Where Do You Begin?
This post from Seth Godin — Where do we begin? — got me thinking about copywriting.
I’m using "copywriting" expansively here — a direct mail letter, email appeal, web copy, press release, note to major donor, cover letter for your resume.
What do you assume about your reader? What does he or she know about you, about your organization, about the topic you’re raising? What do you know about the context in which he or she will be receiving and reading your message?
Do you think about these questions explicitly?
If you do, you’re improving your odds of communicating successfully.
And if your answers to those questions are well-informed, you can compound those odds again.
Successful copywriters make this point over and over. But it simply boils down to putting yourself in your intended reader’s shoes. In those shoes, what do you need to hear? In what style or detail do you want to hear it? How would you like to feel upon reading this message?
Let your reader talk to you. Because the best listeners are the best writers.
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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