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Wednesday, November 14, 2007
2:12 pm est
Wash, Rinse, Repeat….
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Regular and ongoing reevaluation of all aspects of your program be it, copy, design, timing,
list selection, house file segmentation, etc. must be at the core of internal processes or collaborative
processes with your agency partners.
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Annual or
bi-annual file and creative audits as well ongoing results analysis must be integral part of operations to move programs to
their “next level."
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We all get bogged-down in
day-to-day tasks and proofs,
moving copy through endless editorial review processes, etc….SO, its easy just to push things through.
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PAUSE – take a breath (make some time for just thinking). Have a “McDonald’s or Starbucks moment” – great ideas come in strange places. The grind is NOT kind to creative/analytical thinking.
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By periodically “off-site-ing” and looking at ALL the mail pieces sent to donors over the course of the year (along with
the results), you will be amazed at the things that went by. These
regular creative audits allow you and your team and agency partners to take the time (don’t rush it) to see if all the strategies
you started the year with were correctly executed and if the performed as expected. What tests were winners and what tests were embarrassing?
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Remember you are not writing for you, your President or Chair of the Board. Clarity and simplicity are key. Would your mother or grandmother be able to read, understand and more importantly take clear action based
on your letter?
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Examine graphics, look at fonts (styles/sizes), copy letter length, premium vs. non-premium mix, etc.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Why do you ask…?
The future of direct response fundraising cannot be driven around the all-too-common concept of . . . its October or
April, its time for a mailing or we need to do the “filling in the blank” mailing again “just like last year.” Successful programs are mindful of the “why” and the “who” and the intended “engagement for impact” before
the copy writer “puts pen to paper.”
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You don’t NEED money
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You are offering an opportunity to change the world
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You can join with others to end/fix/solve ______________
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Nobody really cares that it is the end of your fiscal year
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Real reasons
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Mini-Campaigns offer a chance to be part of something important
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