Mixed bag today. From funny and unusual to serious and thought-proving. You’ll definitely find something of interest here. Take a lo! Finding Donors Click-It: Low Hanging Fruit. This cartoon from Hugh MacLeod at Gaping Void made me wonder. How might this apply to your donor cultivation strategy? Maybe the reason you’re not finding donors…
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Earlier this year I posted on the ONE big thing nonprofits absolutely must do in 2014: Adopt an integrated (fundraising combined with communications – no more silos, please!) inbound marketing strategy.
Well… it seems like a lot of folks didn’t know what I meant. Or if they did know, they had a whole bunch of reasons why they thought they couldn’t or shouldn’t do it.
Apparently I have some ‘splainin’ to do!
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What’s a blog, really? A blog is just a super-charged, dynamic website that will bring you many more visitors – and a lot more engagement — than your website does now. Doesn’t that sound like a tool that might help your fundraising?
Did you know that 70% of visitors to the average website never visit again? Done well, a blog drives traffic to you naturally… brings folks back for more… and even gets folks to share stuff you post on your blog with their own networks. It’s a hugely powerful tool for finding and engaging with people – your donors and potential supporters – and I’m not the only one who thinks so.
Of all the killer social engagement tools out there, none beats the blog. Still… some of you are dubious. Or your leaders are dubious. So if one of these 10 excuses is stopping you, read on to see how to overcome them.
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An eclectic mix of interesting links today. What do you think? Plus… please scroll to the bottom and think about blogging as part of your fundraising mix. Seriously. I mean it. It will simplify your life. It’s a tool you’ll wonder how you lived without!
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Keep telling yourself you need a better website to build greater awareness for your cause?
You can certainly do this. But are you asking the more important question?
Why the heck do you want greater awareness? And why would anyone want to be aware of you? Those are the questions too many nonprofits fail to ask. So ask. Seriously. Take a moment. I’ll wait.
“Because we want more people to know about us.”
WHY?
“Because we want to educate them about what we do.”
WHY?
“Because we want more people to support us.”
AHA! Now you’re getting somewhere.
Now ask yourself how getting a better website is going to get you more support. Chances are it won’t. Not really. Because folks are on a journey towards you that builds – from awareness… to interest… to engagement… to investment. And the kicker is that the latter two are where all the action happens. Awareness and interest alone are passive. They won’t get you the active investment you need to sustain your mission.
Engagement precedes investment!
Sadly, most nonprofit websites are lousy engagement vehicles. They’re especially lousy when compared with a blog.
Love Your Donors
Some special valentines today for you, and for your donors. Got that loving feeling? Don’t keep it to yourself. Share.
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The Olympic torch. The lyrics remembered from a Whitney Houston song sung at the 1988 Olympics Opening Ceremonies. Chills ran down my spine. The hairs stood straight on my neck. Cheesy, I know. But it got to me.
We all yearn for that one moment where we step outside our daily, mundane lives and exceed our wildest expectations. When we’re bigger than ourselves.
We can’t all be gold medal athletes, but we can all be gold medal philanthropists. And gold medal philanthropy facilitators.
The Olympics lifts us up. At its best, philanthropy does this as well. It inspires us. It engages us fully. It’s addictive when done right.
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Outside the box gems today. Thought-provoking stuff to get your juices flowing and help you work smarter. This is the year to get off the treadmill and try something new!
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Bet you thought social media sucks for fundraising. Au contraire.
It can help you raise money big time – but only if you engage with purpose. Just like anything else, social media won’t help you meet your goals unless you know where you’re going with it. Out of context, social media exchanges are just transactions.
Ask yourself this question: What am I going to do to make this exchange mean something, now and in the future?
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You had me at hello.
That’s what your constituents should think and feel when your email arrives in their inbox.
Hello is a way to call attention… a greeting… an invitation to a dialogue. Does your email do that? Does it easily capture your intended reader’s attention? Does it greet them warmly? Does it encourage interaction with you?
If your emails aren’t getting the open rates you’d like, it’s time to take charge!
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