My opinion is that “reality TV” is about as far from reality as we can get.

But here’s a genuine reality you can’t avoid: “Horizontal marketing is the new reality for just about every organization,” to quote Seth Godin.

This applies to charities, associations, and for-profit businesses.

As Godin says, horizontal marketing itself isn’t a new idea.

But accepting it and putting it to work to help your organization grow is new for most of us.

Perhaps the toughest aspect of horizontal marketing is the loss of control. Your donors, members, advocates, and all your supporters are in control – not you.

What is horizontal marketing & fundraising?

It’s when you create a remarkable nonprofit. Next you write fascinating stories about the people your supporters help. And then you make it easy for your supporters to spread these stories throughout their networks from person to person.

The reality of horizontal marketing and fundraising is … the control is in the hands of passionate outsiders. People who don’t work for your nonprofit but are vital to its success. Yes, we’re back to those donors, members, advocates and even prospects.

As a fundraiser and marketer, you’re probably more comfortable having the control. Letting go is hard to do. Then again, creating powerful stories (and easy ways to share them) is no small hurdle to jump either.

Oh, you still need to do your outbound marketing where you cling to some measure of control: direct mail, email, Facebook ads, Google Adwords, press releases, tweets, etc.

But you must quickly accept and embrace the fact that the real control lies with your supporters. Release control to the market.

The good news is that horizontal marketing can yield exciting results if you play by its rules. Yup; this is the reality of today’s fundraising market. As Godin says, “…you can no longer ignore it.”

Related posts:

Who is spreading the word about your nonprofit? … Who is the most loyal?

Kung Fu Nonprofit Marketer … be flexible and adapt as market and donors change

Insanity or a happy world? … It’s time for a change

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

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

But there’s a catch.

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

The Good – what I like about infographics for nonprofits

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

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

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

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

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

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

Two examples:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Related posts:

How color impacts donors and members

What makes a compelling and memorable nonprofit story … storytelling

The risks of letting images dominate your nonprofit messaging

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Related posts:

10 Suggestions to cultivate website visitors

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

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

Perhaps you’ve seen the announcement by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) about sending 2-ounces for the price of 1-ounce. They refer to this as their “2nd Ounce Free” program.

Let me say right off that I’m not an expert on postal rates or deciphering mailing programs through the USPS.

But I’ve read a news article, the USPS press release plus their Fact Sheet … and it appears there may be times nonprofits can take advantage of the new pricing. So I decided to share what I discovered with you.

First the basics of the new USPS program along with links where you can find all the details.

Effective January 22, 2012, businesses mailing First-Class Mail automation, presort letters using “2nd Ounce Free” pricing can mail letters weighing up to 2 ounces at the 1-ounce postage rate.

Link to press release: U.S. Postal Service Launches “2nd Ounce Free”

Link to news article in PrintWeek: USPS Offers Direct Mailers “2nd Ounce Free”

Link to USPS website and Fact Sheet: https://www.usps.com/business/first-class-mail-for-business.htm [On this page in tiny bold print about half-way down the page, you’ll see a blue link “RTF” that when clicked gives you the Fact Sheet.]

According to the press release and statements by Gary Reblin, vice president, Domestic Products, “First-Class Mail automation, presort letters are primarily generated by commercial mailers of bills and statements — or transaction mail. 2nd Ounce Free pricing will provide these customers with greater value from their transaction mailings by letting them include an additional ounce that can be used for operational or marketing purposes at no additional cost.”

Please correct me if I’m wrong, but I think there are opportunities here for higher-volume nonprofit mailers to send select direct mail letters (i.e., First-Class Mail® Presort and Automation letters) where the second ounce will be free.

Consider upgrade letters to increase the number of donors in your sustainer program. Moving donors from low to mid-level, and from mid-level to major donor. Planned giving and legacy campaigns.

Associations could add promotional pieces on webinars and conferences to renewal letters. Why not test a segment of new members about to renew for the first time?

At the very least you could partner with a for-profit mailer and include an insert about your nonprofit in their envelope with the company’s billing statement, bank statement, credit card offer, etc. Insert media is a great way to piggy-back on this opportunity.

This isn’t a limited time offer. As of today it’s a new pricing structure so I encourage you to explore ways to make the most of your nonprofit direct mail budget. It pays to go first class!

Related posts:

Stretch your nonprofit acquisition budget … includes direct mail tips

6 tips for monthly giving and direct mail programs

How to build donor or member loyalty

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

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

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

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

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

What is this cost-effective testing?

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

Google Adwords

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

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

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

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

Social Media

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Another related post: Donor Acquisition – Lessons Learned

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

Building your nonprofit email list (Cartoon used with permission)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

15 – Integrate with other channels. For example:

> Support direct mail with email follow-ups

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More related posts:

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

Emails timed correctly can boost direct mail response

Re-engage inactive email subscribers

I have a dream that thousands upon thousands of charities and associations will embrace reader-centric messaging in 2012.

That they’ll realize the power of putting donors and members in the spotlight. And as a result they will enjoy higher response – more new donors and members, higher retention rates, more upgrades and larger sustainer files, more attendees at conferences … more funds raised to support their mission.

Too many nonprofit websites, letters, emails, tweets and everything else sound like a child calling out, “Mommy, Mommy. Look at me and what I’ve done.”

Mom takes a quick look, smiles and praises her child’s efforts. Then she goes right back to what she was busy doing.

Your busy donors and members respond in much the same way to copy that focuses on what your nonprofit has done instead of what your supporters have accomplished. They glance and move on to something else.

Copy that’s NOT reader-centric becomes the nonprofit calling out for praise – like the child to Mom – to its supporters. The nonprofit is bragging.

Oh, the writer may not be thinking that way … but that’s how it comes across to the reader.

Why bother with reader-centric copy?

There’s no need to bother mastering this skill (or outsourcing to someone who can write this way), if you’re content to endure lower response.

On the other hand, if you want supporters to …

- feel more like a part of your team

- feel like you know them and what’s important to them

- feel like you respect them and their support instead of simply viewing them as a source of revenue

- believe you know precisely how they feel

- get inspired and respond to messages that strongly resonate with them

- get excited about how donors make a difference or how members in a professional association enjoy more fulfilling careers

- tell others in their networks about your nonprofit (i.e., they champion your cause and bring you more support) because you give them an exceptional experience

… Then you MUST master the skill of writing copy that’s centered on the donor or member.

How can I help you?

I write about this often and I wonder if I’m making any progress. So today I’m going to ask YOU for ideas on how I can help you write more reader-centric copy.

Please answer the questions in the survey below so I can help you enjoy higher response in your messages and appeals to supporters, and simultaneously make this dream come true for both of us.

NOTE: Use the scroll bars along the right and bottom of the “gray framed” survey window to read the complete question and to see all of the questions. Only two (2) of the four questions are mandatory & require answers, but you must click the “FINISH SURVEY” button for your answers to be captured. Thank you.

Did you scroll down within the “gray-framed” survey window and click the FINISH SURVEY button? Great. And thanks for completing the survey and letting me know how I can best help you learn how to write more reader-centric copy in 2012. Let’s make this dream come true.

More related posts:

Copy that you donors and members like

How to build donor or member loyalty

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GiftWorks

NonProfitEasy

Sumac

Trail Blazer

Wild Apricot

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

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

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

In this post the “team” I’m referring to is which marketing channels you join together to form a more powerful result.

In other words: Integrated or multi-channel marketing.

Supporters want nonprofits to use multiple channels for all marketing communications

Each channel is a team member working with other team members (channels) to achieve together far more than what any single one could achieve.

Why is this so important? Few of today’s donors and members (of any age) limit themselves to one channel. For example:

• Today Martha Do-Gooder might prefer reading your direct mail appeal yet she donates online. Next week she’ll love receiving your email with breaking news on her favorite topic.

• Today Sam Joiner might prefer browsing your association website for professional development webinars. Tomorrow he might appreciate receiving a text message asking him to send an urgent message to Congress.

Not only that but supporters are fast becoming platform-agnostic. And they also demand more and more control over your communications with them.

Integration is the solution

You can quickly meet more of the expectations of your demanding supporters by integrating every message. Sometimes this gets complex, but most of the time it’s straight-forword.

For example: Later today (11am EST, Jan 10th) my newsletter will be published. Subscribers will find 25 fundraising and marketing trends, tactics and strategies essential to their work in 2012. (Subscribe here to receive this premium issue.)

The channels I’m using are my blog, my Facebook page, and I’m tweeting about it. Simple, right?

I integrate because I want to reach as many people as possible ... and I know you pop in and out of different channels. I need to be in multiple places to meet the preferences of you and all my readers. That’s just one example of how I integrate to make it easier for my readers and prospective clients.

Charities and professional associations must also integrate. Not once in awhile, but every time.

The escalating importance of integrating your communications is just one of the 25 topics for 2012 that I cover in the today’s issue of the Zapp Nonprofit Leader newsletter. (Subscribe before 11am EST to receive a copy. Or send me an email and request a copy.)

Team up as many marketing channels as possible each and every time for happier supporters … and for better results than you could hope to get with just a single channel.

Related posts:

4 Direct Marketing Nonprofit Trends for 2012

5 Ways to make your direct mail more social

Online giving isn’t just for “30-somethings” … study shows over 50% of donors 60+ have donated online