1.) Reach Out to Former Donors
In the marketing world, this list of former
contributors is called a ‘housefile’. Make sure that anytime your organization
is set to run a direct mail campaign that the housefile
list is always included. These are people who have clearly cared about your
goals and cause in the past and, more than likely, still do. Stay in touch.
2.) Write a Newsletter
This is important for all non-profits, but
especially smaller or new organizations. Write a semi-annual or quarterly
newsletter including information about current events and activities, donor
contributions and how they’ve helped, and donation information. Be sure to
include an addressed return envelope with the newsletter to encouragedonations.
3.) Personalize and Connect
It may seem like writing broad letters,
newsletters, etc. is the best approach to reach many different types of people.
However, honing in on a certain target group is more likely to get a tangible
reaction out of prospecting. Write for the target audience. Add personaltouches where you can further connect with potential donors, whether it be
hand written signatures or a short letter from the president of the company.
And don’t forget to send holiday cards and a thank you note to donors and
volunteers each year!
4.) Measure Success
Rather than spending the money to send your
mailers out to, say, 30,000 prospects and hoping for positive return, choose a
small portion of the group to send the mailers to first. See what the reaction
is. If it’s not what you’d hoped for, revise the mailers wording, theme,
appearance, etc. You’ll learn what works and what doesn’t and you’ll have saved
precious marketing dollars.
Effective direct mail marketing is vital to the health and
longevity of any business, so for all of your direct mail marketing needs, seek
out the help of qualified professionals, like the experts at Tray Inc., for the best results.
