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"What a great resource! I have received a number of similar mailings over the years, and always ended up unsubscribing — mostly because they were too much text. This was short, sweet — and useful! I can't think of someone better qualified to share this kind of advice!"

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International Fund for Animal Welfare

Giving Back E-Tips

Giving Back — a work in progress

Karen GedneyDear Visitor:

Oops! Looking at last week’s issue of Giving Back on my computer screen, I saw that the actual tip was getting lost, because it appears too low on the “page.” And so, this week, we’ve rearranged some of the design elements to bring the tip up higher — and we’re working on a re-design to make it an even quicker read.

Creating effective online communications is a process of continual improvement — but it pays off. I’ve helped one client gradually re-invent their email fundraising program, and they are seeing significant revenue increases. Just this past December, they saw a 23% increase in year-end revenues, with a 100% increase in online gifts and a 100% increase in gifts from new donors. So keep learning and innovating — it’s worth the effort.

I hope you find this week’s tip, Name Your Poison, helpful in your fundraising efforts.

Name Your Poison

When you’re trying to write about a complex issue — such as a new piece of legislation that will hurt your constituency — it’s easy to get lost in the details and the legalese.

But you can’t afford to get too wordy, because your online readers are only going to give your message a very brief scan. They will click off immediately if they don’t get what problem you are trying to fix — and if the issue doesn’t resonate deeply with their own values.

What I’ve learned to do is to “name your poison.” For example, if you’re writing about a threat to prairie dogs that will “weaken” their protection — that’s not a very compelling premise for motivating readers to take action.

But if you re-name the threat the “Prairie Dog Expressway to Extermination” scheme, you’ve got a campaign name that you can telegraph on your email banner.

I’ve used this technique a number of times — and achieved email open rates as high as 55%. Once you get activists engaged around a threat, a subsequent fundraising appeal is likely to bring in lots of donations as well. I’ve seen campaign-themed emails bring in more than 3 times the forecasted revenue.

If you’d like to see samples of high-performing email and direct mail packages featuring this “Name Your Poison” approach, contact Karen at 718-680-1627 or at kg@karengedney.com.