successful marketing/fundraising — as simple as that.
Tom
One response to “Every Marketing Challenge Involves These Questions”
Behavioral Science Q & A
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YES YES YES.
And another point…back at the beginning. YES, NGOs need to understand and apply marketing. Good marketing is good. Misunderstanding what marketing is is bad. And NGOs that think the term “marketing” is dirty and belongs to all those dirty for-profit corporations……….. Well those NGOs are ignorant and better start learning.