TV Or Internet Video?
How you like your “moving pictures” served up is mostly a matter of generation.
For example, according to Forrester Research, GenXers (age 13-26) spend 12.2 hours a week on the internet and 10.6 hours watching TV. At the other end of the spectrum, Seniors (age 62+) spend 3.8 hours a week on the internet and 14.4 hours watching TV.
To be sure, everybody watches a lot of television. But that said, the latest data from comScore Media Metrix says that 3 of every 5 internet users are watching online videos, typically twice a day. In all 7.2 billion videos were streamed across the internet this past July. The top three online video sources (a bit of a surprise here) were MySpace, then Yahoo, then YouTube.
I'm an old-timer who spent many unrewarded hours trying to convince nonprofits to try direct reponse TV ads back in the days when cable TV was the next hot medium. The only fundraisers who ever really mastered the medium were (and still are) the child relief agencies like Worldvision, Save the Children and Christian Children's Fund. For most nonprofits, even today, getting some PSA time counts as a big score.
So it is with some trepidation that I pass along this DRTV Guide, courtesy of DMNews. As The Essential Guide to Direct Response Television illustrates, folks are selling stuff quite successfully on TV, thank you. I suspect they're doing even better these days because they can “close” the deal online (rather than just with 800 numbers).
The advice in the Guide comes from successful DRTV pros. And guess what? If you're a GenX or GenY fundraiser who thinks online video is the next big thing (and my old gut thinks you're right), there are even lessons in the Guide for you. Because some laws of direct marketing are timeless, because the underlying human nature is immutable.
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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