Choosing The Right Communication For Your Donors

There are many different ways to communicate. You probably choose to use them all at some point in your fundraising efforts. Each has a very appropriate place in helping you achieve your goals. The tools and preferences by which many of your donors communicate have changed. People are using phones less, and text and social media more. They’re less likely to look at the mail in their mailbox than the emails in their inbox.

These email statistics are pretty staggering.  Take a look at the pure volume of emails sent – over 100 billion per day. The average individual spends 28% of their work day reading and answering emails. We’re even looking at a good chunk of our emails from our phones and tablets. The presence of email is obviously here to stay.

Why is email so great? Email is relatively inexpensive, faster than direct mail, and allows the recipient to take immediate action. That action might be making a donation, registering for an event, signing up to volunteer, registering as a member or just learning more about your organization.

By using hyperlinks in your email communication you are able to drive people to specific areas of your website to quickly and easily allow your constituents to navigate there.  How many times have you received a piece of mail in your mailbox, and thought – I should give to that organization – but you’d have to write a check and find a stamp or go try to find their website and their giving page. So you set it aside to do later and then forget about it. Two months later, you find that piece of mail and decide it’s too late; you’ve lost interest and throw it in the trash. With email, as soon as you open it, you can click on a link to take you to the exact place you need to go in order to give that gift. Quick and easy – it’s done.

So what are the benefits of Direct Mail? Even with the presence of email, direct mail still has a very prevalent place in our communications for its Accuracy, there is Less Competition, and it’s Unique and has a longer Shelf Life:

How to do you know which to use? Ask yourself these questions:

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• Who is your audience?
  
• What is the donor’s preference?
  
• Is your communication time sensitive?
  
• What kind of budget do you have?
  

The reality of the situation is that direct mail and email marketing is a perfect match for each other. Each method makes up for the shortcomings of the other. Used together they create a powerful tool to use in your marketing plan.

With your eTapestry database, you can generate a wide variety of communication pieces including pledge reminders, thank you letters, appeals, newsletters and much more. Using these integrated solutions allows you to better target the appropriate individuals for your message, send your communication in the way that’s going to be received the best and let you keep an accurate record of your correspondence. These tools will save you time and help you more effectively reach your fundraising goals.

To learn more about getting the most out of your eTapestry database when communicating with your donors or to achieve greater database engagement in a meaningful way that enhances how you manage your prospects, donors and funds, please reach out to the Customer Success Team at eTapRelationshipManagers@blackbaud.com or Customer Success Team: 800.443.9441 sub option 7.