The routine trip to fetch the day’s mail trumpets that this is a season of opportunity for fundraisers, list brokers, letter shops and printers littered all across our fruited plain. From faraway places like Hackensack, Dulles, Green Bay, and even Sioux City come letters in all shapes and sizes, utilizing double window envelopes (so I could “see inside”), and clip art galore.
Thus far this Christmastime my mailbox has been working overtime. It has been stuffed with one stocking, 3 packages of wrapping paper, 4 calendars—some twice, 6 sets of greeting cards, 10 packs of labels and a partridge in a pear tree.
And none of the “free gift enclosed” packages I received were from Hallmark, Amazon.com or the UPS Shipping Store. They were not from my family or relatives.
I received all of it from Non-Profit Organizations. I suppose that is fine, except for the fact that none of the free gifts will really help those the organization is raising money for.
And none of it helps define the mission of the organization.
So, question: “Are you tired of a marketing strategy that relies upon marketing first and mission second?” Another question: “Are you tired of adding thousands of $5 or $10 donors to your file who will be lapsed in 12 months until you start the process all over again?”
If you answered “yes” to one of those questions, then keep reading.
Our experience shows that it doesn’t have to be that way. You don’t have to come up with endless freemiums to get donors to respond.
If you really want donors—long term donors—who buy into your mission, your vision, your work, your solutions, then maybe you ought to re-think the premium based marketing strategy and consider the mission driven marketing strategy. It’s gutsy, and it may meet with resistance internally to make the switch, but we promise, your donors won’t miss the foil labels.
Matt Waters, President
TrafficJamDirect • mwaters@thewatersagency.com
Okay. you're talking a good game. Now let's hear what we replace the "freemiums" with to make our mailings more mission directed. I'm always interested in better marketing strategies.
ReplyDeleteMatt,this sounds familiar! I am with you. Although I agree that the "mission oriented campaign" creates longer term donors, the trick is getting enough of them on the front end to cover short term costs. Alot of those $5 or $10 dollar donors help pay for the cost of the prospecting. Is there a happy medium?
ReplyDeleteMatt,
ReplyDeleteThe short term/long term cost issue is a "trick" as you say. The way you pull the rabbit out of the hat is, in our experience, better data mining -- lists, donor overlays, etc. There is also a hefty amount of homework to be done on your competition, your current donors, what your program has done well and not so well.
I'd also throw in your org's lapsed donors, that I would treat as a Prospect list. Your lapsed donors don't have a "list cost" and generally respond as well or better than new lists. So, keep cost down. Another thought here: consider exchanging your names with other like-minded organizations. You control that, and you don't have to exchange "current donors" -- you could exchange "lapsed petition signers."
Blessings
Thanks for the response. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
ReplyDeleteGive ma a call sometime, I am interested in what is going on at KMA these days.
Matt