1. Welcome to Turn your words into money: Writing effective fundraising copy and direct mail
Nick Day

2. We’ll cover
Considering your Audience - Segmentation / Targeting / Positioning
Getting the message across
Writing a letter
Design tips

3. Why do individuals become supporters?

4. Why do individuals become supporters?
Concern
Duty
Guilt
Personal experience
Personal Benefit
Asked!
Peer/family pressure
Tax
Ultimately…
few give without some kind of self based consideration

5. Why do individuals become supporters?
What’s In It
For
Me?
WIIFM

6. 7 basic rules… Identify likely supporters Create the right message
Get the message to the audience
Ask for their support
Enable them to support
Keep them informed
Maintain good public relations

7. Consider your Audience:
Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning

8. Consider your Audience
Segmentation
Targeting
Positioning

9. Segmentation
A segment is a group of individuals sharing one or more similar profile characteristics that mean they have similar needs or expectations

10. Targeting Which segments should you prioritise?
Can you reach different segments in different ways?
Can you meet their needs?

11. Positioning
Matching specific features, benefits and advantages to the needs of the audience to create a proposition that is relevant to them

12. Differentiation Criteria
What is most important and relevant to majority?
What is distinctive?
What can be communicated in ways the can be understood?

13. Over to you…
What are your top 3 ‘unique selling points’ that differentiate you?
Which target audiences do you think are most interested in these?

14. Effective Communication
The right message to the right audience at the right time

15. 10 Tips on copy writing Get to know your audience
Use simple, direct and everyday language - NOT jargon and abbreviations
State your proposition boldly and clearly
Feature real, identifiable cases and people
Communicate the need

16. General Tips on copy writing
State what the reader's support will enable you to achieve
State how the reader may benefit
Don't try to be too clever!
Demonstrate clarity, brevity and clear focus
Provide a clear course of action

17. Getting the message across
AIDA

18. AIDA Attention - good visuals and thought a provoking headline
Interest - applying your positioning to focus on the features, benefits and advantages you've identified as important to your audience and make it relevant to them
Desire - make them want to act
Action - make it clear what you want them to and how they do it

19. KISS: Keep it simple stupid!

20. KISS: Keep it simple stupid!
Don't try to do too much!
Maintain focus and simplicity
Make it seem too complicated or like hard work and you'll lose them!

21. Communicating by direct mail

22. Direct Mail The Envelope The Letter The Brochure or Leaflet
The Call to Action
The Response Device 22

23. Envelope Only 7 seconds to make an impact Provocative message
If you deal with them already, let them know who you are!
Be creative - size and shape can increase impact! 23

24. Making Your Letter Interesting
Top Of Page – Who’s It From ?
Address – Check It’s For Them
Skim Letter – Picking out key points to establish why the letter has been sent to them
Signature – Eye drawn to signature (Use Of P.S.)
Decide To Read In Detail
Personalise
Use Headlines & Sub-Heads
Make Signature Legible & Use P.S.
Use Serif Font 24

25. Making Your Letter Interesting
Short Sentences (16 Words or less)
Short Paragraphs – Just 1 thought & open with main offer/question
Be single-minded
Be warm and friendly
Write as you would speak – every day words
Minimise punctuation
Vary the pace
Use link words/phrases
Use active words
“You” v. “Parity” (3:1)
Get someone to read your letter out loud 25

26. Brochure/Leaflet/ Other Enclosures
Great opportunity to reflect your brand
Adds impact
Power of pictures (with testimonials..?)
Needs to work with the letter…and not look like it’s just been thrown in because it happened to be available! 26

27. Response device Don’t hide it!
Make it as easy as possible: tick boxes, pre printing information..
Offer multiple response channels
Ask some questions 27

28. Over to you How well does it follow AIDA?
Can you skim read and get the gist of it?
Does the letter use You more than We/I?
Is it clear what you should do next?
How likely would you be to give?

29. Over to you Give each criteria a score out of 5
Total them to get a score out of 25
Let’s see if we can identify a clear winner!

30. More help with direct mail
Royal Mail’s Mail Media Centre
Sign up for free and get access to lots of case studies and resources

31. We’ve covered
Consider your Audience - Segmentation / Targeting / Positioning
Getting the message across
Creating effective direct mail

32. Thank you I hope you’ve enjoyed the session
Thank you I hope you’ve enjoyed the session! See you at Meet the speakers!
Nick Day