Category: technology

Online videos offer endless opportunities to non-profits

technology

Mission in Motion

By Rose Reinert
Guest blogger

rose1It was years into my role as Executive Director at a youth serving agency that it became crystal clear to me that helping people see could help them believe. Hands down, I encouraged board members to bring people in for tours, which often ended in an ask for an investment in our mission.

There is no argument that a story rich in description — sharing colors, smells, and sights — is gripping and engaging. There are countless opportunities for our beloved elevator speeches, and organization overviews, but there is no doubt, when you can provide someone the first hand look at the mission in motion, your sales pitch gets much easier.

This is the concept of Chapter 10 — “Got Video? (Video Sharing)” — in Lon Safko’s book, The Social Media Bible.

It is very easy nowadays to capture your “Mission in Motion” through various strategies. Consider utilizing some of these:

  • Client Testimonials
  • Board Member Orientation & Engagement
  • Donor Highlights
  • Organization Overview

It is sometimes difficult to get prospects for a tour or even to an event. So, why not utilize a short video via e-mail to share your mission and introduce them to your services? One of my favorite stories is a video that was made especially for a donor that highlighted a youth of the program thanking them for their investments.

How impactful!

Another great one was another youth agency that featured youth inviting guests to attend a benefit event through a short video invite.

Another great way to stand out to supporters!

Of course, the most simple online video is the simple case for support message like the one you see in the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) video about stopping the ivory trade and supporting their efforts to save the elephant population. Click here or on the video below to check-out this example.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FB2doKRl94&feature=c4-overview-vl&list=PL0WSjIIFKH_gUaKCS6M1jfMP8PE1q0H_t]

In addition to reading Lon Safko’s book, here are a few additional links you might find helpful in developing your agency’s “picture” to share with prospects and donors:

So how can you capture your mission to share your story best? How have you used video to engage donors or volunteers?
rose draft sig

Is your non-profit using podcasts to engage others?

technology

Podcasts can engage you, your volunteers & your donors

By Rose Reinert
Guest blogger
rose1Any time you can increase engagement with volunteers and donors it is a win. Today, we will continue down the path of reading Lon Safko’s book “The Social Media Bible” and review chapter nine. We will dicsuss a common tool you can use to uniquely engage, education and develop board members and volunteers.
A few weeks ago I presented blogs, and talked about how blogs could be used both for personal development as well as provide engagement opportunities for donors and volunteers. In this next chapter, Safko covers utilizing podcasts as a marketing tool. Again, here is a tool that can both benefit you in your professional development and utilized to cover topics to engage your volunteers or donors.
Creating a podcast is pretty simple. Follow these steps to create the best product:

  1. Planning
  2. Recording
  3. Editing
  4. Publishing

podcastThese steps are pretty obvious and easy to follow. Because of the growing popularity of podcasts, it is often included in various software publishing wizards. You can also utilize tools like Liberated Syndication to publish your podcast.
Sometimes you don’t have to reinvent the wheel and you can utilize current podcasts to share with your donors, volunteers and board members. Below are some great resources to start exploring.
Fundraising is Beautiful – This resource is dedicated to donor engagement and donor centered approaches to fundraising.
Grant Whisperer – This radio show features grant writing tips, secrets and strategies for raising funds for your organization.
Board Star –This resource offers numerous podcasts and articles for board members and executive leadership.
These are just a few possibilities to explore. I encourage you to find more that are relevant to you, and please share your favorites using the comment box below!
Additionally, please consider how you could use a podcast to engage donors, train volunteers or board members. Share those ideas, too.
How have you utilized podcasts?  What are the biggest opportunities or challenges you see in using podcasts?
Oh by the way, Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day everyone. In addition to some volunteer work, I hope everyone takes a moment to reflect upon how social media and podcasting might have impacted Dr. King’s message (both good or not-so-good). I just think it is a fun thing to contemplate on a day like today.
rose draft sig

Your non-profit needs to learn how to say "Cheese!"

technology

Online pics are worth a thousand words!

By Rose Reinert
Guest blogger
rose1We have all heard the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Well, that is the basis of Lon Safko’s eighth chapter, which he titled “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words (Photo Sharing)”. In this chapter, he discusses the impact of utilizing images in social media.
Safko illustrates the impact of utilizing photos in social media through an example. I will utilize the same concept, but place it in terms of donors.
Put yourself in the shoes of a donor. You have been engaged by an organization, and you want to learn more about them. When you go onto their website you find pictures of events depicting a wide array of supporters. You also see pictures of the agency’s leadership (e.g. board of directors) and see their mission in motion on Facebook through pictures with client activities and events.
While this seems like it might not make a big difference in regards to whether or not the prospect ultimate engages, consider the alternative.
You begin researching an organization and find very few images on their webpage or social media sites. There are no pictures of leadership, events or even of their facilities. What questions would that leave in your mind?
Still not convinced, consider these statistics provided by MBooth:

  • Photos are liked two times more than text updates
  • Videos are shared 12-times more than links and text posts combined
  • Facebook reached 100 million users in 4 years, but Instagram is on pace to beat it
  • 42% of all posts on Facebook are photos

Is there any doubt? Adding images enhances the users experience, and it is lots of fun!
Where should you start? Simply begin to think about your posts and experiences through images. I started to look around at some well known organizations to see which ones stood out to me.
Girl Scouts of America
bullyingI just loved their Facebook page that was filled with various images. What I loved was how they branded each message with their colors and their logo.
They also included pictures of Girl Scouts from throughout the nation doing various projects and activities.
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
st judeThis group really understands how images can impact and catch the viewer’s eye. With every post on Facebook, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital included an image.
This really pulled me and engaged me in their stories!
There were stories of success, struggle and impact both from those benefiting from St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as well as those supporting the organization.
World Wildlife Fund
wwfOf course, when I looked at WWF’s Face book page I expected to see tons of pictures of animals. I was surprised, however, to see even more.
This group also does a great job posting a photo or a video with each story. The posts were not just highlight various animals, but also provided daily things each of us could do to help.
What about your agency?
So, now it’s your turn! It is pretty easy, and very fun. Start spicing up your posts and see how people respond. I would love to hear more about your experience.
How have you used images to tell your story? What responses have you see to your usage of images? What struggles have you had with sharing images?
rose draft sig

Non-profits are engaging and collaborating using wiki

technology

How can your agency effectively use wiki?

By Rose Reinert
Guest blogger
rose1Last Monday, we dug into chapter 6 of Lon Safko’s book “The Social Media Bible” and talked about the benefits of reading and writing blogs. This week, we explore chapter 7 where Safko investigates “The Wisdom of the Wiki.”
When I cracked open this chapter and began to read, I instantly found myself concentrating very hard. I read, and re-read, to try and wrap my head around first what was a “wiki” and how the heck I could figure out how to turn it into a blog post.
What is a “Wiki”?
A wiki is a browser-based web platform or software where individuals can add information and edit content. Wiki are sometimes used internally in an organization and require registration; however, there are also more public wikis that allow edits and contributions without registration.
Wikis are an open set of documents so they are accessible to the public or a large group, as such there is always a chance that content could be compromised or what Safko refers to as “vandalized.”
Very open wikis often require you to register to help to reduce the chance of this or offer follow-up to a user.
Let’s Get Wiki-with-It!
wikiSafko recommends getting started by visiting some wikis.
So I did!
Wikipedia is one of the most popular public wikis. I suggest you visit, read, add some facts, and make some corrections (if you find any) and then Google for more Wikis.
Ironically, as I looked around for wikis, I found Wikispaces Classroom, which is a wiki for teachers to utilize with their students. It is also a platform to coordinate and execute class projects. I found a great article on this site highlighting some great examples of how non-profits are using wiki.
Here are some of my favorite examples:
Rt. 1 Day Center
The Rt. 1 Day Center, a homeless center in Columbia, Maryland, uses their wiki to coordinate volunteers for their meals, showers, laundry and social services. More than 40 churches in the area partner with the center, volunteering for a day’s service once a month. The wiki is the community hub where volunteers sign-up, check what’s been happening at the center, and inform next-day volunteers about needed food and supplies.
CARE
CARE is a global non-profit working to fight poverty. They use Wikispaces Private Label as a platform for members to communicate, collaborate, and share best practices. They have many wikis on their site, including:

  • A knowledge café where individuals share best practices for engaging the cultures and communities in which they work
  • A wiki where they train their global members and volunteers in emergency preparedness and response
  • Various wikis designed by groups of employees interested in bringing new capacities to the organization
  • Wikis devoted to strategic planning, improving their organization, and measuring the impact of their various projects and initiatives

With Wikispaces Private Label, CARE has built an active community where members can find resources, develop skills, and improve the long-term health of the organization.
Skills Standards for the Woodworking Industry
Until recently, the woodworking industry was one of the few industries left without standards to help evaluate, educate and compensate their workforce. A group of woodworking professionals from across the industry used Wikispaces to compile a set of skills standards. Wikispaces enabled them to rewrite the standards for 33 woodworking tools with only a single face-to-face meeting. The work they did on the wiki over a two-year period was approved by the Woodwork Career Alliance of North America [WCANA] and released in July 2009 as a 134 page manual for the field.
These are just a few examples. I am eager to learn from you all! Please use the comment box below to share your experience working with wiki.
Have you ever had a great success with using wiki? What are other ways you can think of to utilize this resource?
rose draft sig

New Years resolutions for me and your non-profit agency

technology

new yearGood morning everyone! Yesterday was New Years Day and I spent the first day of 2014 in a car trying to make it half way back to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. As many of you know, I am still working on a contract temporarily providing technical assistance and organizational services to 20 organizations in New Mexico and West Texas.
During the first leg of my drive yesterday, I spent lots of time thinking about New Years resolutions, which is the focus of today’s post.
To resolve or not to resolve?
resolutionsLet me first address the question of whether or not resolutions are meaningful.
There is lots and lots of talk about whether or not New Years resolutions are helpful or just a waste of time. The way I look at it, resolutions are akin to goal setting. And an  individual or organization without goals is rudderless. Right? So, where is the harm in setting a few realistic resolutions.
While driving yesterday, I came up with a few goals for improvement that I’d like to tackle in 2014. Of course, there is my annual re-commitment to health and weight loss, but I’m not going down that path with you today.
There are two other resolutions that I am very excited about and thought you might want to consider adopting for your agency.
Technology
techWhen I opened my non-profit consulting practice 2.5 years ago — The Healthy Non-Profit LLC — I did so on the cheap. I used $15,000 of savings to get everything off the ground including: branding, marketing materials, website, home office set-up, and technology.
Needless to say, I ended up making some tough decisions around technology. Case in point, I’m typing this mornings blog on a small Netbook laptop-ish looking computer that operates with an Itel Atom processor (which I think is akin to having a gerbil power the engine of my car).
One of my 2014 New Years resolutions is to invest in technology in a way where I will straddle a 3-way fence.
What I mean is that I will combine the power of the technology world’s three biggest players:

  • Google
  • Microsoft
  • Apple

When I opened my business, I sold my soul to Google. I primarily did this because there was lots and lots of free stuff to be had.
I also didn’t have money to purchase Microsoft products and ended up using free productivity software like Apache OpenOffice, which is really good public domain free software that mimics Microsoft products.
However, the world is changing and technology is progressing along faster than ever. Microsoft is racing to the cloud and challenging Google for market share. Have you seen the new Microsoft Surface computers? What about Microsoft 365? These questions don’t even touch the issues associated with Google purchasing Motorola and getting into the smart phone business. Ugh!
My New Years resolution to move closer to the cutting edge of technology by purchasing a Surface tablet/laptop, subscribing to Microsoft 365, and integrating an iPad into my Google and Microsoft new world order is ambitious. But the timing feels right to me.
For your non-profit agency, I suggest you take a good hard look at technology. I suspect there there might be a New Years resolution waiting there for you.
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve walked into a client’s office and their technology is biting them in the butt.
Many non-profit organizations are “resource poor” by definition. In environments like these, technology is typically basic and under-maintained.
Since tech has a short shelf life, most non-profits live with severely outdated hardware, software, networks, and systems.
I can almost hear you moaning and yelling into your computer: “But we don’t have the money, Erik!”
OK, OK, OK . . . 2014 doesn’t necessarily have to be about buying technology for your agency. Your resolution could be all about getting the right group of volunteers around the table to help you develop a written technology plan addressing issues such as:

  • How will your organization upgrade its tech over the next three years?
  • What should your agency’s tech policies look like?
  • What does your agency want to look like from a tech perspective (e.g. network, cloud, Apple, Google, Microsoft, desktop, laptop, tablet, phone, website, blog, ePhilanthropy, databases etc)? And how will all of this capacity be maintained?
  • What is the funding model to attain and maintain what you build?

Tackling this issue is the right thing to do.
Non-profit leaders need to break out of this “starvation cycle” in which they find themselves. It isn’t healthy to under-invest in organizational capacity building because you weaken yourself and plant the seeds of your your own demise.
Communication
enewsOne of the features on my company’s website offers viewers the opportunity to subscribe to a free monthly eNewsletter.
I must confess that I’ve been woeful at keeping this promise. Over the last two years, I’ve published just a handful of newsletters.
My other New Years resolution for 2014 is to do a better job of getting my eNewsletter situation figured out and in working order.
While zipping down the interstate yesterday, I started wondering if this might also be a good goal for your organization?
Too many of my clients seem to be in the same boat as I am when it comes to finding time to publish a newsletter.
However, the reality is that you are going to put yourself out of business if you don’t get this thing figured out. That’s right . . . you heard me correcting — “out of business“!!!
Donors need to hear three big things before they make another contribution to your organization:

  1. Thank you . . . we appreciate your investment
  2. We are using your contribution in the manner in which we told you we would
  3. Your donation is having an impact and making good things happen

Your newsletter or eNewsletter strategy is focused on communicating these three things. Your inability to find the time to communicate these things drives your donor turnover rate sky high, which in turn makes raising money arduous and expensive.
Tackling this issue is the right thing to do.
As I said earlier in this post, non-profit leaders need to break out of this “starvation cycle” in which they find themselves. It isn’t healthy to under-invest in organizational capacity building because you weaken yourself and plant the seeds of your your own demise.
What are your New Years resolutions for 2014? Please use the comment box below to share. Let’s inspire each other today.
Here’s to your health!
Erik Anderson
Founder & President, The Healthy Non-Profit LLC
www.thehealthynonprofit.com
erik@thehealthynonprofit.com
http://twitter.com/#!/eanderson847
http://www.facebook.com/eanderson847
http://www.linkedin.com/in/erikanderson847

Why your non-profit agency should be blogging

Fundraising, technology

Non-profit blogging: What’s In It For Me?

By Rose Reinert
Guest blogger

rose1Last Monday, we explored chapter 5 of Lon Safko’s book “The Social Media Bible” and talked about how online forums might be helpful to your non-profit organization’s fundraising program. This week, we explore chapter 6 where Safko unpacks the history and power of blogs.

A little history

As we discovered last week, online forums or communities became public in the 1990’s. Using various online communities, people posted to bulletin board systems and forums. People started posting online diaries or journals that documented their personal activities to these sites, and they often included pictures and video. In the late 90’s and early 2000’s, blogging began to move from personal diaries to include other topics.

If you are reading this- you can check “reading a blog” off your bucket list!

The very first guest blog that I posted on the DonorDreams platform addressed the key issue that all readers address every time they open an email, visit a website or visit a blog. Of course, it is the question of “What’s in it for me?” (aka WIIFM). What’s cool about today’s post is that we’re going to discuss WIIFM with regards to both reading a blog and writing a blog.

WIIFM? – Reading Blogs

We all know there is only so much time in the day, and while we work to fulfill our day-to-day job duties, it remains challenging to also fit in personal development and staying up-to-date on industry trends. Who has time for trainings and conferences?

There is an easier way!

I recommend hitting the web and taking a look at some blogs that speak to your profession.

Select a few that you can remain committed to reading. Subscribe to those blogs, and content will be delivered to your email inbox as frequently as the blogger publishes. Some bloggers write a monthly post, others do it weekly, and some (like our friend Erik Anderson at DonorDreams blog, try to post something every day).

My suggestion is to set aside about ten minutes into your schedule at the beginning of your day when you’re powering up your computer. Dedicate those 10 minutes to your professional development by reading a blog or two that you’ve subscribe to and speaks to your professional interests.

If you are not sure where to start you can ask colleagues about some of their favorites. Here is a short list of blogs that I suggest you check out:

For more suggestions, please check out the Blogroll section of the DonorDreams blog. If you have suggestions of other blogs to add to blogroll, please use the comment box to share your suggestion and Erik will add them to our online community.  (Isn’t he always saying something like: “We can all learn from each other?”)

blogWIIFM?—Writing a Blog

This is the first time that I have ever blogged. I did one or two guest spots here on the DonorDreams blog platform, but this is the first ongoing guest spot that I have had.

The first several times that I sat down to write- I ended up:

  • stopping and doing the dishes
  • making a phone call to my mom
  • writing a little . . . erasing it
  • playing a game with my kids
  • finally pushing through to finish

Much like anything, with practice, it becomes less intimidating and each time I sharpened that skill a little more.

Any time you enhance communication with your donors or supporters, you continue to build trust. Depending on how you structure your blog contents, a blog can:

  • engage donors
  • keep them updated on news
  • align your organization with national trends or initiatives
  • demonstrate how your organization is working to meet needs and solve problems.

If your agency is striving to become a donor-centered organization, your blog content should be focused on:

  1. appreciating and expressing gratitude to donors
  2. showing donors that you are using their investments how you said you would during the solicitation visit
  3. illustrating the impact that contributions are having on the lives of your clients and throughout the community

Blogging is a great way to show relevance within your industry. I believe that anytime you can differentiate your organization as an expert in a certain area, you build trust and accountability.

Are you thinking about starting a blog? If so, don’t just jump in and start blogging this afternoon. Ensure you are committed to the time it takes. Make sure your dedication to consistently blogging  is a sustainable commitment. The worst thing to do is start with a bang and fizzle out.

So, now it’s your turn. I would love to hear more about your experience blogging. If you don’t blog, then please tell us the comment box to tell me about your favorite blogs.

Does your organization currently use blogging? If so, who is the target audience? Share your ideas for blogging for your organization. Do you think blogging is worth your investment of time?
rose draft sig

Pre-blog technology might be helpful to your agency's fundraising program

Fundraising, technology

Internet forums: A valuable fundraising resource

By Rose Reinert
Guest blogger
rose1Several weeks ago, when I started this blog series, we discussed the idea of opening the lines of communication with donors through social media outlets. In this week’s post, I dive into chapter five of Lon Safko’s “The Social Media Bible” where he talks about a tool that I see as potentially valuable to enhancing your relationship with your donors.
Internet forums were first seen in the 1970s through private Usenet and were seen publicly in 1995. The forum was the precursor to the blog. Since that time, these forums have built strong community ties, loyalty and trust. They are basically online communities that engage people around various topics.
If you are new to forums, you can do what I did . . . explore and click! The book suggested visiting and joining a site called Yuku, which houses a wide variety of forums. As I began to poke around, it was a little bit overwhelming to see the number of options for communities. However, once I sorted through it a bit, I took the first big step by commenting and soon I was part of the community!
Despite this exhilarating experience, the question remains:

What do community forums have to do with donors or your nonprofit?

First, let’s tackle the question of donors.
internet forumsThere are several benefits to engaging your donors in an on-line forum:

  • Donors can feel more engaged, as well as special for being a part of a community
  • You can utilize a forum to give updates on services, strategies or changes
  • You can also utilize a forum to gather feedback from donors

Second, let’s look at how forums can strengthen your non-profit’s resource development program. I found some awesome and unique communities that offer additional resources that you will definitely want to check out.

Giving Library

The Giving Library is a website that connects donors to non-profits through online video interviews. Donors can explore the online archive to locate, study, compare, and engage with hundreds of nonprofit organizations located across the country. The Giving Library also serves non-profits by enhancing donor access through a compelling medium, increasing overall visibility and providing an opportunity to learn about peer organizations. The Laura and John Arnold Foundation covers 100 percent of Giving Library costs for all non-profits selected to participate.

Donors Forum

Donors Forum is a resource for networking and education, information and knowledge, and leadership and advocacy on behalf of philanthropy and nonprofits in Illinois. This online resource provides information for both the donors and the non-profits with listings of workshops, trainings, publications, and best practices

Both of these forums are just two examples of online communities that work at engaging its audience. If you are new to the concept of online communities and forums, take a crash course and poke around at Yuku. Once you feel more comfortable consider hosting a forum or engaging your donors in two-way conversation.
I would love to hear more about your experiences with online forums and communities!
Has your organization every used an online forum to engage donors? What are some questions to pose to donors that could develop conversation? What have been challenges or downsides of this type of communication?rose draft sig

Is your non-profit's website changing with the times?

Fundraising, technology

Using best practices to improve your agency’s website

By Rose Reinert
Guest blogger
rose1It has almost been a year since I took on my new role as Marketing & Outreach Coordinator for a local federally qualified health center. One of the first things I set my sights on changing was our agency’s website.
Our website was made with love by my President/CEO . . . with lots of love . . . but . . . umm . . . lots of words.
You can imagine this was a very delicate project to propose, but I was determined. I am proud to say that nine months after starting, we launched the new website, and it has been our pride and joy ever since. I will insert a shameless plug for you to check out our new website and see what you think!
In chapter four of “The Social Media Bible,” Lon Safkow presents the subject of “The World of Web Pages.” I loved this chapter! I was intrigued by the history of websites. I also loved reading about the “Eye Tracking Study” that discussed people’s reading patterns and confirmed that we look first, and refer back to the upper left corner the most often.
With all of what Safkow talks about in this chapter, I hit the web and learned more about the role that Web Pages play in philanthropy, engagement and donor relations.
Of course, by now, we know that a website can do wonders for:

  • engaging people
  • sharing your story
  • providing a platform for donations

However, we need to ask: “Is simply ensuring your non-profit has a web site enough?”
We learned in last week’s blog that when sending an e-mail or e-blast to an audience, we only have their attention for a few seconds. A website is much the same.
website2Once someone plops on your home page what do they see? Is it mobile friendly? Can they easily navigate it?
Each click and movement to another page is another transaction with our audience. It is also another commitment on their part to give time to learn more. If they grow frustrated, confused or turned off, they can quickly disengage.
In marketing, I often look to those on the cutting edge of technology for trends (in other words . . . those younger than me of course! LOL). There is no doubt that non-profits must figure out how to engage the younger generations to ensure that philanthropy and engagement continued.
So, when we take a look at websites, what do we see and what do our donors want to see?
The Millennial Project is an initiative that assists companies and organizations in learning about and engaging the Millennial generation. (Note: The Millennial generation is made up of those sometimes referred to as Generation Y, with birth years from the early 1980’s to the early 2000’s.)
The 2013 Millennial Impact Report was completed by Achieve which is an agency working with causes to provide research, awareness and support campaigns. This report provides research on what interests this generation, including how to capture their support via your website, social media and other factors. I highly recommend you take a look as it provides insight on so many different topics.
The report highlights the importance of ensuring your website is mobile friendly. (Note: ‘mobile friendly’ does not just mean your site can be pulled up on your phone) If you are pulling up a site and have to zoom in and out in order to see the site, it is more than likely not categorized as “mobile friendly”.
mobileDoes mobile friendly really matter?
According to a recent article, “What Users Want Most from Mobile Sites Today,” on Google’s Think Insights, it is clear being mobile friendly indeed does matter:

  • When they visited a mobile-friendly site, 74% of people say they’re more likely to return to that site in the future
  • 48% of users say they feel frustrated and annoyed when they get to a site that’s not mobile-friendly
  • 36% said they felt like they’ve wasted their time by visiting those sites

Not only is accessibility important, but obviously content is just as critical. Here is more great info from the Achieve research:

  • 75% of young donors are turned off by out-to-date web sites.
  • Six in 10 said they wanted non-profits to share stories about successful projects and programs and appreciated information about an organization’s cause and the people it serves.
  • The donors also prefer to give online, with 84 percent saying they want to give through a Web site.

As we look at continuing to engage the current and next generations through our website, taking a fresh look can be helpful.
There are some easy ways to get outside input on how your website can be improved including:

  • Work with an area college to set up focus groups
  • use on-line surveys
  • gather feedback during donor visits

Take a look at your web site. What do you see? What are some ways you could offer a fresh look? Do you have the infrastructure to support updates to you your site? Share some of your experiences from your favorite websites in the comment box below.
rose draft sig

Does your agency use email effectively as a marketing tool?

technology

Keep your non-profit email marketing out of the Trash Can

By Rose Reinert
Guest blogger
rose1Does this sound familiar? You spend hours preparing your agency’s e-newsletter. After proofreading it and perfecting it, you click send and hope it survives the delete button.
Chapter three of “The Social Media Bible” by Lon Safko did not just hit home for me, but it provided some phenomenal insight on how to increase the likelihood that your e-news will make it past the Trash Can and make an impact.
E-mail is so common, sometimes its power as a marketing tool is overlooked as the new and flashy social media trends continue to emerge.
What are the benefits of utilizing e-mail for marketing?  Let’s take a look:

  • What other marketing medium allows you to reach 5,000 to 50,000 of your potential customers for (nearly) free or a very small cost?
  • What other marketing tool allows you to count how many impressions, responses, conversations, and pass- alongs your e-mail had?

Well, there you have it! This e-newsletter is important, can make a difference, and is trackable and affordable. Eureka!
But wait . . . there are tricks to the trade that you need to learn in order to maximize the effectiveness of your agency’s email strategy.
Content is King
wiifmThe most important question in all marketing is one we broached in last week’s blog — WIIFM — “What’s In It for Me?”
With e-mail you have to convert the WIIFM for your reader quickly, and I mean within seconds.
Many times, just with a glance of the subject line, you are asking your recipient to quickly calculate their investment in reading your message.
Think about your organization, and how you communicate with donors. Every time you ask them to open a piece of direct mail, look at an e-mail or visit your website, there is a transaction. It is not a one-time thing either, every time you have to convince them of their WIIFM.
This entire concept is presented by Safkow in this passage:

“Suppose for some reason, that you really wanted to read the newspaper advertisements today. Your eyes are scanning over the pages of many ads, one of which catches your eye. You decide to not turn the page, but to look at the heading for that ad. How long do you think you are willing to spend to determine if the WIIFM is worth your stopping to read further? A study showed that people are willing to invest or spend only 1.54 seconds of time to make that determination.”

Wow! As I read on, Safko unveiled some great information to help maximize my e-mail efforts.
Your subject line has to convince your recipient in roughly 1.5 seconds whether he should move on to the next stage of investment.
If they decide to continue reading, you now have a whopping 5 seconds! Although much more time than 1.5 seconds, it only allows a person to read about one sentence.
So, within the first seconds of reading your e-mail message, your reader must find WIIFM to remain engaged. If you successfully do this, you move into the third phase which is conversion.
Your reader is likely to read on and follow your call to action, or click-through to your website.
Always remember . . . your e-mail message should always be about building and strengthening a relationship with the reader.
Practice makes Perfect
segmentingAs you work to perfect your strategies, it is important to take some time to test it through what Safko calls segmenting.
Segmenting is no more than splitting your distribution list. Split the list into five and send the exact same body of the message, but with five different subject lines. When doing this, remember to:

  • Pay close attention to the nouns, verbs and adjectives you use.
  • Take your time and be deliberate.
  • Send it out and see if there was a difference in the open rates or click-through rates.

Next, test the first line, again taking care with how you craft it. See the results and keep doing what seems to work.
Finally, test some different times of the day in sending the e-mails.
Ultimately, after about a year, you will have perfected your delivery to maximize your efforts and engage your readers.
How have you worked to perfect your e-mail efforts? What challenges have you found? Success?
rose draft sig

Donors don't donate just because they have money

Fundraising, technology

Have you ever heard of the “dowsing“? No? Then what about “divining,” “doodlebugging” or “water witching“? Oh, come on . . . I am sure you have heard these terms, but you probably don’t recall. All of these words describe a process whereby someone uses a Y-shaped stick to locate groundwater. In fact, sometimes people use this process to locate gems, ores, metals, oil, and even graves. Don’t believe me . . . click here and read about it on Wikipedia.
If you want to see what water witching looks like, you can click on this YouTube video and check it out.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m-q-sRSsx0]
For the record, there is no scientific evidence that proves that water witching works.
I’ve been thinking about water witching a lot for the last few days after a conversation with a fellow fundraising professional. Here was the gist of that discussion:

  • waterwitch1Wow! We have lots of money in our community.
  • I need help identifying who has that money.
  • I need access to tools like WealthEngine and Target Analytics to identify who has money?
  • Once I get that prospect list of wealthy individuals put together, I will ask all of them for money and life will be good.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I think very highly of sophisticated tools like WealthEngine and Target Analytics. Very powerful stuff!
What I am bristling about this morning is the assertion that affluent people will give to you just because you’ve identified them and asked them to share their wealth with you.
I hate to be the party pooper here. But neither tech tools or a Y-shaped stick will ever take the place of good old fashion relationship building.
networkingHere is a recipe I suggest you consider when it comes to your prospect identification strategy:

  1. Use your network, your current donors’ network, and your board members’ circle of influence to identify other individuals and companies who like your agency’s mission.
  2. Sit down with those individuals and companies. Talk about your mission, vision, goals, programs, outcomes and impact. Tell them stories about your clients and the impact you’re having on their lives.
  3. Invite these prospects to tour your facility. Help them see you in action.
  4. Ask these prospects to get involved. Join a committee. Do some volunteering.
  5. Invite them to one of your special event fundraisers. And down the road engage them in your annual campaign pledge drive.
  6. After these people renew their contribution and support a few times, then you may want to invest in a donor screening or donor profiling project using WealthEngine or Target Analytics.

magic treeOh heck . . . if you don’t want to follow this simple, sound and proven advice, then hire me. I am happy to be your water witch. Just give me a moment to run out back and pick a fresh Y-shaped stick off of my magic fundraising tree.
How does your agency find new prospective donors? There are many different strategies. Please use the comment box below and share. We can all learn from each other.
Here’s to your health!
Erik Anderson
Founder & President, The Healthy Non-Profit LLC
www.thehealthynonprofit.com 
erik@thehealthynonprofit.com
http://twitter.com/#!/eanderson847
http://www.facebook.com/eanderson847
http://www.linkedin.com/in/erikanderson847