MARKETING FOR CHARITIES – MAKING THINGS WORK BETTER


Put relationships first in your digital strategy

Greg Hadfield of Cogapp says maximising what your website does for you can achieve a “quick win” within a broader strategy aimed at building rich, trusted relationships. The obvious place to start is with a well designed, accessible website – with clear navigation, compelling and authoritative content, high standards of usability, and explicit “calls to action” (Donate, Subscribe, Volunteer, Download).

Hadfield stresses that you should be clear about your target audience(s) – and think about the keyword vocabulary that will help attract suitably qualified traffic. Your website may get thousands of visitors a day, but if you do not know who they are and what they want, it will be impossible to build a lasting relationship that creates long term value. Obviously, a “mobile” version is crucial too.

Hadfield says that an email address, captured with appropriate permission, is a basic building block of a single customer view – a record of all interactions with every individual with whom your charity has made contact. Registration strategy is central to building a single customer view within a database that fuels data driven marketing, both online and offline.


Optimising your performance

Richard Blausten, editor of Charities Management magazine, comments that existing financial pressures are, almost as never before, making charities focus on getting all their operations to work better, with better fundraising performance an absolute priority. Thus, for instance, anything which improves the management of supporter data must be a key requirement.

Blausten observes that bigger charities with multiple campaigns have to capture transactional data and information from their own fundraisers as well as from outside sources such as telemarketing agencies and fulfilment houses. Then they have to do marketing analysis, including profiling and segmentation.

Blausten says the main decision for any charity thinking of using an effective automated data processing solution is whether they invest in cleaning all of their data up front, or they segment the database and clean only the sections they use most regularly. He notes that Macmillan Cancer Support recently went though such an exercise, having chosen the first course. But their view is that either way a charity’s data will get cleaner and cleaner as they go through the process. It all comes down to having a good strategy and different cost models.


Improving your charity data

Mark Kemp of the Gallery Partnership says first impressions count and obviously the design of a site plays a huge part in this. But above and beyond this, good design, created with your own target market in mind, will make it clear to your users how to navigate the site, and should be able to influence the paths they take through the content you have to offer.

Kemp says you can’t write relevant copy if you don’t know your audience. Be clear about the profile of visitor you want to attract – demographics, geography, lifestyle and attitudes. Then construct a basic customer profile. Refer back to this at all stages of design, functional specifications, content, navigation, features and tools.  People support charities they can connect with, so your website needs to appeal to your target profile in as many ways as possible.

Kemp observes that your website may be beautifully designed, with compelling content and features managed via the world’s best content management system and aimed squarely at your core target market. But if it isn’t well optimised for search engines, you are losing out on potential revenues.


Understanding the realities of social media networks

Paul Fennemore of ViaPoint says charities are made up from many communities comprising of volunteers, donors, trusts, fundraisers, support groups, benefactors, lobbyists and so on. The challenges are to build these communities, keep them engaged, motivated, informed and acknowledged, day in and day out.

Fennemore says there is a bewildering array of hundreds of social network monitoring tools. Some are free and others cost tens of thousands a year. But if you are not measuring the return on your investment and finding ways to improve your efforts then you may be wasting your time and money.

Fennemore points out that there are free tools such as Google Analytics and MentionMe for Twitter, and you can pay money to track brand sentiment and service reputation, but whatever you do listen, manage, respond, learn and improve. This is the way forward for you as a charity – as well as remembering the key aspects of successfully using social networking: real time, interactive multimedia, engagement with everyone and reach.


Having and assessing a multi-channel strategy

Paul Busby of Reynolds Busby Lee says that if you do have a multi-channel strategy you need to understand who your target audience is, where they live and how they behave. Are they actively engaged with social media or are they still very much in the offline, printed world? Understanding how they are behaving and interacting with their peers will impact on which channels you choose to reach them.

Busby says the next step is to devise how you are going to measure the response from your chosen channel. This has become one of the most complex areas of direct marketing. The days when response could easily be measured by checking source codes on coupons are long gone. It is important to set up response channels which meet your target audience and initial communications channel. 

The final piece in the jigsaw is identifying how you will communicate with your supporters once they have made a donation or expressed an interest. This is what we call the “supporter journey”. It is vital you use the channels your supporters feel most comfortable using – whether this is online, via printed material, telephone or social media.


How to combat the postage rise – be multichannel

Jason Cromack of Lateral Group highlights the fact that the hike in Royal Mail postage costs is giving charities a headache, so he asks that they think outside the postbox when it comes to marketing. Take SMS, for example – it’s far cheaper than mail, has a high chance of being read and encourages text donations. 96% of adults own a mobile phone, which is far more than own a credit card.

Cromack says charities should also be thinking about social media and engaging with email which brings lower cost, flexibility and measurability. To capture as many email addresses as possible, make sure your website has a highly visible sign-up for email communications and give your supporters some good reasons to register.

Cromack says it sounds obvious, but by contacting people through their preferred channels you’ll not only reduce wastage, you’ll also increase engagement and response. Some people hate being phoned up at home, while some older supporters may prefer to receive direct mail and younger ones may respond better to digital.


Making charity direct mail a success

David Rolfe of Snowball believes most mistakes which charities make in their direct mail work continue to happen early on in the process, with the data. Data is the biggest investment, so when mistakes happen at the database stage it is the area where the most investment is needed to ensure effectiveness and good ROI – and the area where money is most often cut.

Rolfe wants charities to think about the quality of their database all the way through the process. For example, when you are sending a mailing, as well as looking for donations, think about other information you could capture to improve your database.

Rolfe urges simplifying the process of donation as much as possible. Every additional step between receipt and giving bank details will lose potential donors. Ideally, the process of donating should comprise a single step – filling in a form, or directly visiting a tailored website landing page, with the process of donating then very simple.


Managing the direct marketing message

Sally Hewitt of Pitney Bowes says managing the related design, print and mail processes requires expert knowledge, access to the latest technology and smart buying to deliver the best return on investment for charities. Without doubt, outsourcing these functions can benefit charities at a time when every spend must be justified. A recent survey reveals that only 33% of organisations benchmark their print jobs to ensure they get the most competitive quote.

Too often, says Hewitt, time pressurised marketing or fundraising managers in charities turn to print and design suppliers with whom they have a historical relationship rather than investing the time and effort to seek better quality for cost alternatives. As result, the evidence shows that charitable organisations are typically spending an average of 15% more than necessary on print and design.

Hewitt comments that mail operations represent a significant investment but, all too often, the function is fragmented with no centralised management and little visibility of overall spend, meaning that you could be missing out on postal discounts and other opportunities to save money.


The power of accurate targeting

John Pooley of The Data Partnership says in difficult times the charity marketer must get back to basics and focus on targeting the right consumer with the right message at the right time – it is maybe a marketing cliché, but it’s never been truer. There’s no point wasting valuable resources trying to communicate with consumers who simply aren’t interested.

Pooley says accurate targeting through the intelligent use of consumer data is key. At its simplest, it may be as straightforward as using geographic, demographic or gender selection. Whilst it’s always dangerous to make sweeping generalisations about broad segment groups, clear trends do exist which can help refine targeting.

For example, says Pooley, whatever the charitable cause, statistically, older consumers are always more generous and willing to donate. This is mainly down to the fact that they tend to have higher disposable incomes due to no longer having children to support, mortgages to pay, school fees to pay, etc.


Social networking as an aid to fundraising

Will Kintish of LinkedIn Training says professional charity fundraisers need to build a rapport with their communities, be it business or local or the patrons. They need to be energetic, charismatic, full of good ideas and able to build strong relationships with these groups.

Kintish says professional fundraisers need to be highly skilled at using themselves, their personalities and contacts to achieve the aim of meeting the charity’s financial needs.

According to Kintish, this is where LinkedIn proves such a valuable tool – it enables you to promote yourself, your charity and seek out new contacts. Moreover it enables you to initiate contacts and join in discussions with selected interest groups.


The benefits for charities of partnership marketing

Steve Dodds of DMS says that to help people understand the core values of a brand is the starting point for successful fundraising no matter what the charity or cause. If brand extensions can make charities more relevant to an increasingly beleagured audience, they should be embraced for their ability to re-engage donors.

Dodds says charities need to be present and proactive in pursuing such relationships, otherwise they risk missing out to other (commercial) organisations. For example, the growth of the hybrid car is in part due to the increased interest in ethical purchasing, but it is the motor manufacturers which are the principal beneficiaries.

According to Dodds, if a partnership is to work, it’s essential that there is a meaningful link between brand and charity. A great example of this is Fairy Non-Bio and its support of Bernardo’s Big Toddle and the premature baby charity BLISS. Both have a clear link to the brand and the associations are providing real value to those involved. Any partnership which lacks relevance has the potential to be hugely detrimental to both parties.


Free web advertising subsidised by Google

Nick Beck of Tug points out that Google grants free advertising budgets to eligible non-profit organisations using its popular AdWords platform. The maximum AdWords budget is $10,000 per month (around £6,200). This grant is made in kind, not with actual money but with online advertising services from Google. That’s free advertising on Google!

Beck further points out that to qualify you must be operating as a not for profit organisation and you must be eligible. Eligible non-profits include, but are not limited to, organisations which serve communities in art, education, health, science and technology, and volunteerism.

According to Beck, ineligible non-profits include, but are not limited to, those whose websites or missions are identified in the “Restrictions” – e.g. websites with a primary focus on selling goods, products or services. There is no information as to why these are chosen as restricted.


Marketing in an economic downturn

Richard Blausten, editor of Charities Management, says the fact that charities are facing an economic downturn doesn’t mean they have to stop marketing – in fact they need to be out there chasing those reducing consumer and corporate budgets. So it’s a matter of making their marketing more effective – by all means cut back on the less effective aspects of their marketing but identify what is working and stick with it, even expand it.

Yes, says Blausten, charities are going to be severely hit by cuts in public spending, including local authority funding for charity projects, but that’s all the more reason why they should be focusing on utilising marketing to get more private money in. If they are worried about having to upscale their in-house marketing resource to meet the challenge, they should outsource as much as possible.

Blausten comments that not only should all marketing now be rigorously assessed for cost effectiveness, but any marketing activity conducted through third parties – including direct mail, digital marketing, DRTV and fulfilment – should be pre-tested to avoid expensive, and hence unacceptable, disappointment.


Avoiding the worst mailing error of all

Jo Bell of Mortascreen observes that when a charity sends a mailing to a deceased person, particularly quite a while after the date of death, it systematically destroys any possible good feelings the still grieving family member might have had for the charity. There is absolutely no way the person who opens the mailing will feel positive about the charity brand or respond favourably to any call to action.

Bell points to the increasing likelihood that the names of deceased persons could be included in marketing databases, within the context of figures suggesting that within 36 months a marketing database could be as much as 90% inaccurate.

Also, says Bell, quite apart from the actual wasting of money and the public perception of wasted expenditure, mailings to dead people can lead to identity fraud.  Where there is this kind of danger due to carelessness with data, the public can be very unforgiving – as evidenced by the uproar over data lost by government departments and public bodies.


Building donor relationships on the web

Stephen Newton of DLO Associates comments that numerous Internet marketing businesses use a variety of tools to build online income streams and that charities can use the same toolkits in order to enhance both the level of donations per donor and the numbers of donors.

Newton points out that without a body of interested people willing to receive information, the online marketing campaign cannot succeed in building relationships and hence credibility, and no donations will be forthcoming.

Newton says that the building of a list of well qualified (i.e. highly interested and engaged) donors is the most important step in the marketing process.


Achieving successful branding

David Lea of Stills Design urges charities to be fully aware of all the challenges as they make the necessary commitment to branding – it’s a matter of being both realistic and determined to achieve successful branding. Successful branding is integral to charity business strategy but doesn’t sit well with traditional philanthropic aims. 

Lea says the cost of creating an effective brand can risk alienating supporters and volunteers who believe cash should be spent on delivering services, not on expensive corporate frippery. But charities can’t afford to ignore their brands and those which neglect branding are almost certainly underperforming against their potential.

Lea accepts there is an element of risk involved. While successful branding will repay the investment many times over, failed rebranding costs dearly, so it’s crucial to spend time getting it right from the outset.


Digital video is the future for fundraising

Mark Connolly of Adconion Media Group reflects that whilst direct mail and direct response TV are great, digital video, however, is like direct response on steroids. It’s faster, more interactive and arguably provides charities with a more creative base from which to reach potential supporters.

In fact, says Connolly, you could say that digital video combines the strongest elements of direct response – strong evocative content which leads to an emotional response and direct action – with the interactivity, targetability and accountability of online.

Connolly insists that digital video scores over TV advertising in the way it brings a much higher level  of interactivity and the ability to target the message to just the right audience.


Building and managing a strong charity brand

Lee Jackson and Dan Dufour believe there is more to branding than simply a memorable logo. A brand is a set of ideas, images and associations that people carry around in their heads about your charity.  It is an expression of who you are and what you do. Getting it right means your branding can help raise awareness and retain public attention.

However, say Jackson and Dufour, unless your brand is carefully managed internally, it will unravel the second it leaves the door. Before you send it out to represent your charity, make your brand internally loved and understood. Otherwise your identity will quickly go cold, along with your public.

Jackson and Dufour say you should not overcomplicate your brand – create three or four core values of your charity that staff can remember, and make them inspiring and compelling.


Using mobile for fundraising and general marketing

Barry Houlihan of Mobile Interactive Group comments that charities should be embracing mobile not only as a platform through which to donate (i.e. a donation mechanic) but also across the board as a potent tool for promoting engagement with charities, awareness and charity advocacy.

Houlihan points out that an SMS donation can be made in a couple of seconds, and it is this spontaneous property of mobile in response to a call to action that makes it such a perfect fit for charities.

However, Houlihan highlights the controversial fact that mobile donations have incurred a handling and processing fee from mobile operators. But with mobile operators dropping their processing fees for several large big fundraising events and more of them addressing this issue in general, using mobile for fundraising looks increasingly a realistic proposition for charities.