Infographics – like any other tool, channel, idea, etc. – have their place when used correctly.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy made a good point in an article about a month ago: Infographics can make data fun and informative.  I agree.

But there’s a catch.

The infographic has to be readable and tailored for the audience. That’s why I decided to share a few points for you and your graphic designer to consider when creating an infographic.

The Good – what I like about infographics for nonprofits

◊ They’re intriguing, partly because they’re relatively new to the communication mix.

◊ They tend to get people’s attention. (But can they keep it?)

◊ They lend themselves to scanning. People can quickly find what interests them the most.

◊ Done right, they can be fun. The graphics – drawings, pictures, cartoons – can lighten the reader’s experience as they engage with your valuable information.

◊ They work especially well for presenting data, statistics, and other mind-numbing figures in a more digestible fashion.

◊ Another possible use is as a story board. With clever drawings (or possibly photos), and the compelling text for each illustration … you could tell an engaging story. Use a child’s story book as the concept for the design.

Two examples:

1) In your welcome package this story board could highlight the history of your nonprofit. Or it could show all the different ways donors make a difference. But I recommend you also have the same info in a traditional letter, pamphlet or other print piece.

2) In an appeal it can outline how donors have helped a specific program grow and why you need them to upgrade their giving for the next need (but you still need the letter).

The Bad & the Ugly – what I don’t like about infographics

◊ Far too much of the information is hard to read.

- Tiny font (even after enlarging the web image; but if it is in print then we don’t even have that option).

- Poor color choices; especially for the copy. For example: white font on a light blue background, or orange text on a black background.

◊ Too much jammed into one infographic!!!!! It take 3 – 6 scrolls to read it all and if printed, it doesn’t fit on one page plus it’s still hard to read (e.g., small print and/or graphic).

◊ Confusing and poorly organized. This is closely related to the previous bullet. Have people in different age groups – unfamiliar with the topic – read your infographic before you publish it. Can everyone get the gist of your key message in 5 seconds or less?

I often think developers of infographics focus on artistic creation instead of how to convey a clear message. This is BAD, BAD, BAD.

◊ One-size-fits-all mindset. You don’t send the same letter to a prospect as you do a 10-year supporter. Nor do you send the same copy and tone in a letter/email to a 30-something as what’s sent to a 70-something. Infographics are no different.

Tailor the design and the content for different segments of your donor or member database. This doesn’t mean an entirely different infographic in every case. But tailored and personalized communications are a must in today’s fundraising market.

◊ Not everyone likes infographics. For critical data, messaging, etc. you must use an integrated approach. Yes you send the info out via direct mail, email, social media, mobile, etc. But here integration also means sending it in multiple formats such as video, audio, readable text, illustrations, and so on. Give people choices on how they “consume” your content.

Infographics have their place. But please don’t risk annoying your donors, members, advocates and other supporters by churning out a poorly designed graphic that can’t be easily read or understood.

That means the fundamentals of clear, compelling, relevant and personalized communication still apply – even to infographics.

Don’t lose sight what the infographic is supposed to accomplish. What is the ONE prime message? What is the ONE thing it must achieve? With that written down, you can proceed to create infographics tailored for all your file segments. Finally, take care to avoid all of “the bad and the ugly” and focus on “the good.”

What do you like or dislike about infographics? Any nonprofit examples to share with us in the comment block?

Related posts:

How color impacts donors and members

What makes a compelling and memorable nonprofit story … storytelling

The risks of letting images dominate your nonprofit messaging

Valentines Day – February 14 – is twelve days away. Get ready now ’cause it’s a great time to share the love and show your donors, members, advocates, and volunteers how much you appreciate them.

As we know, whatever you’re doing in direct mail for Valentines Day is already done except for tracking the results. And hopefully you’ve integrated that with social media and email.

But just in case you didn’t do anything via direct mail … there’s still time to send supporters a Valentine by email AND social media.

Critical point: For this to work you absolutely positively MUST have reader-centric messaging. This is ALL about them and what they make possible.

Here’s an idea you could whip together in a few hours:

• Create a short video of your staff wishing supporters Happy Valentines Day. They can shout, “Happy Valentines Day” as a group. But I suggest you choose one person to take 20-30 seconds expressing everyone’s gratitude for what your donors, advocates, etc. make possible. Include an example or two of what donors have done. Have FUN with this. Maybe everyone holds a red heart they made out of construction paper. Or each heart has a different message on it and the camera scans over the messages as the speaker is talking.
   
• You can promote the video on your Facebook page and through email.
   
• Post it on your nonprofit’s YouTube channel.
   
• Have a link to the video (along with a line of teaser copy) on your homepage and a few other key pages of your website. Draw web visitors’ eye to it by including a short graphic with the text and link, or possibly have the video itself on your website if you can.
   
• Encourage supporters to share your Valentines greeting with folks they know who also like what you do. And make it EASY for them to share via email and social media.

Share the love. Cultivate your supporters with a simple Valentines greeting. Keep it simple. Have fun.

If your staff looks a bit awkward in the video – so what? That’s a genuine emotion most of us can relate to and it also shows sincerity. It will help donors, advocates, volunteers and members to connect with real people instead of a faceless organization. It will strengthen your relationship with them.

Related posts:

10 Suggestions to cultivate website visitors

Donor Cultivation and Natural Disasters … ideas for ANY charity or association regardless of your mission

Donors are a lot like Teddy Bears … why they give and give

Goal: To know before mailing that your message and offer will inspire donors to give.

That’s what I bet you would love to experience with each direct mail campaign and email appeal – whether it’s acquisition or renewal.

“Know” before you mail. Online testing gives you “magical insights” so your direct mail and email appeals get higher response

There’s a cost-effective way to do just that.

There’s a way to increase the odds dramatically that your direct mail letters, phone appeals, and email appeals will be more successful because you’ve already tested the key messaging and the offer.

What is this cost-effective testing?

Google Adwords and social media are two great testing grounds. And the secret to making this approach most beneficial to the amount you raise is this: Make certain the copy you test is donor-centric.

Google Adwords

If you haven’t yet applied for a Google Grant for Adwords, do it now. It is a simple process compared to other grant applications. Basically the cost of your campaigns is free. You invest the time to set up the campaigns and manage it, but the advertising costs are covered by the grant.

[NOTE: I can’t emphasize enough the value to your nonprofit to out-source the building and managing of the campaign to a professional ... unless someone on your staff is an experienced Adwords pro. I can make a recommendation if you want to contact me.]

The ads and their corresponding landing pages are powerful ways to test BEFORE you invest in your direct mail or email campaigns. This can also give you insight into scripts for integrated telemarketing campaigns.

I interviewed the author of Google Adwords for Dummies on this topic. View my video interview of nonprofits testing with Google Adwords here.

Social Media

Use your Tweets, Facebook updates, YouTube videos and more to reach out and test what gets people’s attention enough to get a response. In social media you won’t always be testing to get a donation.

Finding topics and ways to talk about topics that gets a response (starts conversations; votes in online polls; sharing; etc.) is terrific insight.

You can also test images via YouTube (nonprofit video sample), and Flickr slideshows.

Two things you MUST do when using social media for this testing or anytime:

1 – Send donor-centric messages and calls-to-action

2 – Every update cannot be a plea for a donation. In fact, the majority should NOT be requests for support because if you do followers will tune you out faster than greased lightning.

Today’s environment demands smart nonprofit marketing. Your campaigns have to be integrated in multiple channels such as direct mail, email, telemarketing, social media, video, your website, mobile, etc.

Plus it includes making the most of every dollar spent to acquire donors and to raise funds. Testing your offer and key messaging with Google Adwords and social media before rolling out big campaigns is a cost-effective way to stretch your budget. And you’ll enjoy higher response with your direct mail and email.

Another related post: Donor Acquisition – Lessons Learned

You’ll find the first nine (9) ways to build your nonprofit email list in my last post. Below are numbers ten through eighteen plus links to other helpful related posts.

Building your nonprofit email list (Cartoon used with permission)

10 – Whenever a donor, member or supporter calls your nonprofit, have your call center invite them to share their email address. (Refer to method #1 in previous post to have better success with this.)

11 – Include an email sign-up on search landing pages and make it very visible.

If someone has searched on a topic and ends up on your nonprofit website, there’s a good chance they’ll be receptive to receiving more info via email on that topic.

12 – Utilize third party resources such as Care2 and Change.org.

13 – Your email service provider should have a way for subscribers to easily share (the email they just received from you) on social networks and by forwarding your email with a single click. Enable this “share” feature on every email sent. And from time-to-time add ad line or two within the email encouraging subscribers to share.

Perhaps there’s even a way you can give subscribers an incentive to share (e.g., a special report or sneak preview).

14 – Format your email to be mobile friendly (i.e., readable on smartphones and tablets).

15 – Integrate with other channels. For example:

> Support direct mail with email follow-ups

> Post social media updates that link to same landing page as the email but with separate trackable links.

> Send text messages to your nonprofit supporters that link to same landing page as the email but with separate trackable links.

16 – Analyze your email data to monitor trends; what’s working and what isn’t in terms of messaging, days of the week you mail, etc.; why subscribers are leaving and how can you minimize this; what they respond to the most; and periodically encourage subscribers to give you feedback and update their preferences.

17 – Keep subscribers engaged. The secret here is to get them engaged with one of the first two or three emails you send them. Optimize their front-end experience and then move them up to the next tier of engagement over time.

18 – Deliver quality content that’s relevant, personalized, and of value to your subscribers. In this case THEIR opinion on what is relevant and of value is the opinion that counts … not yours. Number 18 is as fundamental and crucial as method number 1 of how to build an email subscriber list.

Nothing earth-shattering in that list; and probably not anything new. But it’s important enough to warrant a reminder.

How are you building your nonprofit email list? What else can we add to this list? Please share in the comment box below.

Email ought to be as integral to your fundraising and cultivation efforts as direct mail and your nonprofit website.

And regardless of the channel, we all want bigger lists. So how might you grow your nonprofit email list?

1 – Give donors, members, advocates and prospects a darn good reason WHY they should sign-up for email.

2 – Don’t proceed with any other steps until you finish #1. I’m serious!

3 – Add a sign-up box to your website pages that’s above the fold. And ask for the minimum information which is their first name and email address. Use future communications (e.g., your email welcome series) to get more info you may desire.

4 – Add a newsletter sign-up module on your Facebook page.

5 – When appropriate, the call-to-action at the end of a YouTube video could be to sign-up via email for more info. ALWAYS send viewers to a unique landing page for signing-up!

6 – Again when it makes sense, use social media updates (e.g., Twitter and Facebook) to invite people to stay informed on a topic by signing-up for your email.

7 – Online press release. When an inspiring story occurs – something that stands out – share it in a press release. The call-to-action promises more stories like this and the hyperlink takes readers to a unique landing page where they sign-up for your email updates.

8 – Ask for their email address in direct mail appeals. Many nonprofits add a line to their reply device requesting this info (Important: Refer to #1, above).

But on a hot topic you can also encourage readers to share their email within the body of the appeal as a way for supporters to get timely, breaking news.

9 – Use 2D barcodes (e.g., QR codes) that people can scan that takes them to a sign-up page with samples of what they’ll receive. (Refer to #1, above.) These QR codes can appear on any nonprofit printed collateral, signs, business cards, etc.

I’ll publish the other nine ways (for a total of 18) to build your nonprofit email list in my next blog post coming to a computer screen near you on Tuesday, January 24th. Stay tuned.

More related posts:

5 Steps to Speedy Fundraising Response … the power of email (includes examples)

Emails timed correctly can boost direct mail response

Re-engage inactive email subscribers

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a charity, a professional association, a company selling products and services to other businesses (B2B), or a consumer brand (B2C) … accurate data that you can segment, filter and analyze is vital to the success of your organization.

That was just one of the 25 points I wrote about in the January 10th issue of my newsletter, the Zapp Nonprofit Leader … “How to grow your nonprofit and raise funds in 2012.”

Why is quality data and how easily you manage it essential in today’s world of fundraising and marketing? Reasons include:

◊ Your ability to create tailored messages that donors and members are more likely to respond to depends on collecting data on your supporters.

◊ A solid database can bridge the gap that might occur with staff turnover.

◊ A donor or member database can tell you when you last spoke to them personally.  When you last emailed them.  When you last sent them a letter. It’s a collection of everything you know about a supporter including what they respond to. (Suggest you read the first bullet again to emphasize the value of this data.)

◊ The efficiency and effectiveness of all your marketing and fundraising efforts improves. And isn’t that an exciting ROI in today’s economy?!

◊ If your data is spread across different systems that don’t talk to each other, then you’re losing opportunities for growth right and left. This includes opportunities to enhance acquisition, loyalty and cultivation, retention, upgrading, advocacy, gaining more volunteers, etc.

◊ Great data and the ability to easily access it is fundamental to stewardship and cultivation.

My friend and colleague Blase Ciabaton (TheDirectMailMan.com) has interviewed five database software companies for the nonprofit sector. Here are the questions he asked of all five vendors:

1 – Is there a certain size nonprofit that your software is best suited for?  Please explain.

2 – What do most users consider to be the 3 best features or benefits of your product?

3 - Is there a trial version of your software available for nonprofits who would like to test drive it?  If so, how long does the trial period last and how do they access it?

4 – What sort of user training is available for your software and is it included with the price of the software?

5 – When nonprofits are ready to launch a direct mail appeal, how do they export their mailing list?

6 - Why do you feel that it’s important for nonprofits to invest in database management software?

As Ciabaton says, “The increasingly complicated mishmash of communication channels for donors [members, advocates], and volunteers has driven many nonprofits to the brink of chaos.  What are you to doing to keep your database organized? How are you easily staying in touch?  Picking the right software to keep tabs on existing data while allowing for the integration of new data is a huge decision.”

Below are links to Ciabaton’s interviews of the five nonprofit database software and management vendors on his blog:

GiftWorks

NonProfitEasy

Sumac

Trail Blazer

Wild Apricot

And here are more nonprofit database management choices Ciabaton has become familiar with over the course of the last few years, listed in alphabetical order: Atlas Software Technologies, Blackbaud, DonorPerfect, eTapestry, and TheDataBank.  Most offer free trial periods and extensive information about the features and benefits of their products.

And I’ll add Results Direct which is dedicated solely to membership associations and organizations.

When you study the interviews on his blog you can quickly compare the vendors. This ought to give you a jump start on your research if you’re in the market to invest in database software and support. The marketplace for nonprofits demands collection of quality data you can easily access and use to grow your organization.

The other day I was watching my neighbor rake up leaves in her yard. As she raked, her two toddlers giggled and ran about jumping into the piles of leaves again and again. Mom didn’t mind because they didn’t really mess up the piles that much. And the kids were having fun while she got the work done.

Everybody was happy.

Is everybody happy
in your world?

Do your donors and members like jumping into the pile of words and images you’re sending them?

Do they come back for more? And are you meeting your business and work goals?

If not then you need to do something different.

◊ Develop a better offer.

◊ Give more choices on how they donate or join.

◊ Test new copy that doesn’t sound like everything else you write. (And for goodness sake; if you decide to test copy then don’t rewrite it until it does sound like what you’ve been doing all along!)

◊ Try something new and bold. Figure out how you can be DIFFERENT from every other nonprofit with a similar mission.

◊ Send more cultivation messages (i.e., messages with ZERO ask).

◊ Test a bit of humor.

◊ Offer supporters a puzzle or quiz to solve.

◊ Tell more stories because good storytelling is captivating.

◊ Shake up your calendar.

◊ Send more integrated campaigns.

◊ Break the mold.

◊ Give people an exceptional experience.

You know the expression: The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

If you need better fundraising and marketing results (e.g., more donors and members, higher average gift, more people at your events, higher retention, more advocates responding, more online conversions, etc.), then you better make a change. Otherwise you’re enduring a form of insanity.

Different approach … different results. Your choice. How can you make everybody happy in your world?

Related posts to help you even more:

Avoid becoming an obsolete charity

Want more donors or members?

Who are your most loyal supporters? And why you ought to know who they are.

By the end of the year I’ll probably come up with more … but for now I’ll focus on four trends for nonprofit direct marketing in 2012.

And they all have one thing in common: Your readers – donors, members, advocates, volunteers, etc. – will respond less and less to messages produced for the masses.

Based on my research and indications from the marketplace, your readers want more personalized and tailored communications from you. More and more they demand to be recognized as an individual … to receive content they view as relevant … to receive content they value.

The effectiveness of the one size fits all letter (or email) is rapidly diminishing.

These changes in reader attitudes and expectations are due largely to the changes in how we communicate with each other. Plus our tolerance for shifting through mountains of letters and emails to find something of interest has all but disappeared.

Therefore, get right to the point and do your best to only send readers what they want. You’ve only got a couple seconds to prove each letter or email is worth more of their time.

Four direct marketing trends nonprofits ought to prepare for in 2012 are:

1 – Integrate traditional channels with digital.

This isn’t new per se, but the trend and the need to do this more and more is escalating. It includes using quick response (QR) codes in letters, brochures, event signage, etc. to make it interactive and more instantaneous for your readers.

In addition, also recognize that integrating with mobile text messages is a powerful way to send personalized messages.

2 – Quality data is paramount; know your supporters.

Direct marketing is perhaps best defined by data and metrics. A growing source of data on your supporters is from social analytics. More and more you can use social data in your research to develop strategies and targeted messages.

3 – Direct mail.

First, recognize that this channel isn’t getting simpler either. And with the rising costs of mail – plus the uncertainties of our postal system’s future and service offerings – it becomes mandatory for you to use this channel as efficiently as possible.

Direct mail packages have to get more sophisticated. Specifically: Send versions for different segments of your file. You’ll need to target your supporters with messages tailored to their interests and preferences. Sending the exact same letter to everyone on your list hurts response and retention.

Direct mail is on track to become a niche-oriented channel.

And this channel must continue to be more extensively integrated with social, your website, and other digital channels.

4 – Email.

Similar to direct mail, email must evolve because conversion rates – overall – continue to decline. A blast email to the masses won’t cut it.

Segment your file. Send future communications based on what they have responded to in the past. Use data from social analytics to tailor messages. Send content your supporters value. Integrate with other digital channels.

Give people choices on how they respond and connect with you. This means consistently sending out integrated campaigns with targeted messages.

Compared to even ten years ago, our fundraising and marketing world isn’t merely changing fast … it’s practically evolving at light speed. And the expectations and demands of your supporters are keeping pace.

Repeating what I wrote above: Your readers want more personalized and tailored communications from you. More and more they demand to be recognized as an individual … to receive content they view as relevant … to receive content they value.

The future of your nonprofit depends on how well you meet the expectations of your evolving supporters.

Related posts:

One size hurts all … this approach to fundraising hurts response

Wanted Dead or Alive – Direct Mail

Donors respond just like Teddy Bears … Why they give and give

Have you noticed how many of the major (and minor) consumer brands have rolled out new loyalty programs of late? Within the last 18 months or so they’ve either overhauled their loyalty program, or launched something completely new.

WHY they’ve done this is what’s important to you as a nonprofit:

1 – Loyalty members are often 3 to 4 times more valuable than other consumers.

2 – These companies are surviving the lingering recession due in large part to revenues from loyalty programs.

3 – Higher return on investment seen on loyalty programs.

4 – Loyalty members provide a strong revenue foundation.

5 – During challenging economic times loyalty members contribute an even larger percentage of revenue.

Those five reasons ought to get and keep your attention.

Loyalty programs go far beyond a smile and gracious thank you at the time of purchase. That’s still essential. But it’s not enough these days.

In the nonprofit world we speak of donor cultivation and stewardship. As part of your cultivation you write warm and friendly letters, emails and web copy that’s reader-centric. You send out timely thank you letters and welcome packages. You ask supporters to share their opinion. And on it goes.

Traditional cultivation isn’t enough

Today I think you need to do even more. You need to go beyond cultivation and create a nonprofit loyalty program. And no; I’m not referring to a sustainer program either. You need to go beyond that too.

Donors, members and consumers are more demanding than ever. If your charity or association isn’t meeting exceeding their expectations … you’ll lose them. And if by chance you don’t completely lose them you won’t receive as much revenue from them. So you still lose.

How can you reward them?

Brainstorm with your staff. Include people who don’t normally work in development. Brainstorm with your consultants.

Find ways …

- To reward supporters

- To keep them coming back (e.g., making multiple gifts; or buying products and services as an association member)

- To increase their lifetime value

- To give them an exceptional experience

Achieving this demands non-linear thinking. But I firmly believe your nonprofit will reap the benefits when you find ways to reward loyalty. When you find ways to give something back to those who help you day-in and day-out.

I know you can’t give them a free gallon of milk after buying 8 gallons. Nor can you give them a free pizza when their card is full, or a free dessert on their birthday. Use the consumer market as inspiration, but don’t get hung up on the fact that you can’t precisely duplicate what they do.

Brainstorm. Use non-linear thinking. Reward supporters of your nonprofit with MORE than a traditional thank you letter or email.

Create a nonprofit loyalty program that rewards them for their faithful support. With our rapidly changing times and sluggish economy, I believe it’s fundamental to your development strategy.

Related posts:

How “L.L.Bean” compassion can inspire nonprofits to do the same

Do you really value the opinions from donors and members?

You’re annoying subscribers

Write short sentences. Use few adjectives. Keep it simple. Get higher response.

Power to the copy!

That opening paragraph is known as writing in the imperative voice or mood. It gets attention because it sounds like a command. It has power.

The key is short sentences. Also start with a verb when possible.

Of course the entire email or letter can’t be in the imperative voice. But it works great for the lead, closing, P.S., or anywhere else for emphasis and clarity. Try it.

Fundraising copy thrives on simplicity

Simplicity includes short paragraphs and sentences.

It also includes simple words (mostly one and two syllables with a handful of three syllable words thrown in).

A recent post on Neuromarketing touted the power of simple copy, “The Dark Side of Adjectives.”

Their point was that for stories and posts to get shared in social media, the simpler the writing style…the more likely it was to be passed on. This held true for news outlets, blogs, etc.

It was based on research for a book by Dan Zarrella titled, Zarrella’s Hierarchy of Contagiousness. Zarrella discovered that “… the least shared content had the highest use of adverbs and adjectives.”

The fact that it gets shared is a response. People took an action. Therefore his research also demonstrates that simple copy gets higher response.

As I showed with the imperative voice in the first paragraph of this post, nouns and verbs move the reader forward. Modifiers slow the reader down.

And your goal is to keep the reader moving forward to your call-to-action.

Nothing new just more proof that simple copy is the most powerful. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re writing to engineers, scientists, medical professionals, or any other well-educated audience. Simple copy gets higher response. And it gets shared more often.

Keep it simple. Raise more money. Acquire more donors and members.

Related posts:

2 Fundamentals of a Strong Fundraising Appeal

Why the school solution is the WRONG fundraising solution

This is hard work!