Direct mail marketing is still vital to customer acquisition and retention for nonprofit organizations
By: Mark HaslanAugust 9th, 2010
While direct mail can be used to market any type of organization, the platform is typically a huge part of nonprofit organizations’ outreach. Despite the advent of online channels, a recent report from Lisa Sargent Communications indicates that direct mail will remain an top marketing tool for many charities.
Many nonprofits find acquiring new customers to be their top challenge in marketing campaigns. Meanwhile, because some consumers are still frugal with their savings, competition for donations is growing fierce among philanthropic organizations.
Direct mail marketing is the go-to solution according to a survey from Lisa Sargent Communications, with many charities indicating that direct mail was their primary customer acquisition and retention tool. Many of the nonprofits polled noted that while online is the fastest-growing outreach platform, direct mail still accounts for the majority of funds raised.
When it comes to acquiring new customers, philanthropic organizations are having tremendous success using story-based newsletters that appeal to recipients’ emotions. Some nonprofits observed a 25 percent boost in gifts using emotionally charged newsletters.
Additionally, direct mail can help charities retain customers. The key to maintaining funds is consistent communication with donors, which nonprofits find is well accomplished through direct mail. Following up communications with subsequent materials, such as postcards thanking contributors for their donations, can help charities make donors feel appreciated.
While direct mail marketing is an effective platform by itself, the source found that multichannel marketing campaigns can enhance its efficiency. When designing a multichannel campaign, though, nonprofits need to ensure their message is identical across all platforms. “Control and consistency are particularly important as more and more donors now view your work and your communications across multiple channels,” says the report.
Lisa Sargent Communications interviewed more than 12 nonprofit leaders, with a combined annual revenue of greater than $14 billion, for the report.
With the economic recession gradually subsiding, the Blackbaud Index of Online Giving recently found that consumers are beginning to donate more. Direct mail is vital to reaching older philanthropists, who generally tend to give gifts of up to $60 more, the United Way told the source. Additionally, Blackbaud found that donors reached through direct mail were more likely to make subsequent contributions.
Related posts:
