Taking Your Testimonials To A New Level
Testimonials from happy customers (as well as donors and beneficiaries) have long been a staple of marketing, advertising and fundraising.
But with the advent of “consumer-generated-media” on the internet, the marketing initiative shifts to the “do it yourself” consumer. The net effect, as the Washington Post observes in Putting the I in Advertising, is that we market to ourselves.
The Post article cites companies like Converse, M&Ms (“finding one's inner M”!), Ban deodorant, Blentec (“will it blend?”), Geico and Cadillac, who are inviting customers to create the brands in their own image or even create their own ads.
Says the Post:
Brands express what we aspire to be and what we believe about ourselves, in a kind of commercial shorthand. Aspirations — for beauty and coolness and status and joy — are the stuff of brand loyalty … Brands are our culture …
So, if a person posts a photo of herself with her Cadillac on the company website, she doesn't do it for the company. She does it for herself.
Notice that this is all about emotional gratification … feelings.
What emotional gratification are you providing your donors? How would they express it if you gave them the chance — with their own audio and video — on your nonprofit's website?
Why not give them the chance and see what happens? You might find yourself awash in compelling testimonials. Post them prominently on your website, on social netorking sites, embed them in your email appeals and e-newsletters. Learn from them a better way to talk about your nonprofit and its needs and accomplishments.
In short, take your testimonials to a new level.
Roger & 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 […]
Read Full Answer
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 […]
Read Full Answer
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 […]
Read Full Answer
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 […]
Read Full Answer
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 […]
Read Full Answer
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 […]
Read Full Answer