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	<title>Karen Zapp - Nonprofit Copywriter &#187; Online Fundraising</title>
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		<title>Message testing the cost-effective way</title>
		<link>http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/message-testing-the-cost-effective-way/</link>
		<comments>http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/message-testing-the-cost-effective-way/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:10:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen Zapp, copywriter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Acquisition - Prospecting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing for Nonprofits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Online Fundraising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[copy testing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Direct Mail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Email]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Google Adwords]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nonprofit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nonprofit testing strategies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/?p=2913</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[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. There’s a cost-effective way to do just that. There&#8217;s a way to increase the odds dramatically that [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p>Goal<strong>: </strong>To know <em><strong>before mailing</strong></em> that your message and offer will inspire donors to give.</p>
<p>That’s what I bet you would love to experience with each direct mail campaign and email appeal – whether it’s acquisition or renewal.</p>
<div id="attachment_2915" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 240px">
	<img class="size-medium wp-image-2915 " title="Carnac-The-Great_Johnny-Carson" src="http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Carnac-The-Great_Johnny-Carson-300x296.jpg" alt="" width="240" height="237" />
	<p class="wp-caption-text">“Know” before you mail. Online testing gives you “magical insights” so your direct mail and email appeals get higher response</p>
</div>
<p>There’s a cost-effective way to do just that.</p>
<p>There&#8217;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.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">What is this cost-effective testing?</h3>
<p><em>Google Adwords and social media</em> are two great testing grounds. And <strong>the secret to making this approach most beneficial to the amount you raise is this: </strong><a title="Zapp Nonprofit Blog - I have a dream for more donor-centric copy" href="http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/mommy-mommy-look-at-me/" target="_blank">Make certain the copy you test is donor-centric</a>.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Google Adwords</strong></span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">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.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">[<span style="color: #ff6600;">NOTE: </span>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.]</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">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.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">I interviewed the author of Google Adwords for Dummies on this topic. <a title="Zapp Nonprofit Blog - Google Adwords a good strategy for nonprofits?" href="http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/is-google-adwords-a-good-strategy-for-nonprofits-on-a-tight-budget/" target="_blank">View my video interview of nonprofits testing with Google Adwords here.</a></p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Social Media</strong></span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">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.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Finding topics and ways to talk about topics that gets a response (starts conversations; votes in online polls; sharing; etc.) is terrific insight.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">You can also test images via YouTube <span style="color: #000000;">(<a title="Fundraising video - done for VVMF" href="http://pkscribe.com/html/fundraising_copywriting.html#video" target="_blank">nonprofit video sample</a>), </span>and Flickr slideshows.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Two things you MUST do when using social media for this testing or anytime:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 60px;"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">1 – </span></strong>Send donor-centric messages and calls-to-action</p>
<p style="padding-left: 60px;"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>2 –</strong></span> 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.</p>
<p><strong>Today’s environment demands smart nonprofit marketing.</strong> Your campaigns have to be integrated in multiple channels such as direct mail, email, telemarketing, social media, video, your website, mobile, etc.</p>
<p><strong>Plus it includes making the most of every dollar spent to acquire donors and to raise funds. </strong>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.</p>
<p><strong>Another related post: </strong><a title="Zapp Nonprofit Blog - Donor acquisition lessons learned" href="http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/donor-acquisition-lessons-learned/" target="_blank">Donor Acquisition – Lessons Learned</a></p>
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		<title>How color impacts online donors as well as your direct mail packages [INFOGRAPHIC]</title>
		<link>http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/how-color-impacts-online-donors-as-well-as-your-direct-mail-packages-infographic/</link>
		<comments>http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/how-color-impacts-online-donors-as-well-as-your-direct-mail-packages-infographic/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:05:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen Zapp, copywriter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Direct Mail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Email]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Online Fundraising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Website - Nonprofit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[direct mail design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[donor influences]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[infographic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nonprofit website]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/?p=2751</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[How important is color? Can it possibly impact how much people donate? Or how much they respond to any call-to-action? The answer is an emphatic YES! Although I’m not a graphic designer, I study research on how color affects the choices people make. And people are people so even if the research is related to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p>How important is color? Can it possibly impact how much people donate? Or how much they respond to any call-to-action?</p>
<p>The answer is an emphatic <strong>YES!</strong></p>
<p>Although I’m not a graphic designer, I study research on how color affects the choices people make. And <strong>people are people so even if the research is related to consumer products or business-to-business (B2B), it carries over into the nonprofit sector.</strong></p>
<p>Whether it’s the color of your carrier envelope, the color of your donate button, the color of your join button, or the color scheme of your entire website (and your “brand” image) … <strong>color plays a pivotal role in how people respond.</strong></p>
<p>But don’t get carried away!</p>
<p>Too much visual overload (e.g., too many bright colors, buttons and images) confuses the eye and depresses response. This is because people can’t discern what is MOST important. <a title="Zapp Nonprofit Blog - Risk with too many images" href="http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/nonprofit-web-design-the-risky-dominance-of-images/" target="_blank">Visual overload on nonprofit websites</a> is an all too common problem.</p>
<p>The infographic below relates to how consumers respond to color and visual appearance.</p>
<p>And <strong>beneath the infographic I called out a few points I believe you ought to consider with your nonprofit website, emails, or direct mail packages. </strong></p>
<p>But don’t limit your considerations to these points – <em>study ALL the stats and data on the graphic because they are all factors in how donors, members, advocates, etc. respond to your messaging.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2754" title="Infographic influences donor decisions" src="http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Infographic_color-influences-purchases_640x3024.png" alt="" width="576" height="2722" /></p>
<p>Points in the infographic I don’t want you to miss<strong>:</strong></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Color and Marketing: </strong>Visual appearance plays a key role in getting their initial attention (e.g., color on your carrier envelope). But reader-centric messaging (copy), readability, etc. are what “close the deal.”</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Color and Consumer:</strong> The influence color has varies by country. So if you have an international audience, bear this in mind.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Other Influences:</strong> “Convenience” highlights the importance of making your website – including the donation or join process – as simple and visitor friendly as possible.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Overall Design:</strong> For visitors to your website, poor navigation and poor overall design (from THEIR point of view) drives them away. In other words, they don’t stay on your site as long nor do they respond to your calls-to-action.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">The stakes are high so this is a vital design issue for your site. It’s worth testing with donors and members who are unfamiliar with your organization.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>The Element of Time:</strong> Do you like flash? Do you like tons of photos and graphics all over your website?</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Milliseconds are literally costing your nonprofit money. Many people won’t stick around waiting for your site to load.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Power Words:</strong> What are the power words for your nonprofit? What phrases evoke the right emotion in your supporters?</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">And how are you reassuring them that supporting your organization is “safe” for them to do &#8211; that <a title="Zapp Nonprofit Blog - How you build trust for your nonprofit" href="http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/how-do-you-build-trust/" target="_blank">donors and members can trust your nonprofit</a>? This relates to the importance of a guarantee on consumer sites. What proof do you offer that your nonprofit is honest; that your board members are credible; and that you have a system for auditing your accounts and screening employees and board members?</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">In addition, associations could offer a type of guarantee to members.</p>
<p>I’ve written about it on this blog numerous times: <strong>Studying how people behave in the consumer and B2B markets benefits your nonprofit.</strong> We don’t behave one way as a consumer and then do a 180 when we consider donating to a charity or joining an association.</p>
<p>Consider color and visual appearance when creating your nonprofit direct mail packages and your website. Use it to help you influence the desired response in your supporters.</p>
<p>One more thing: <strong>My best to you for a <em>Happy and Prosperous New Year!</em></strong></p>
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		<title>&#8220;Ask&#8221; and you shall receive 75% more money. It worked for this charity&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/ask-and-you-shall-receive-75-more-money-it-worked-for-this-charity/</link>
		<comments>http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/ask-and-you-shall-receive-75-more-money-it-worked-for-this-charity/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:00:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen Zapp, copywriter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Fundraising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Online Fundraising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Website - Nonprofit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[asking raises more money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[in-person solicitations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nonprofit websites]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/?p=2708</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Nine simple words increased the amount raised with an in-person “ask” approach by 75%. This comes from a study of the Salvation Army and its bell ringers in front of stores. Instead of a passive approach where they stand there, ring the bell, and smile … the test had the bell ringer saying, “Hi, how [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p>Nine simple words increased the amount raised with an in-person “ask” approach by 75%. This comes from a study of the Salvation Army and its bell ringers in front of stores.</p>
<p>Instead of a passive approach where they stand there, ring the bell, and smile … the test had the bell ringer saying, “<em>Hi, how are you? Merry Christmas. Please give today</em>.”</p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<div id="attachment_2709" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 300px">
	<strong><strong><img class="size-medium wp-image-2709   " title="Salvation-Army_red kettle" src="http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Salvation-Army_red-kettle-300x198.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="198" /></strong></strong>
	<p class="wp-caption-text">Large study shows speaking to prospects raises in-person donations 75%. Test this human interaction concept on your website.</p>
</div>
<p><strong>Adding that simple verbal request <em>increased contributions by 75%.</em></strong></p>
<p>I found this information in a post on the <a title="NeuroScienceMarketing blog post" href="http://bit.ly/svUgFx" target="_blank">NeuroScienceMarketing</a> blog.</p>
<p>The study revealed how “<em><strong>an in-person ask is a powerful tool </strong>… for small contributions, simply speaking a few words to potential donors boosted contributions by 75%.</em>” This behavioral change in prospective donors might be due to the mild social pressure created by the verbal solicitation.</p>
<p>The blog post went on to postulate on<strong> how this in-person concept could be extended to your charity’s website. </strong>Suggestions include:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>• </strong></span>Could you <strong>add a live-chat feature to your donation page or button</strong>? Would this have the same social effect seen in the supermarket study?</p>
<p style="padding-left: 60px;">The live chat <span style="text-decoration: underline;">may</span> not be practical to support (man-hours as much as anything).  So…</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>• </strong></span>What about a <em>simulated human interaction? </em>Consider testing a pop-up photo of a person (but don’t use a pasty stock photo) asking for a gift. Or having a short video (I&#8217;d start with 30-seconds or less).</p>
<p>I think the simulated in-person asks on your nonprofit website are worth testing with an A/B split test.</p>
<p>But I believe they’ll be much stronger if you <strong>include 3 short examples of how a specific dollar amount helps</strong> someone in need. It’s my experience that specific dollar amount examples of how donors make a difference and how you’ll use their money not only increases how many donate, but also the average gift size.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">For example: $25 does X for an abandoned child. $100 does Y for a family. $500 does Z.</p>
<p><strong>Test. Test. Test.</strong> Even incremental increases are worth the effort. We know this from direct mail and it applies to online as well.</p>
<p>In today&#8217;s economy nonprofits with the most growth are trying and testing new ideas; they&#8217;re taking some risks and evolving with their supporters.</p>
<p>Do you have an in-person ask on your nonprofit website? Or do you have a simulated in-person ask? Please share what you’ve done in the comments below.</p>
<p><strong>Related posts:</strong></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><a title="Zapp Nonprofit Blog - 6 diverse fundraising ideas" href="http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/collection-of-6-diverse-fundraising-ideas/" target="_blank">Collection of 6 diverse fundraising ideas</a> &#8230; more ideas to test</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><a title="Zapp Nonprofit Blog - Best time to ask a major donor" href="http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/best-time-to-meet-with-a-major-donor/" target="_blank">Best time to meet with a major donor</a> &#8230; tips for asking in-person</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><a title="Zapp Nonprofit Blog - Donor acquisition lessons learned" href="http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/donor-acquisition-lessons-learned/" target="_blank">Donor acquisition lessons learned</a> &#8230; includes ideas and tips on testing</p>
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		<title>Online giving isn’t just for “30-somethings”</title>
		<link>http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/online-giving-isnt-just-for-30-somethings/</link>
		<comments>http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/online-giving-isnt-just-for-30-somethings/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 13 Dec 2011 13:29:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen Zapp, copywriter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Online Fundraising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[60+ donors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[study on 60+ online donors]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/?p=2691</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Making donations online is “… an important option for donors who are 60 years of age or older.” That’s from a study done in November 2011 by Dunham+Company. They queried donors who had made a $25 donation in the past year by any method. For the over 60 crowd, one out of two donors (51%) [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p>Making donations online is “… <em>an important option for donors who are 60 years of age or older.</em>” That’s from a study done in November 2011 by <a title="Dunham+Company website and study" href="http://bit.ly/tglLAH" target="_blank">Dunham+Company</a>. They queried donors who had made a $25 donation in the past year by <span style="text-decoration: underline;">any</span> method.</p>
<p><strong>For the over 60 crowd, one out of two donors (51%) have given online. </strong></p>
<p>Here’s the “positive” catch: Once people in this age group start giving online, <strong>they make more online gifts than younger donors – they give <span style="text-decoration: underline;">more</span> frequently. </strong>Data shows the mean number of online gifts is 14 for 60+ donors.</p>
<p>This compares to only 11 for those under forty; and it’s hot on the heels of the 40-59 group with 15 mean online gifts.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Marketing and fundraising lesson learned #1: </strong></span>Continue to make online giving an option for this demographic. Strive to increase the number of supporters that donate this way.</p>
<p>However, the study also revealed that <strong>one out of four donors who started to make an online gift stopped;</strong> they didn’t complete the process. This refers to ALL age groups and not only the 60+ group.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">How can you get more donors<br />
to complete the donation process?</h3>
<p>In other words: How can you reduce the number of donors that abandon the online giving process?</p>
<p>Quick side-note here<strong>: </strong>In the consumer world this is known as “<em>abandoning the shopping cart</em>.” I mention this because there’s a good chance you personally have made an online consumer purchase. I want you thinking about what frustrated you … I want you to see the parallels between a consumer purchase and making an online donation. You and your staff can learn from these personal experiences which ought to help you improve how donors support your nonprofit online.</p>
<p>First you need to know WHY they didn’t make the online donation. <strong>The number one reason among all age groups is: </strong><em>They want more reassurance about security.</em></p>
<p>Reason number 2: Clarify what I’m supporting throughout the process.</p>
<p>Reason number 3 and number 4 very close: “Make it fewer steps” and “Make it simpler”</p>
<p>I found it interesting that <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">all</span> age groups want <span style="text-decoration: underline;">more</span> reassurance about making a financial purchase (donation) online</strong>. It’s the less than 40 group that surprised me by ranking this as their number one reason.</p>
<p><strong><em>Other reasons for abandoning the online donation process include:</em></strong></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">- Improve confirmation of my gift amount<br />
- Make it faster<br />
- Make it remember me the next time (i.e., auto-populate many of the fields for them)<br />
- Make it more personable</p>
<p>I hope most of these reasons sound familiar. If not I encourage you to read the related posts I have listed below at the end of today’s article.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">Marketing and fundraising lesson learned #2:</span></strong> Make it easy, fast, simple and convenient for the donor. Let them know how their money will make a difference and give them plenty of proof that their online donation is secure.</p>
<p>You’ll never get 100% of the 60+ or the 49-59 groups to give online. Even a fourth of the under forty group have not made an online donation.</p>
<p><strong>Nonetheless the study once again shows the value of integrated campaigns.</strong> Give donors choices on how they give and through what channel. Recognize that across the industry the most valuable donors are among those who give via multiple channels.  And on average, donors use at least three channels.</p>
<p>Related posts<strong>: </strong></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><a title="Zapp Nonprofit Blog - Charity with right message wins" href="http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/giving-once-giving-twice-sold-to-the-charity-with-the-right-message/" target="_blank">Giving once. Giving twice. SOLD! to the charity with the right message</a></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><a title="Zapp Nonprofit Blog - Donor choices integrated campaigns" href="http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/donor-choices-and-integrated-campaigns/" target="_blank">Donor choices and integrated campaigns</a></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><a title="Zapp Nonprofit Blog - 10 ways to improve website for more conversions" href="http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/are-you-cultivating-website-visitors-10-suggestions-for-your-site/" target="_blank">10 suggestions to cultivate website visitors for more conversions</a></p>
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		<title>Welcome. Thank you. So glad you’ve joined us…</title>
		<link>http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/welcome-thank-you-so-glad-youve-joined-us/</link>
		<comments>http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/welcome-thank-you-so-glad-youve-joined-us/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Nov 2011 16:49:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen Zapp, copywriter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Acquisition - Prospecting]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Donor Cultivation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Integrated Fundraising - Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Multichannel marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Online Fundraising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stewardship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cultivation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[customer service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[donor acknowledgment system]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[donor service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[integrated fundraising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stewardship]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/?p=2634</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Your fall, holiday, and end-of-year campaigns are underway. You’ve carefully integrated your direct mail with email, telemarketing, your website, social media, press releases, and possibly mobile. That’s good. What happens when your prospects, donors and members respond? What’s your integrated plan for acknowledging their generosity? How will you express your gratitude and exceed their expectations [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p>Your fall, holiday, and end-of-year campaigns are underway. You’ve carefully integrated your direct mail with email, telemarketing, your website, social media, press releases, and possibly mobile.</p>
<p>That’s good.</p>
<p>What happens when your prospects, donors and members respond? <strong>What’s your integrated plan for acknowledging their generosity?<br />
</strong><br />
How will you express your gratitude and <strong>exceed their expectations</strong> with your expressions of gratitude?</p>
<p>Here are my thoughts for a basic acknowledgment system:</p>
<p><strong>Online donors (house file)</strong></p>
<ul>
<li> Donors immediately see an acknowledgment page on the website after making the donation.</li>
<li> Link(s) on the page take them further into the topic they just supported with their gift.</li>
<li> Immediately sent a personalize email saying thank you.</li>
<li> Within a week they also receive a personalized direct mail thank you letter (NOT a form letter).</li>
<li> Depending on the size of the gift, a thank you phone call would be a smart idea. Just DON’T ask for another donation.</li>
<li> Email down the road that gives them an update on the program they just supported.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Online donors (prospects)</strong></p>
<ul>
<li> Donors immediately see an acknowledgment page on the website after making the donation.</li>
<li> Link(s) on the page take them further into the topic they just supported with their gift.</li>
<li> Immediately sent a personalize email saying thank you and welcome to your organization. Now they receive your “welcome series” of emails and are suppressed from the rest of your email mailings until the series is complete.</li>
<li> Within a week they also receive a personalized direct mail thank you letter (NOT a form letter) and your welcome package.</li>
<li> Depending on the size of the gift, a thank you phone call would be a smart idea. Just DON’T ask for another donation.</li>
<li> Email down the road that gives them an update on the program they just supported.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Direct mail donors (house file)</strong></p>
<ul>
<li> Within a week they receive a personalized direct mail thank you letter (NOT a form letter).</li>
<li> Depending on the size of the gift, a thank you phone call would be a smart idea. Just DON’T ask for another donation.</li>
<li> Send an update down the road on the program they just supported.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Direct mail donors (prospects)</strong></p>
<ul>
<li> Within a week they receive a personalized direct mail thank you letter (NOT a form letter) and your welcome package.</li>
<li> Depending on the size of the gift, a thank you phone call would be a smart idea. Just DON’T ask for another donation.</li>
<li> Send an update down the road on the program they just supported.</li>
</ul>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Don’t treat everyone the same</h3>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em>Some donors – based on the size of their gift – warrant high touch.</em> For example: A genuine one-on-one letter from the top leader of your organization. I mean, with each letter you start with a blank sheet of paper and write it for that ONE donor.</p>
<p>For others a warm phone call is a nice touch. I recommend you also have differences in your welcome package for the mid-level and high-end gifts.</p>
<p>I’ve been touting for several months that in today’s market … in today’s economy … with today’s savvy donors and consumers you MUST GIVE THEM AN EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCE.<br />
<strong><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;">Make</span> resources available and create an <em>exceptional experience</em> for your supporters. </strong></p>
<p>Cut corners with your expressions of gratitude and you’ll pay dearly: Fewer repeat gifts. Retention drops. Average gift size declines. Acquisition declines (ask me how that happens if you’re skeptical).</p>
<p>You raise far less revenue with a casual, perfunctory acknowledgment system.</p>
<p><em>What business decision will you make?</em></p>
<p>Related posts and resources:</p>
<p style="text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;"><a title="Zapp Guide - Thank You Letters" href="http://pkscribe.com/zapp_guides/thank_you_letters_guide.html " target="_blank">Need help with your thank you letter? </a></p>
<p style="text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;"><a title="Zapp Nonprofit Blog - Nonprofit Loyalty Program" href="http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/nonprofit-loyalty-program/" target="_blank">Create a Nonprofit Loyalty Program</a></p>
<p style="text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;"><a title="Zapp Nonprofit Blog - Nickel and Diming Donors" href="http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/are-you-nickel-and-diming-your-donors/ " target="_blank">Are you Nickel-and-Diming Your Donors?</a></p>
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		<title>How NOT to do nonprofit email marketing</title>
		<link>http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/how-not-to-do-nonprofit-email-marketing/</link>
		<comments>http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/how-not-to-do-nonprofit-email-marketing/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 28 Jul 2011 12:42:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen Zapp, copywriter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Copywriting - Nonprofit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Email]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Online Fundraising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[email marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nonprofit email]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/?p=2215</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[People need to know WHY you’re sending them an email. Is it to simply share a story of the great work donors and members are doing through their support of your nonprofit?  Is it to ask them to sign an electronic petition?  Is it to ask them to support your charity?  Or is it to ask [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p>People need to know WHY you’re sending them an email.</p>
<p><strong>Is it to simply share a story</strong> of the great work donors and members are doing through their support of your nonprofit? </p>
<p><strong>Is it to ask them to sign an electronic petition?</strong> </p>
<p><strong>Is it to ask them to support your charity?</strong>  Or is it to ask them to <strong>register for a conference</strong> your association offers? </p>
<p>Whatever you write … and whatever your purpose is … you must make it CLEAR why you’re writing and what you want the reader to do.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Don’t take this approach</h3>
<p>I recently received an email from a charity and I have no idea why they sent it or what they expect me to do. </p>
<p>Here is the COMPLETE text of their message:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">We’re new and struggling.  Just thought you should know about us. [link to their website]</p>
<p>I kid you not.  That is the entire message.</p>
<p>Granted; it wasn’t a blast email to a list.  Errr, at least I’m reasonably certain it was sent <span style="text-decoration: underline;">only</span> to me.  Nonetheless, doesn’t everyone deserve the courtesy of a clear message?</p>
<p>You might be thinking, “<em>Yeah but Karen, our nonprofit would <strong>never</strong> send out something like that to our subscribers so why cite it as an example?”</em></p>
<p>I cite it as an example because I believe far too many emails aren’t much more explicit than this one was &#8230; even when they have more copy.  And it also goes to “frame of mind.”  If he did this with me what’s the probability he’ll do a “180” and write a great email to a list of prospects or donors?</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Common email weaknesses</h3>
<p>The email I received illustrates at least 5 common weaknesses of nonprofit emails<strong>:</strong></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">◊</span> </strong>The sender wasn’t thinking like the reader.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">◊</span> </strong>The sender was absorbed in his own world and zipped something off in a hurry which did nothing to enhance my impression of the organization. </p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">◊ </span></strong>The sender forgot that prospects, donors, members and other supporters are also busy people!  We&#8217;re not going to spend time deciphering the message.  Plus I believe the sender will quickly find that being small and new doesn’t get them much slack from readers. </p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">◊</span> </strong>The sender thought they were clear but unfortunately they weren’t even close to being clear. </p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">◊ </span></strong>The sender didn’t tell me what they hoped I would do.  There was no call-to-action or statement similar to, “I’m writing you today because …”</p>
<p><strong>Don’t get lazy with your nonprofit email marketing.</strong>  Everything you do creates an impression that either builds your image or chips away at it.</p>
<p>More nonprofit email help from <strong><em>Zapp Nonprofit Blog:</em></strong></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><a title="Zapp Nonprofit Blog - 7 email guidelines" href="http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/7-guidelines-for-emails-readers-respond-to/" target="_blank">7 Guidelines for Emails Readers Respond To</a></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><a title="Zapp Nonprofit Blog - hurricanes, mysteries, fundraising" href="http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/hurricanes-mysteries-and-fundraising" target="_blank">Hurricanes, Mysteries and Fundraising</a></p>
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		<title>Nonprofit web design: The risky dominance of images</title>
		<link>http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/nonprofit-web-design-the-risky-dominance-of-images/</link>
		<comments>http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/nonprofit-web-design-the-risky-dominance-of-images/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:45:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen Zapp, copywriter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Integrated Fundraising - Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marketing for Nonprofits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Online Fundraising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Website - Nonprofit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nonprofit website design]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/?p=2188</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Once again I find myself in partial disagreement with the good folks at “Nonprofit 2.0.”  On Monday they published a post titled, 11 Nonprofit Websites Designed for the Social Web. I’m not in complete agreement that the 11 examples they cited are great examples to emulate. My primary concern is that these websites have too [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p>Once again I find myself in partial disagreement with the good folks at “Nonprofit 2.0.”  On Monday they published a post titled, <em><a title="Nonprofit 2.0 web dsgn post" href="http://bit.ly/pbWlMF" target="_blank">11 Nonprofit Websites Designed for the Social Web</a>.</em></p>
<p>I’m not in <em>complete </em>agreement that the 11 examples they cited are great examples to emulate.</p>
<p><strong>My primary concern is that these websites have too much for the eye to focus on – there’s too much competing  &#8211; screaming &#8211; for our attention.</strong> And that lowers conversions. In other words, FEWER visitors TAKE ACTION (respond to your call-to-action).</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Fewer conversions is the risk you take<br />
with a website dominated by images</h3>
<p>Here’s what I mean . . .</p>
<p>Yes we are more visual and this includes watching videos (although the stats for what is watched start-to-finish are <em>extremely low</em>; few people watch beyond 10 seconds).  And we don’t want a mass of text.  That’s <span style="text-decoration: underline;">never</span> been the right approach for the web.</p>
<p>Plus it’s <span style="text-decoration: underline;">always</span> been smart to have obvious placement of &#8220;Donate Now” buttons, and e-newsletter “Subscribe” sign-ups.  However, <em>on the home page I believe these should domina</em>te and the social networking icons should NOT be located nearby.</p>
<p>And yes, we like images (e.g., photos).  <strong>But although we may be more visual, repeated testing of what donors and supporters do proves that they still want to get basic questions answered.</strong> And for a website they want these answers within 5 seconds of landing on your site.</p>
<p>So if you don’t have enough copy to answer those questions; and if they have so many images, buttons, and bright colors to look at that their eye doesn’t know WHAT to focus one … then you’ve missed the boat.</p>
<p>Remember: <em>A home page is also a landing page.  And you need to have your primary CTA above the fold.</em></p>
<p>Of the eleven websites touted as “excellent examples” I’d love to see <span style="text-decoration: underline;">data</span> on these websites.  What about A/B split tests of people landing on the new design versus a varied design?  Then compare conversion statistics for the two designs.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Base web design on testing</h3>
<p>Designs ought to be based on tangible testing and not a clutter of cool pictures and videos that the staff is in love with.</p>
<p>Clarity trumps “oh this is such a pretty picture” every time.  Clarity trumps “clever” every time.  Stated another way:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">o </span></strong><em>Is it obvious to VISITORS what you want them to do on this page?</em> What is the primary action you want them to take?  If they did nothing else they would _____ (fill in the blank).</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">If it’s to look at a photo, then fill up the entire screen above the fold with the photo. Personally I don’t see how looking at a photo alone can acquire more donors or members; get more people to donate; get more people to be email subscribers; etc.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>o</strong></span> <em>Don’t have so many buttons and calls-to-action that you get fewer conversions because people can’t decide</em>.  And by fewer conversions I’m referring to fewer donations, fewer sign-ups, fewer everything except oohs and ahs over the pretty graphics.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>o</strong></span> I say again: Think twice, three times and more before you fill up the entire screen “above the fold” with a single photo or video.  But if someone on your staff insists, then <em>at least do an A/B split test for 3-6 months (tweaking along the way) and collect conversion data.  Which design did the best job of meeting your business goals?</em></p>
<p>By the way; I love photos.  Photography is a hobby I’ve enjoyed since I was 9 or 10 years old.</p>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">Photos don&#8217;t answer critical donor questions</h3>
<p><strong>Looking at a terrific photo of the beach doesn’t tell me exactly what your nonprofit does or why I should support you in lieu of another environmental charity.</strong> It doesn’t tell me your track record for getting the job done.  Nor does it reassure me that I can trust you with my money.</p>
<p>And ladies and gentlemen, repeated testing by several organizations has proven that <strong>this information is of primary importance to donors</strong>.  This information – presented succinctly in copy that&#8217;s easy to find and read, and enhanced by the right graphics – is what gets them to donate, sign-up, and take other actions on your website.  I don’t say this because I’m a copywriter.  I say it because <em>donors&#8217; actions prove this is what works</em>.</p>
<p><strong>Please don’t rush out and redesign your nonprofit website to mirror these 11 examples</strong> cited by “Nonprofit Tech 2.0.”</p>
<p>I’m not saying they’re completely bad!!!  Many things are being done right on these sites.</p>
<p>I am saying a design should be based on what works best for YOUR nonprofit.  And you’ll only know that by using solid testing procedures to guide your design.  Set your business goals and then proceed with redesign and testing, step-by-step. This approach minimizes your risk with any new website or redesign.</p>
<p><a title="List of Web usability posts - Zapp Nonprofit Blog" href="http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/category/website-nonprofit/" target="_blank">More website usability help for nonprofits</a>.</p>
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		<title>Test every link or else you risk trouble</title>
		<link>http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/test-every-link-or-else-you-risk-trouble/</link>
		<comments>http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/test-every-link-or-else-you-risk-trouble/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Jul 2011 22:35:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen Zapp, copywriter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Marketing for Nonprofits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Online Fundraising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nonprofit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[online marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[proofreading]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/?p=2167</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When you create a newsletter, email, web page, text message, etc. make it a priority to test every hyperlink BEFORE publishing. No exceptions.  Period. Why is this imperative? 1 – Bad links frustrate readers.  Instead of getting the promised content, they end up on an “error page” or a page with the wrong content. 2 [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p>When you create a newsletter, email, web page, text message, etc. make it a priority to test every hyperlink BEFORE publishing.</p>
<p>No exceptions.  Period.</p>
<p><em>Why is this imperative?</em></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">1 –</span></strong> Bad links <strong>frustrate readers</strong>.  Instead of getting the promised content, they end up on an “error page” or a page with the wrong content.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>2 –</strong></span> Bad links <strong>give the impression you don’t check your work carefully</strong>.  You don’t pay attention to detail.  And if you mess this up people start wondering, “<em>What else is your organization doing wrong?”</em></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong><span style="color: #ff6600;">3 –</span> </strong>Your charity or association gets <strong>low response and poor conversions</strong>.  How can you get the results you want when supporters don’t end up on the right page? </p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">This means your surveys are left unanswered.  Donations never received.  Memberships not renewed.  Events not registered for.  You get the idea.</p>
<p>And here’s<span style="color: #ff6600;"> <strong>one more reason:</strong> Bad links might turn out to be embarrassing</span>.  For example, this happened to me …</p>
<p>I publish a newsletter twice a month, the <a title="Zapp Nonprofit Leader newsletter" href="https://app.e2ma.net/app/view:Join/signupId:57561" target="_blank">Zapp Nonprofit Leader</a>.  Every issue there’s a place where I invite my subscribers to follow me on Twitter.  This includes a link to my Twitter page.</p>
<p>At a glance as I created the link last week everything looked fine.  But it wasn&#8217;t.   </p>
<p>Here’s the “BAD” link I found when testing ALL my links prior to publishing my newsletter:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2172" title="pks_bad-link" src="http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/pks_bad-link.jpg" alt="" width="252" height="40" /></p>
<p><em>Although I disabled the link</em>, below is a screen shot of where you end up if you could click on it: <strong>You&#8217;re on a page with a dumb survey</strong>.  And there’s no way to get out of it short of closing the window.  This would certainly have annoyed my treasured newsletter subscribers had I sent them to such a page.  And I would have been mortified.</p>
<div id="attachment_2173" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 269px">
	<img class="size-full wp-image-2173" title="pks_bad-link-landing-pg2" src="http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/pks_bad-link-landing-pg2.jpg" alt="" width="269" height="152" />
	<p class="wp-caption-text">Landing page of the bad link</p>
</div>
<p>Fortunately it’s not a porn site.  <em>But someone has snatched up a common typo error (i.e., Twiter is the mistake; it should be Twitter), to capitalize on with their survey and gimmick</em>. </p>
<p><strong>Unscrupulous people have created a minefield for us.</strong>  Simple typos and other errors can send your supporters onto sites you don’t want to be associated with.  <strong>Don’t risk trouble by being lazy</strong>.</p>
<p>Instead check every single hyperlink BEFORE you publish your content. </p>
<p>Verify that your readers, visitors, donors, and members will end up on the right page by testing it first.  Everyone will be happier because everyone is getting what they want – you and your supporters.</p>
<p>Any examples you want to share?  Please add a comment below.</p>
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		<title>Social Media Icons and the Nonprofit Homepage</title>
		<link>http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/social-media-icons-and-the-nonprofit-homepage/</link>
		<comments>http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/social-media-icons-and-the-nonprofit-homepage/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 07 Jun 2011 11:40:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen Zapp, copywriter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Marketing for Nonprofits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Online Fundraising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Website - Nonprofit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nonprofit website]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/?p=2034</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The home page of ANY website – charity, association, for-profit, etc. – is prime real estate.  What goes where, color schemes, style sheets, primary call-to-action for the page, rotating content, and so on are just a few of the main design considerations. A recent blog post by Nonprofit Tech 2.0 briefly discussed where social media [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p>The home page of ANY website – charity, association, for-profit, etc. – is prime real estate.  What goes where, color schemes, style sheets, primary call-to-action for the page, rotating content, and so on are just a few of the main design considerations.</p>
<div id="attachment_2041" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 233px">
	<img class="size-full wp-image-2041" title="Social Media Icons-2" src="http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Social-Media-Icons-2.jpg" alt="" width="233" height="56" />
	<p class="wp-caption-text">Sample Social Media Icons</p>
</div>
<p>A recent blog post by <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a title="Nonprofti Tech post - SM icons" href="http://bit.ly/kkLFrT" target="_blank">Nonprofit Tech 2.0</a></span> briefly discussed where social media icons ought to be located on a nonprofit’s homepage.  The post stated, “…<em>I am big believer in the power upper right-hand corner of your homepage</em>…”</p>
<p><em>I’m NOT in complete agreement</em>.</p>
<p><strong>The decision on what goes in the upper right corner is complex and strategic</strong>.  And just because five of the larger nonprofits (5 orgs cited in the post) place the icons in the upper right corner still doesn’t make it the best decision for them or for anyone else.</p>
<p>Don’t rush out and re-design your home page based on the <em>Nonprofit Tech 2.0</em> post.  I generally like what they have to say but this time I believe they&#8217;ve over-simplified an issue to the point of being misleading.</p>
<p>Here are some factors to study, analyze and weigh <span style="text-decoration: underline;">before</span> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">deciding</span> WHAT GOES IN THE UPPER RIGHT CORNER of your home page:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">- What is the primary purpose of YOUR home page? What do you want it to achieve?</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">- What is the primary call-to-action for YOUR home page?  If visitors did nothing else, what is the ONE action (conversion) you would love them to take? </p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"> - How many competing calls-to-action exist on your home page?  The more there are the lower your overall conversions will be.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">- Do you have an email list?  Is it important to grow your list and gain more subscribers?</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"> - What is your social media strategy? What social networks are you involved with (e.g., Facebook, Twitter) and how do they help your nonprofit grow?</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"> - How many buttons, icons, and bright colors are competing for the web visitor’s eye?</p>
<p>That’s the tip of the iceberg when it comes to laying out your home page.  As I said before, it’s a complex design decision. </p>
<p>Hopefully those six bullets help you clearly see the point I want to make which is &#8230;</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>The upper right corner of the home page ought to be reserved for the primary call-to-action.  </strong></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">IF that’s getting more people to join your social networking groups, then put the social media icons here. </p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">But IF it’s getting more newsletter/email subscribers, or getting people to respond to a petition, or another call-to-action . . . then put the social media icons somewhere else. </p>
<p>Rule of thumb is to<em> reserve the upper right corner of your home page for the most desired conversion.</em>  Don’t play follow the leader when it comes to designing your nonprofit’s website home page.  There’s too much at stake.</p>
<p>Related posts:</p>
<p><a title="blog - who-what-how nonprofit website copy" href="http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/the-who-what-why-and-how-of-nonprofit-website-copy/" target="_self">The Who, What, Why and How of Nonprofit Website Copy</a></p>
<p><a title="blog - Make it Easy For Web Visitors" href="http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/make-it-easy-for-web-visitors/" target="_self">Make it Easy for Web Visitors</a></p>
<p><a title="blog - Nonprofi website usability - Part 1" href="http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/nonprofit-website-usability-in-detail-part1" target="_self">Nonprofit Website Usability in Detail – Part 1</a></p>
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		<title>3 Steps to Strategically Mobile Nonprofits</title>
		<link>http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/3-steps-to-strategically-mobile-nonprofits/</link>
		<comments>http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/3-steps-to-strategically-mobile-nonprofits/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 01 Mar 2011 13:45:09 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Karen Zapp, copywriter</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Donor Cultivation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Integrated Fundraising - Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mobile Giving]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mobile Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mobile for Nonprofits]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Online Fundraising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Website - Nonprofit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[integrated fundraising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[integrated nonprofit marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mobile for nonprofits]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://pkscribe.com/nonprofit_news/?p=1769</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[One way or the other ALL nonprofits ought to be involved with mobile.  On one end of the spectrum this only involves getting your website and emails mobile-friendly.  And on the other end it means also having a completely integrated marketing and fundraising program that incorporates text cultivation messages, mobile ads, and mobile giving. However you proceed, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p><strong>One way or the other ALL nonprofits ought to be involved with mobile. </strong></p>
<p>On one end of the spectrum this only involves getting your website and emails mobile-friendly.  And on the other end it means also having a completely integrated marketing and fundraising program that incorporates text cultivation messages, mobile ads, and mobile giving.</p>
<p>However you proceed, <strong>the wise nonprofit will begin by thinking strategically</strong>.  Here are three initial steps to viewing mobile more strategically:</p>
<p><em><span style="color: #008000;">1 &#8211; Recognize how donors, members and prospects are interacting with you via mobile.</span></em></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Are you on Facebook?</strong>  50% of Facebook traffic is via mobile devices.  Therefore any links from Facebook to your website should be to mobile-friendly pages.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>What percentage of your website traffic is from mobile devices?</strong>  And from which devices (e.g., Blackberry, Android, or iPhone)?  Google Analytics – which is free – tells you all this under “visitor” information.  And even if the percentage is relatively low today, are you sure you want to annoy this 5 or 10% by making pages all but impossible to read for them? </p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Do you send emails</strong> to your supporters?  Growing numbers of people use mobile devices to read their emails. </p>
<p><em><span style="color: #008000;">2 – What programs and areas of your fundraising and marketing programs could use a little help?  Which ones are particularly compatible with mobile?</span></em></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Have any special events?  </strong>For example:  Walk-a-thons, run-a-thons, or whatever-a-thons are all very compatible to promotion via mobile.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Do you encourage <strong>peer-to-peer fundraising</strong>?  If so, again strongly consider adding mobile to the mix.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Do you want to <strong>strengthen the relationships</strong> you have with your supporters?  Do you want personal one-on-one communications with them?  Mobile is ideal for cultivation and building loyalty.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Do you want to have a <strong>quick way to raise funds</strong> for a special project (e.g., $10,000 for new school computers this fall), or be ready for disaster relief fundraising?  Mobile is a fast action channel.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Do you want <strong>educational articles or resources available</strong> to people?  The American Cancer Society is gearing up to have health information at the fingertips of those who need it.  For example: If you just found out you had cancer and didn’t understand half of what the doctor just told you, you’ll start looking for more info fast.  Mobile searches make it available instantly while sitting in the car outside the doctor’s office.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Could your staff and/or volunteers work more efficiently</strong> – help more people – through mobile?  For example:  Coordinate the actions of your people in the field helping beneficiaries of your mission via text messages or alerts.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Do you want to <strong>boost email open rates and conversions</strong>?  Augment with mobile text messages.</p>
<p><em><span style="color: #008000;">3 – Adjust how you think and operate.  (This may be the toughest of all.)</span></em></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Integrate all your databases. </p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong>Break down the silos.</strong>  For example, think about how best to cultivate ALL donors and not online over here and direct mail over there by different staff members.  Have team meetings where your analytics, email, social, mobile and web people all show up and work toward common goals.</p>
<p>That ought to jump start your strategic thinking about mobile.</p>
<p><strong>One last thought:</strong>  On February 16th I attended Nonprofit Mobile Day (DMANF in Washington, DC).  One of the speakers said this,</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">“<em>If you believe in mobile you can do phenomenal things – regardless of size and budget.  But you must BELIEVE.  Everyone who tries it . . . loves it.”</em></p>
<p>Need more help understanding mobile?  Want a handy resource you can refer to that’s written for non-techies?  <a title="Mobile for Nonprofits" href="http://www.pkscribe.com/zapp_guides/mobile_for_nonprofits.html" target="_self">Get the “<em>Mobile for Nonprofits</em>” guide book you’ll find by clicking this link.</a></p>
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