Writing compelling copy for direct mail
A confession
Can everyone be a great writer?
Can everyone be a great fundraising copywriter?
Can everyone be a better fundraising copywriter?
The power of writing: a demo 10 minutesThe writer’s toolbox 20
minutesIn action 15
minutesTips from the best 10 minutesQuestions The rest
Today…
Aline ReedCreative Director Bluefrog
An introduction
Serial KillerFraudster Journalist
TV Nation 1994
Notional response
$868k $1.2 million Less
How?
• Persuasive letter• Donor focus• Great technique
SOURCE: Adrian Sargeant, 2000
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
0 1 2 3 4 5
Years after recruitment
Donors
8%
Why?
Introducing the writer’s toolbox…
The storyteller’s tool box
From Stephen King On writing
VocabularyGrammar
FormStyle
Common tools on top
Magic
The fundraising copywriter’s tool box
VocabularyGrammar
Persuasion
TechniqueFundraising knowledge
Magic**And/or hard work/coffee
Tool 1: Vocabulary
• You don’t need to know long words• You don’t need a wide vocabulary• You do need to put them together to sound right
1. NEW2. GUARANTEED3. PROVEN4. RESULTS5. SAFETY6. SAVE7. YOU8. NOW9. EASY10.FREE**www.marketingsmart.gumas.com
Vocabulary
The most important words in marketing – apparently.
1. DONOR’S NAME 2. YOU3. YOUR4. THANK YOU5. GENEROUS6. SIGNIFICANT7. CHOICE8. PROMISE9. URGENT10.PROOF
Vocabulary
The most important word in fundraising – you
Vocabulary: George Smith
Saxon rather than Latin words have more force
Latin SaxonInformation News, factsIndicate ShowImmediately Now, right awayConstruct Build, makeDiscover Find
Try swearing with Latin-based oaths.
• You do need to know the basics• You can break the rules
Tools 2: Grammar
• You can start a sentence with ‘And’• A sentence doesn’t always need a verb• A sentence can be one word long or 20• A paragraph can be one word long or 7-8 lines• Sentence length and construction needs to vary
Grammar
Sharpening common tools
Time %
Reading
Writing
Talking
Not entirely scientific as no time for eating and sleeping
• You need to build a persuasive argument• Make it easy. Make it right• Meet the donor’s needs
Tool 3: Persuasion
Ego/Esteem – achievement, status, reputation etc
Self-actualization – personal growth and fulfilment
Social – belongingness, love, family, relationships, etc
Safety – protection, security, order, stability, etc
Physical – food, shelter, warmth, sleep, sex, etc
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
Needs are more potent than values
More Emotional More Rational
Change my mood Change my world
Amuse me Help me to grow Combat Helplessness
To help
• Novelty• Entertaining• Good ideas
• Status• Education• Under- standing
• Relaxing• Empowering
• Safer world• Better world
Source: Donor Need States. Bluefrog / Tangent, 2007
• Elevate status• Not macro marketing• Emphasis on special treatment• Respect and honesty• Wanted information
More Emotional More Rational
Change my mood Change my world
Amuse me Help me to grow Combat Helplessness
To help
• Novelty• Entertaining• Good ideas
• Status• Education• Under- standing
• Relaxing• Empowering
• Safer world• Better world
Help me to grow
“The best stuff is a couple of sheets with a letter from the professor…not a generic letter
just from someone in the company.”
Source: The Fundraiser’s guide to mid value donors. Bluefrog 2007
Help me to grow
“You know when it’s a computer saying thank you and when it’s a person.
And, quite frankly, I prefer if it’s a person.”
(Female, 62)
Source: After the love has gone. Bluefrog 2008
Help me to grow
Help me grow
Just for me
• Prioritise donor needs• It’s about what they want to hear• Not what you want to tell them• Via the mediums they want• At the intervals they want it
Persuasion: put the donor first
You need to be able to… • write in different voices• tell a story• edit• proof• pull not push
Tool 4: technique
You need to… • be able to write or recognise a good fundraising
proposition• know what works• understand ask strategies and personalisation• know your audience
Tool 5: Fundraising knowledge
Three key areas
Good creative is driven by knowledge and information
Free research for the sector
The Fundraiser’s
guide to lapsed donors
The
Fundraiser’s
guide to
donor needs
The Fundraiser’s
guide to legacies online
The
Fundraiser’s
guide to
mid value
donors
Why do people give? And why not?
• When a great idea pops into your head• When you put the ingredients together and
they work
Magic
In action
• Good writing doesn’t happen in isolation. You need to think about where the words go and what they look like.
In action
Envelopes
What do these envelopes say?
Inspiring envelopes
Edward Gorey
Inspiring envelopes
Miss Polly Colyer (Collier)-Fergusson (Fir-goose-sun)
Ightham Mote, Ivy Hatch, Sevenoaks, Kent.
Envelopes
• Hand-addressed• Hand-stamped
Cheaper option• Inkjet
You• Test• Best givers
Envelopes
• C4 is more expensive but we use for high value warm and cold
• Manila costs more but looks cheaper
You• Think about perceived cost
Envelopes
Other techniques• Official• Something inside• Celebrate offer• Teaser
You• Test branded versus non
branded• Handwritten note
http://www.sofii.
org/node/448#
Letter
You• Read the letter aloud• Be a person, not a
computer
Damian O’BroinAsk Direct in Irelandhttp://www.askdirect.ie
Inspiring letters
You• Write to one person• Write with emotion
@lettersofnotehttp:www.lettersofnote.com
Inspiring letters
You• Use the facts to give a
compelling reason to take action.
George Smithhttp:www.sofii.org
Letter• Capture someone’s
attention • Tell an engaging story• Use an interesting signatory• Give the letter personality
• Write to one person• Use ‘you’• Say thank you• Personalise
Letter
• Ask for a suitable sum of money• Say what the money will do• Have a target• Have a reply by deadline• Highlight key points• End each page on a split line so….
Letter
…that people turn over • Use courier typeface• Sign off in blue ink• Annotate in blue ink
• Use a PS to add urgency, sum up the appeal
• Direct donor to form, phone or web address
Letter
• Long copy worksBut is challenging to construct
• Lift letters workBeneficiariesSupportersStaff doing the workFamily
Giving form
• Feature your offer• Mini appeal• Try A4• Make it easy to give• Offer other channels for giving• Open up dialogue• Pence per pound• Give donors choice
Reply envelope
• Send back to letter signatory• Make it easy to get the form in• Fundraising deadline• Urgent stamp
Enclosure
• Ditch the leaflet• Offer more valued content• In a more personal, engaging form
Online
• People go on line to give to DM• Estimated increase 20-50%• It’s easy
Pre-mail email DM appeal Email reminder
Online
Dedicated landing page
Online
Pre-email Reminder email
Donor focused newsletters
Twelve weeks
Threeweeks
Income up
Tips from the best
George Orwell
• What am I trying to say?• What words will express it?• What image or idiom will make it clearer?• Is the image fresh enough to make the
effect?• Could I put it more shortly?• Have I said anything that is avoidably
ugly?
George Smith
• Use ‘I’ and ‘you’• Get to the point• Make it sound like someone is talking• Relate the story to the donor• Say what you mean with real words
Robert Louis Stevenson
The difficulty of literature is not to write, but to write what you mean; not to affect your reader, but to affect him precisely as you wish.
Over to you
Jeff Brookswww.futurefundraisingnow.com
@jeffbrooks
The agitatorwww.theagitator.net
Mark Phillipswww.queerideas.co.uk
@markyphillips
Craig Lintonwww.fundraisingdetective.com
@frdetective
Tom Ahernwww.aherncomm.com
@thattomahern
SOFIIwww.sofii.org
@SOFIIisHOT
Ken Burnettwww.kenburnett.com
@kenburnett1
Aline Reedwww.bluefrogcreative.co.uk
@alinereed
Damian O’Broinwww.askdirect.ie@damianobroin
www.whitelionpress.com
Thank you