Two Copywriting Treasures
To say Jerry Huntsinger, who recently celebrated his 83th birthday, is a direct mail copywriting genius, is an understatement. It’s like saying the late Steve Jobs ‘tinkered with electronic gadgets’.
I’ve worked with Jerry for 45 years on literally hundreds of campaigns and Tom and I have frequently pointed readers toward Jerry’s copywriting wisdom ever since we began publishing The Agitator ten years ago.
Thank heavens that Ken Burnett and the folks at SOFII are the generous custodians of Jerry’s treasury of direct mail fundraising advice … embodied in his 86 tutorials that are available to you online.
For those of you working in direct mail, read Tutorial 7 — A funny thing happens on the way to the mailbox. If you think of your donor as simply a wallet to be pinged because it’s time to mail special appeal #6 on your schedule, you’ll never ever be in Jerry’s league.
But then 99.99% of us won’t. Consider this …
Since 1965, there has never been a year when he hasn’t had at least one control package being mailed nationally by a major nonprofit organization.
That’s what I call ‘batting 1000’!
No matter what the size of your fundraising program, or how experienced you are (or are not), you can profit from Jerry’s tutorials. Get to school!
Roger
P.S. One of my favorite tutorials — “#47: answering questions I wish someone would ask” — outlines why you might be better off dictating your copy and also introduces you to the ‘Eddie box’ — named after Jerry’s gardener, and a variation of the famous ‘Johnson Box’ that appears at the top of many direct mail letters. You can check it out here.
8 responses to “Two Copywriting Treasures”
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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Wey-hey!! Happy birthday Jerry.
There are so many gems in Jerry Huntsinger’s tutorials that it’s really hard to choose a favourite. Jerry celebrates real quality He’s all about what works, not mere opinion. The best birthday present the fundraising fraternity could give Jerry, I’m sure, is if more of us would do our homework, and Jerry’s tutorials are just made for that.
I like his love of the letter, as seen in tutorial six
http://newsofii.org/article/tutorial-6-the-power-of-a-letter
And a masterclass in a single session, number 55, called ‘How to get your outer envelope ripped open’. Typical Jerry straight talking. Well, it has no other purpose, has it?
http://newsofii.org/article/tutorial-55-how-to-get-your-outer-envelope-ripped-open
There are, of course, about 50 more, all terrific. Today we should all raise a glass to the great Jerry Huntsinger.
Best. Tutorials. Ever.
Happy birthday to Jerry, one of my all-time top copywriter heroes in the history of all-time top copywriter heroes.
🙂
Thanks for reminding me to go back to “the well.”
What a delight.
Happy birthday Jerry.
I applaud anyone who so generously shares their wisdom and expertise. And these tutorials are second to none. Happy birthday Jerry! Thank you for making us all better.
Jerry taught me to write fundraising copy.
He has no idea who I am, of course. I subscribed to his mail newsletter years ago – and learned, and saved my organization at the time a lot of time and money by doing so.
He’s as good a teacher as he is a writer. And those tutorials are GOLDEN. So much great information! And all there, at our fingertips, for free.
Happy birthday, Jerry! And thank you, thank you, thank you!
When I joined PLAN USA (nee Foster Parents Plan) in the 1980s, Jerry’s control package was still going strong after many years of use.
Like Mary, I also subscribed to his newsletter. I remember one of the biggest delights of my copywriting days was when I received a good work from him for my two page appeal that I entered into his “try and write a good short letter” contest.
Happy birthday, Jerry.
I miss the delightful experience of your in-person madness! All best to you Jerry!
If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough. Meister Eckhart
Thank you. And Happy Birthday, Jerry!