If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know that I coined the phrase “engagement fundraising” in 2013. Here’s my first rant on the subject. But if you haven’t done a demo with us recently you probably haven’t heard these new phrases/concepts. That’s why I’m sharing them with you today.
These phrases/concepts are important to know and understand if you want to succeed in today’s demanding fundraising environment.
1. Feedback loops – Communication channels that provide real-time information reporting so you can make adjustments to optimize the timing and content of your messages to your prospects and supporters. Absent feedback loops nonprofits habitually employ for outbound direct mail, email (spam, not permission email), and telemarketing to achieve their fundraising objectives without listening carefully to their constituents’ reactions and responses. Everything works much better and raises more money when communications have been developed to satisfy each receiver’s interests, needs, wants, hopes and desires. Tweet This!
2. Verbatims – These are the exact words your prospects and supporters have used to tell you their interests, needs, wants, hopes and desires. Tweet This! You can capture them if you have developed, employed, and optimized your feedback loops. The best way to capture verbatims is through the use of donor surveys.
3. Digital body language – Everyone knows about body language— nonverbal communication such as facial expressions, body posture, gestures, eye movements, etc. But digital body language is different. It includes the nonverbal actions online such as clicks, forwards, likes, downloads, views, visits, time-on-site, etc.
Digital body language and verbatims are two sides of the same coin. Both should be part of your feedback loop so you can treat your constituents better and raise exponentially more dollars at much lower costs.
If you aren’t using them and don’t have the technology or dashboard needed to harness their power, you really should get a demo and see how you can.
>> How to Generate More Planned Gifts with Less Money and Reduced Resources
>> The 5 Steps of Donor Engagement
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