Make Contact!
Here’s yet another study from the commercial world that delivers the refrain:
Make contact with your customers!
Yeah, the study was conducted by Harris Interactive for InContact, a vested interest provider of contact center software.
But dismiss these findings, which I believe apply to donors, at your peril …
- More than a third (68%) of consumers said that companies who have no other means of contact other than a toll-free number seem outdated. [We do all have websites, at least facebook pages, don’t we?!]
- 70% said mobile apps are an important customer service option, and would switch brands based on such availability.
- 86% of consumers expect brands to offer multiple contact options and flexible timing for customer service.
- 56% of consumers said they would be at least somewhat likely to switch brands based on customer service options.
But for our sector I would argue that it’s not just offering multiple channels for communication; it’s also offering diverse ways your donors can engage with your organization, such as …
- Yes, donate
- Volunteer
- Sign-up for a general e-newsletter
- Better still, sign-up for an e-newsletter (or other digital content) targeted to their specific interest
- Download content from your website
- Download an app
- Create content for you — e.g., photos, videos
- ‘Like’ you or its equivalent in the full range of social media
- Attend a real world event
- Participate in a digital event — e.g., a webcast, crowdsourcing
- Create a local or personal event
- Respond to a call-to-action — e.g., send a message to a public official or a media outlet
- Respond to your survey
- Forward a message from you to others
- Refer possible donors
- Provide a testimonial
- Purchase a branded item from you
- Purchase a gift membership
- Make a bequest
- Seek ‘customer service’
- Talk to one friend or colleague about what a terrific organization you are
How many of the opportunities listed above does your nonprofit welcome, promote and facilitate?
Any more ideas on how donors can engage with you?
Tom
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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