Stampworthy Letters (Taylor's Version)

Last week I talked about Stampworthy Envelopes (Taylor's Version) that get the attention of your donors so they'll open your mail.  Check it out if you missed it!  But what happens next?  They've already ripped your envelope open and have given you the opportunity to wow them with a message that is attractive to them!  Now's your BIG chance, don't blow it. #NoPressure

The good news is that I learned a few left brain marketing methods when I attended the Nonprofit Storyteller's Conference (NSC) earlier this month.  Most importantly, it remains a fact that direct mail is the #1 way to communicate with donors--so you better make it stampworthy.  If you followed my advice from last week's blog, you've already gotten them to open your mail with your attention-grabbing envelope.  It's like you asked them out and they said yes.  So, now's your chance to really impress them on the date! 🎶"It's a love story, baby just say yes."🎶

As you may recall, NSC speaker Jeff Brooks said that every fundraiser must address these three things in your direct mail communications with donors: Attention, Attraction, Action. 

1. Attention: The envelope.
2. Attraction: The letter inside the envelope.
3. Action: The reply device / internal donation envelope.

Brooks also stated that donors engage is that exact order --> If the envelope gets their Attention, then they'll read the letter that Attracts them to your mission, which will in turn call them to Action by donating. 

So, what can you do in your Stampworthy Letter than will take donors from that Attraction stage to the Action stage?  

First and foremost, Brooks mentioned one big mistake that most fundraisers make-- neglecting to add a Johnson Box at the top of your letter.  This is a staple for direct mail letters and now that you know about them, you'll notice them everywhere.  It'll be very Baader Meinhof. #SorryNotSorry for pointing this out as you will not be able to unsee them now.

This stand-out message above your letter's content will draw the reader in, highlight the key message you're trying to make, and entice them to read the rest of the letter. It's important and is known to be highly effective, so if you're not doing this yet, start now. A pic of a Johnson Box was added to this blog, just FYI.

Additionally, Brooks shared that you should state your CTA (Call To Action) at least three times: 1) close to the beginning, 2) somewhere in the middle, and 3) in the P.S. since most people skim letters and tend to read them backwards from the P.S. up. Who knew?!  Well, now you do!  I know, I know, it seems redundant to mention the CTA so many times.  Never fear!  I taught speech communications for 15 years and a general rule of thumb in speechmaking is (a) tell them what you're going to say, (b) say what you're going to say, and (c) tell them what you just said.  It proves to be true in the written word as well, but why?

Well, the bottom line is that no one listens to every word we say or reads every word we write--unless you're a Swifty scouring the All Too Well lyrics. Yes, you toil over each word because we want it to be just right. But donors are busy, and they simply won't be as thorough as you are. When you know that, you can compensate for it by adding your CTA into your letters at least three times. 😉

Of course, the story you tell in your message is the meat and potatoes of your letter--but it will work better if your story has a face. If you use an image, even if it's stock photography--which is fine; especially under some circumstances--make sure the image you use matches your words. When they say a picture is worth a thousand words, that still holds true, even today. 

Yes, each end-of-year appeal letter should also let the donor know what will happen if they don't give and how their gift will change that when they do give. 

And personalization is also important. How can you use technology to customize your letters? First name salutations, amount of the last gift, what their gift accomplished the last time, etc. All these things add that custom touch that female donors especially appreciate--and females outnumber male donors 2 to 1. So good to know, right?!

A few more Left Brain Method Do's and Don'ts that I learned include...

Do:

1. Give them a deadline with a reason for that deadline.
2. Use underlines, bold, and italics--it draws attention to what they should do.
3. Write at a 6th grade level or lower.
4. Make your paragraphs 5 sentences or shorter.
5. Use 12 point font minimum (13+ is better).
6. Use captions on all photos that support your CTA; they tend to read these.
7. Use the word you more than we and I put together--literally count them!

Don't:

1. Focus on past successes.
2. Tell them how your process works.
3. Tell them how big the problem is.

As a teacher, I've always appreciated both sides of the brain and I know that for every left brain method you can add a splash of right brain moxie. Some examples I provided for you today will add value to your Stampworthy Letters.

1. You'll see in the Top Ten Best Golfers graphic that including someone's name doesn't only have to take place in the Salutation.
2. Toilet paper math is complicated; the match we had to offer was easy. Make it simple and make it memorable.
3. If you do the two things above, you will stand out--that's VITAL especially with an end-of-year appeal when there is a cacophony of requests in each mailbox.
4. Write it once to get your ideas out--even if they're not communicated well. Then, edit it to make it better. Drafts and published copies should look markedly different.
5. Always remember why people give. As Seth Godin always says, 'people like us do things like this'--remind them what people like us do. 

Create Stampworthy Letters implement the above ideas and put simply, they just work. So, use the above tips and tricks like a recipe and watch your ROI increase as your donors move beyond opening your Stampworthy Envelope and begin reading your Stampworthy Letters.

All My Best,

dawn   

P.S. With all the year-end giving appeals that you're writing and sending, who has time to create a calendar for social media that gives your donors generosity-packed giving ideas?  Probably no one! But even if you were going to try to fit it into your oh-so busy schedule, #WorkSmarterNotHarder and grab this one that I created for you!

You can find the free download here as my gift to you!