Posts Tagged ‘Direct response’
In Support of Direct Mail
In Support of Direct Mail “Direct mail is outdated! Who responds to mail anymore?” “Direct mail acquisition costs too much.” “Digital is the future of fundraising.” For anyone who has spent time in the direct mail space, these criticisms of direct mail are familiar. To be honest, even I had some of these thoughts before…
Read MoreBuilding a Zipper to the Moon
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I find group brainstorming sessions a bit intimidating. I mean, the creative team is there. And they always have the best ideas, right? And yet, here I was, attending a session on brainstorming, led by two top-tier creatives, Prudence Bovee and Steve Fleshman. The tables were set for…
Read MoreWe entered muggles. We left magicians.
I think it was Dumbledore who once said, “Magic is best taught in the morning.” In truth, I’m not sure he said this. But morning was the perfect time for DMAW to host “Mid-level Magic”—taught by marketing masters Lisa Maska, CFRE and Jillian Leslie of Lautman Maska Neill & Company. Lisa and Jillian opened this…
Read MoreTen Commandments of Copy & Design Part II
You Still Can’t Risk NOT Reading This! (Continuing on with a quick wrap up of DMAW’s Ten Commandments Lunch & Learn featuring Tom Gaffny and Steve Fleshman.) Among the Commandments according to Tom and Steve is NEVER break a multi-page letter with the end of a sentence. Entice the reader to turn the page and…
Read MoreTen Commandments of Copy & Design Part I
You Can’t Risk NOT Reading This! Did you decide to read on? Good. You’re already on your way to improved fundraising results by just knowing these Ten Commandments. (A quick wrap up of DMAW’s Ten Commandments Lunch & Learn featuring Tom Gaffny and Steve Fleshman.) Commandment Number 1 — It’s Not All About YOU! Sorry.…
Read MoreMy direct mail fantasy, and other myths
I’ve found the perfect direct mail donor. Her name is Gladys, and she gives to everything I send her, 100% of the time. But I’m not sharing her with you guys. She’s mine. When Gladys gets a mailing from me, she does exactly what she’s supposed to do. When she sees my piece of…
Read MoreThe Donor Who Keeps on Giving—How Often to Appeal to Your Monthly Givers
At the recent Bridge Conference, I ran into a colleague who asked me the question that many nonprofits grapple with: How often should you ask your existing sustainers for more money? We know that monthly donors are a good source of revenue, but if you aren’t asking for extra gifts during the year, your ‘single’…
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