Let’s Do the Numbers: PTV Digital Marketing & Fundraising Benchmarks You Can Use

Jeff Regen, WETA VP of Development 703-998-2653 & jregan@weta.org

#PMDMC

Chas Offutt, PBS Dir. of Dev. Srvcs, Digital 703-739-5253 & ceoffutt@pbs.org

What is benchmarking

•  Obtaining a measure – a benchmark, i.e. benchmarks are the “what,” and benchmarking is the “how.”

•  Identifying the “good” practices for helping organizations improve productivity and revenue.

•  Set standards for operation through measurable, scientific, or business methods.

...And what is it not

•  An organization should not limit the scope to its own industry, nor should benchmarking be a one-time event.

•  Benchmarking is not just a matter of making inquiries to other organizations or touring and documenting another organization’s facilities or processes.

Why benchmarking matters

•  Need to know where you stand before you can map out your strategy for growth.

•  By comparing your results, you can assess how you’re doing in relative to your past performance, peers and competitors.

•  Benchmarking can also serve as a rallying tool to drive your team toward your objectives.

...It forces the tough questions

•  Success is measured in many different ways, but the most prominent measures tend to be related to fundraising.

•  However, organizations with a positive trajectory tend to be those that ask: •  How are we doing financially? •  How do we compare with others? •  Are we making progress fast enough? •  Are we using “good” practices? •  Are we tracking the right metrics?

How PBS uses benchmarks

•  Marketing research to position value

•  Nielsen data (TV HHs and content rating)

•  Business unit competitor analysis

•  Google Analytics benchmarking project

•  Digital marketing & fundraising data

PBS station benchmark report

25  sta'ons  who  have  been  on  Convio/Luminate  Online  ™  pla9orm  for  a  minimum  of  3+  years.      The  data  represents:    •  $16+  million  in  total  online  revenue  •  330k+  total  number  of  giIs  •  3.4+  million  usable  emails  •  180+  million  total  emails  sent  

Download  the  infographic  à  pbs.box.com/infographic    

Digital marketing and fundraising benchmarks  

Campaign overview

•  Banner promotions were run in the “header” and “funder” spots on the PBS Video portal

•  Dates: 12/2/14 – 1/12/15

•  Two versions, randomly assigned 50/50 to users. –  “Support lifelong

learning…” –  “Donate to lifelong

learning…”

Campaign overview

•  A lightbox was displayed to localized users on the PBS Video portal and the PBS top-level pages

•  Dates: 12/21/14 - 12/31/14

•  Two versions were randomly assigned 50/50 to users –  “Donate to the very

best…” –  “Support the very best…”

Summary of Findings

•  There was a 126% year-over-year increase in all donate clicks during the campaign window.

•  The lightbox had the most clicks and the best click-through rate of any donate link on PBS.org.

•  “Support” (vs. “Donate”) received more clicks in both banner spots and the lightbox.

“Support” (vs. “donate”) received more clicks

Source: Google Analytics: 12/2/14 – 1/12/15

52%

53% 57%

48%

47% 43%

-

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

Lightbox Funder Banner Header Banner

Donate

Support

4,212 3,221

24,049

Lightbox launch

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

CLI

CK

S

Lightbox

Funder Banner

Header Banner

Christmas Eve

December 26th

Source: Google Analytics: 12/2/14 – 1/12/15

December Station Impact: KQED

•  127 Gifts | $22,108 Revenue | $174 Avg.

•  840 clicks to KQED from PBS digital properties

•  15% donation form completion rate

10% of total organic online giving* during December 2014 was attributed to PBS digital properties.

*Does  not  include  online  giving  related  to  direct  mail  and  on-­‐air  pledge.  

9% CTR

pbs.bo

x.com/infograph

ic        

Resources

pbs.bo

x.com/guide

 

Jeff Regen VP of Development

WETA’s approach to digital

fundraising

#PMDMC  

•  Measure, Test & Learn + Creative Innovation •  Macro-level: Budget and program evaluation •  Campaign-based: Cross-channel and by channel •  Channel deep-dive •  Digital tools:

–  Email –  Website –  Social media

Maximizing digital fundraising

#PMDMC  

+ Creative Innovation

Measure  

Test  Learn  

Macro-level: Budget & program

evaluation

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Online Total Raised – By Month (November – June)

Evaluate vs. budget and program goals: •  Overall online revenue •  On Air (pledge)-driven revenue vs. Membership-driven revenue •  Sustainers and one-time

Timeframe Email Web Ecommerce Total November 20,602.34$ 85,037.97$ 16,635.00$ 122,275.31$ December 125,722.68$ 495,750.75$ 95,886.34$ 717,359.77$ January 16,110.02$ 85,002.03$ 13,032.64$ 114,144.69$ February 16,155.26$ 98,511.64$ 27,053.80$ 141,720.70$ March 34,460.68$ 75,704.23$ 97,328.97$ 207,493.88$ April 16,795.25$ 79,710.35$ 18,950.67$ 115,456.27$ May 21,007.52$ 70,856.66$ 12,727.38$ 104,591.56$ June 44,130.68$ 76,623.32$ 33,049.66$ 153,803.66$ Total 294,984.43$ 1,067,196.95$ 314,664.46$ 1,676,845.84$

Campaign-based: Cross channel and by

channel

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•     Total  campaign  -­‐  channels  don’t  exist  as  silos  

•   Within  a  channel  –radio  and  TV  pledge,  mail,  spots,  email,  website,  events,  etc.  

Channel deep dive: Giving by device type

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99%   97%  95%  

92%   88%  

2%  

4%  

6%  7%  

1%  1%  

1%  

2%  5%  

0  

5,000  

10,000  

15,000  

FY11   FY12   FY13   FY14   FY15**  

Online  Gi6s*  

Online  Gi6s  Through  Desktop,  Tablet,  and  Other  Mobile  

Other  Mobile  

Tablet  

Desktop  

*Excludes  e-­‐commerce  giIs  (mostly  through  pledges)  **July  1,  2014  -­‐  June  19,  2015  

Giving by type of device – External

benchmarks

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0%  

5%  

10%  

15%  

20%  

25%  

30%  

May  2012   May  2013   May  2014   May  2015  

ActBlue  –  Percentage  of  Gi6s  Through  Mobile  Devices  

“We  generally  see  about  30%  of  [online]  dona8ons  come  through  via  mobile  for  nonprofits.”  –  Anne  Lewis  Strategies  

WETA  is  below  industry  benchmark  à  significant  opportunity  for  future  growth  

Digital tools: Email (file health)

#PMDMC  

Openers 1/1/15

Openers 6/19/15

Openers 7/1/15

2 week difference

Total Difference

Donors 42,151 36,751 35,068 -1,683 -5,400Prospects 40,146 36,966 35,585 -1,381 -3,180Total 82,297 73,717 70,653 -3,064 -8,580

Clickers 1/1/15

Clickers 6/19/15

Clickers 7/1/15

2 Week Difference

Total Difference

Donors 9,651 7,136 7,175 39 -2,476Prospects 5,262 3,841 4,946 1,105 -316Total 14,913 10,977 12,121 1,144 -2,792

60-Day Stats

Evaluate every email – especially vs. like messages

Email Results

Date Message Name Subject Line Sent Opened Open Rate Clicked $ Raised (Total)

Total Gifts $ Response Rate

Optouts Bounces

2015 Total 8,133,890 1,305,686 16.05% 72,348 53,277.61$ 1,348 0.02% 10,777 182,714

4,111,863 574,940 13.98% 25,935 29,218.37$ 1,010 0.02% 5,303 116,802 June Total 2,029,045 241,302 11.89% 10,942 45,355.50$ 603 0.03% 2,701 84,194

6/30/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #6 132,363 14,655 11.07% 276 6,595.00$ 90 0.07% 239 299 6/30/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #6 Donor/ProspectOur Final Countdown 123,648 13,384 10.82% 251 6,130.00$ 81 0.07% 230 288 6/29/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #6 Forward Our Final Countdown 8,715 1,271 14.58% 25 465.00$ 9 0.10% 9 11

6/22/2015Join Us for the Premiere of Last Tango in Halifax Season 3! A D.C. Tradition: The Capitol Fourth on WETA165,536 19,755 11.93% 918 -$ - 0.00% 148 2,700

6/29/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #5 132,827 15,059 11.34% 333 10,316.00$ 124 0.09% 242 6,441 6/29/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #5 Donor This is it 78,033 7,603 9.74% 236 9,841.00$ 115 0.15% 81 3,998 6/29/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #5 Prospect This is it 54,794 7,456 13.61% 97 475.00$ 9 0.02% 161 2,443 6/26/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #4 125,277 15,051 12.01% 186 3,291.00$ 45 0.04% 269 775 6/26/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #4 Donor Original Deadline: Invest in WETA's future 35,099 3,374 9.61% 51 1,766.00$ 20 0.06% 36 357 6/26/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #4 Donor HPC Deadline: Invest in WETA's future 35,105 3,311 9.43% 42 1,185.00$ 17 0.05% 36 347 6/26/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #4 Prospect Deadline: Invest in WETA's future 55,073 8,366 15.19% 93 340.00$ 8 0.01% 197 71 6/24/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #3 134,651 18,079 13.43% 195 3,856.00$ 49 0.04% 263 1,094 6/24/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #3 Donor Original Exciting News 35,563 3,811 10.72% 46 1,205.00$ 15 0.04% 30 453 6/24/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #3 Donor Urgent Exciting News 35,563 3,865 10.87% 42 2,301.00$ 25 0.07% 36 493 6/24/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #3 Prospect Exciting News 55,776 8,693 15.59% 89 350.00$ 9 0.02% 184 69 6/24/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #3 Forward Exciting News 7,749 1,710 22.07% 18 -$ - 0.00% 13 79

Q4 Total

Email: Benchmark vs. previous years

àAIer  3  CYE  messages,  we  concluded  that  CYE  2014  was  underperforming  CYE  2013  as  we  took  too  long  to  get  to  the  “ask.”  Adjusted  course  for  the  remainder  of  the  messages.    

Valentine’s Day Email: Copy style

test Version  A  -­‐  Winner   Version  B  

CYE Email: Signer test (inconclusive) Version  A   Version  B  

Website metrics: Donations & sign-

ups

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Other  top  metrics:  •   Most  common  pathways  •   Most  commonly  visited  web  pages;  search  terms;  referrers   1.04%  1.06%  

0.87%  

1.08%  

1.21%  0.98%  

0.45%  0.57%  

0.45%  

0.83%  0.99%  0.90%  

1.08%  

0.87%  

1.15%  1.06%  

1.23%  

2.55%  

0.00%  

0.50%  

1.00%  

1.50%  

2.00%  

2.50%  

3.00%  

1-­‐Jan   1-­‐Feb   1-­‐Mar   1-­‐Apr   1-­‐May   1-­‐Jun   1-­‐Jul   1-­‐Aug   1-­‐Sep   1-­‐Oct   1-­‐Nov   1-­‐Dec  

Don

aFon

 Con

version  Ra

te  

WETA  Homepage  DonaFon  Conversion  Rates*  

2015  

2014  

*  Includes  dona'ons  through  main  nav  bukon  acrooss  en're  site,  but  excludes  ecommerce  and  other  dona'on  forms  

Why  the  improvement?  We  think:  •  More  lightboxes  •  Dona'on  form  

op'miza'on  •  Mobile  

op'miza'on    

Website optimization

Weta.org lightbox: Donation options

test

Varia'on  B  –  “Three  Bukons”  

Varia'on  A  –  “Dona'on  Amount”  

FYE donation page match / urgency test

(inconclusive) Control   Test  Version  

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We track: •  Social network referrals to weta.org – i.e., which posts drive traffic to our sites

•  44% up Jan-June 2015 over 2014 (but only 2.9% of overall traffic) – mostly driven by quizzes and video clips

•  Facebook and Twitter followers •  Facebook Insights

•  Demographics – FB fans skew younger than audience – 65% are 25-54 and 65% are female •  Popular posts (people reached, likes, shares) such as “This Day in History” types linking to blog; and videos embedded directly in FB (e.g., traliers)

•  Popular tweets – a bit

Digital tools: Social media (i.e., FB and Twitter)

Takeaways

•  Benchmarking is critical to your station’s fundraising growth – and your own metrics are often the most important.

•  Adoption of good, better, and best practices can drive significantly more revenue.

•  Develop a culture of “measure, test and learn” – and is not afraid of failure.

•  Testing needs to be a priority at your station – and treat every message as a “test”.

Discussion

•  P.S., WETA is hiring for: –  Manager, Data Strategy & Management –  Database Analyst –  Direct Response Fundraising Associate

•  Know a strong candidate? Please send them to Jeff at jregen@weta.org or 703-998-2653 or go to weta.org

Thank you!

Q & A

Jeff Regen, WETA VP of Development 703-998-2653 & jregan@weta.org

#PMDMC

Chas Offutt, PBS Dir. of Dev. Srvcs, Digital 703-739-5253 & ceoffutt@pbs.org