MERE HEALING

Sign of the times.

This explains a lot.

Why I am a consultant...

We're supposed to move up the food chain as we grow older and more experienced in business.

What we realize is that as we grow older, all that changes are the titles that we apply to our existence.

Arrgh! This is what I'm afraid of!

Therapy made easy (and cheap)!

Got issues? Sure, we all do. So why see an expensive therapist when you can get psychotherapy from Dr. Freud himself for less than $8?

Just pour your heart (or head) out, then shake the Dr. Freud Therapy Ball to reveal what the world’s most famous psychoanalyst has got to say.

How brands talk.

From Tom Fishburne at Brand Camp comes a great little note on the four types of media available to your brand:

Whether on package copy, TV ads, or websites, most brands talk in the same self-referential and self-absorbed way. It’s by design. That’s usually the first filter of a creative review: run through a checklist to make sure that all the key benefits from the brief are there. The problem is that there’s rarely a filter that all that brand talk is actually interesting.

Hugh Macleod [Gapingvoid] refers to this as The Cocktail Party Rule: "What’s true at cocktail parties is also true in marketing i.e. If you want to be boring, talk about yourself. If you want to be interesting, talk about something else."

Read the whole thing.

It's Literacy Month! Thank a tree!

David Foster on building a successful fb fan page.

Social internet marketer David Foster has an excellent step-by-step series on how to set up and run a successful Facebook fan page. Here's the first in the git 'er done series:

This is solid stuff, David, particularly for those non-profit leaders who are absolutely being left in the dust by the changes taking place in social media development.  Thanks so much.

Google Analytics made easy.

Nancy Schwartz at Getting Attention has a must-read entitled clearly and succinctly 7 Easy Ways to Boost Your Nonprofit Marketing Impact with Google Analytics that is the bottom line for how to make your website work for you... instead of the other way around.

Way too much to quote at length here, so you need to go read the whole thing at least several times, but in a nutshell, here's what she says. First of all, for those who are unexposed to this stuff, analytics:

• Consistently quantify site performance and usage. Remember though, that comparison of findings among sites doesn’t mean a thing, since each site has unique goals and audiences. Focus on tracking metrics on your site over time, from the baseline of right now.
• Build your understanding of how or if your site or blog is meeting stated objectives critical to achieving communications goals.
• Suggest approaches for course correction if necessary.

That's not even scratching the proverbial surface. She says the first step in undertaking such a strategic need is the following:

1. Define site goals.
2. Pinpoint measurable objectives that will demonstrate your moving towards reaching your goals.
3. Identify, as specifically as possible, the target audiences you need to engage to meet your objectives.

Then she gets right down to the nittty-gritty of things. Take this next 'graph to the bank:

When you’re thinking about measuring the impact of your website, start with your desired outcomes, not with analytic reports. Your goals for your site will pinpoint the metrics that matter. So rather than opening your analytics tool and getting overwhelmed by all the bells and whistles, focus on factors that will help you understand the whys and whats around your desired outcomes.

And then she proceeds to get into the seven fixed metrics that are really worth tracking on. In just a word, here they are... but you'll want to read the whole thing for every bit of insight she offers on this mind-numbing [for me] subject.

1. Keywords — What top 20 words and phrases (keywords) your users enter into Google or other search engines that drive them to your site?
2. Top referring web addresses
3. Top 10 pages visited (a.k.a. content popularity)
4. Percentage of site visitors who visit the home page
5. Site bounce rate
6. Conversion Rate (goals and funnel)
7. Most Frequently Searched for Keywords (assuming your site has a site search tool)

Go read the entire piece. And sign up for her excellent newsletter. I've been reading her for several years now and she's my numero uno go-to for everything non-profit.

How to say "Thank you!"

Jennifer Windrum at WTF? just hit just hit 4K fans on fb. She asked the one and only John Haydon how she ought to thank her fans, and here's the stellar list he came up with. 

1. There is no app to say thank you
   I’m not that good at predicting the future, but one thing I know for sure is this: There will never be an app that says thank you. You can’t select sincerity from a drop-down menu. It has to come from you. You have to go through whatever you need to go through to get to the most sincere place you can in your heart. Don’t worry about what to say – let your words become servants of your sincerity.
2. It’s “Thank you” not “Thank I”
   When you say thanks, say it in the second person, not the first. Your fans are the ones receiving the appreciation, so speak to them, and not about you (they can hear stories about you some other time).
3. Don’t name names
   If you’re thanking 4,000 fans, mentioning the contributions of a few specific fans might make others feel left out, and not appreciated. Best to send those on the short list a private message of thanks.
4. Use video
   If a picture says a thousand words, video says a million. And saying thank you requires you to communicate how you feel, which can always use a million words. Plus, taking the time (and the courage) to make a video will prove your sincere.
5. Go back to number 1
   The power of a sincere thanks has no limits. Everything else is secondary.

BTW, you should be reagularly stopping by John's excellent website for the latest in social media and inbound marketing. I first came across John through the Authority Blogger and his continual insight and expertise has made him an essential arrow in my quiver. John's a big gun for Headway on WordPress and has a terrific overview of the theme, to which I'll make a move the second I'm through with this TypePad contract.  

2nd in a series on direct mail.

Direct mail wizard Jerry Huntsinger says it's a little of both. If you are a writer assigned to create fundraising letters, then you have to deal with feelings, intuition, motivation. Direct mail is a personal form of communication. And communication occurs only when you reach out and touch a person at a deep level.

This is why successful fundraising letters are rarely produced by committees or individuals who are locked into neat, logical routines of thinking.

Letter-writing is a true art form, but is restricted to the realities of budget, package, programme and cost. The techniques used in the communication process must be focused on the purpose of creativity, i.e. increase net profit.

What's not to "like" about your NPO?

eMarketer has a great discussion of what actually motivates individuals to “like” a brand in social nets like Facebook.

#1 for consumer brands, not surprisingly, is an interest in getting information about “deals.”

But the #2 driver is simply self-expression … people simply want to express their support of a company or brand (or nonprofit) to other people. A form of sharing “feel good” news — a fundamental human impulse.

Nonprofits tapping into social nets need to realize that your “friends” do not necessarily crave “interaction” with your organization — check out the list and note that “interact” is firmly entrenched at the bottom.

They do, however, want to identify publicly with you … and that’s plenty to be grateful for.

Indeed, their greater value to your organization might be as missionaries rather than as donors. So be sure you gently offer your “friends” easy ways to take additional supportive steps. As they take those additional steps, they’re probably moving closer to donating (or donating more/again).

Brand loyalty according to the Gospel of Seth.

Some solid observations from the marketing guru on loyalty. And yes, as a nonprofit leader, you need to be passionate about loyalty.

First, an interesting definition: “Loyalty is what we call it when someone refuses a momentarily better option.” Not too sentimental … at first glance.

Then some bad news: “Loyalty isn’t forever. Sometimes, the world changes significantly and even though the loyal partner/customer likes that label, it gets so difficult to stick that he switches.”

And his conclusion: “Tell a story that appeals to loyalists. Treat different customers differently, and reserve your highest level of respect for those that stand by you.”

Take a minute and read the whole piece.

Do you have ten stories from loyal donors in  your files? How are you using them?

My Story.

I was born in 1950 with several medical problems including a cleft palate and lip, which required immediate treatment and isolation from my mother – literally from the moment of birth.  My sudden and violent separation from her resulted in two emotional (read: psychological) conditions universally recognized and validated by Christian and secular psychotherapeutic professions: separation anxiety and defensive detachment.

I was wondering the same thing.

 
 

Why I hate going to parties now that I don't drink.

Being "new" doesn't make it better.

Hmm. What do you do when you're the 98-year-old tradition-rich Girls Scouts of America -- the world's largest organization for girls -- and you think your logo just doesn't do the job anymore? The GSA recently updated theirs in a very subtle way. I understand the pressures to change logos, having been through this arduous process myself with several organizations.

But looking back on those mind-numbing experiences, I've come to the conclusion that most nonprofits just don't spend that much time in front of their constituent's eyes for them to make changes in how they present themselves. The vast majority of nonprofits can ill-afford to advertise to reinforce their brand, and even when they utilize the onslaught of new media to heighthen the experience, it just isn't enough to allow them to do so in a way that truly resonates meaningfully with folks.

  
The acid test for the GSA a year from now would be to ask people in their own office which logo is the new one. I'll bet no more than 10% could distinguish the old one from the new one. Oh... and just to add insult to injury, I wonder how much they paid for their new logo? Don't think I won't be considering that little bon mot this year when those little thugs come around peddling their cookies.

Making your newsletter work for you.

Donor newsletters -- especially the printed type -- are a colossal pain in the tail. Nothing loses my attention more than a nonprofit group that sends me their newsletter and yet routinely can't seem to figure out what to say in it. Tom Ahern of Ahern Communications, Ink came up with some indispensable  points in Mal Warwick's latest e-letter that boils everything down to just a few essentials.

What follows are the few things we really must remember, to make our donor newsletters succeed at: (1) retaining donors and (2) increasing gift revenue.

1.  Donors should feel something as they read your newsletter. Something. Glad, angry, relieved, hopeful, happy, proud, satisfied . . . something. Judge everything you put in your newsletter by one standard: Is this news item, anecdote, statistic, or photo likely to make the donor feel something?

2.  Are you marinated in “donor love?” Do you make the donor feel like a VIP? Have you switched from the “donor-negligent” voice (“We did this. We did that. And, oh by the way, if you sent a check, thanks!”) to the proper “donor-centric” voice (“With your help, we did this and that. And without your help, we can’t.”)

You simply cannot flatter a donor too much. In fact, “flattering donors too much” is right at the top of a fundraiser’s job description, in my opinion. Why? Because flattery stimulates more revenue.

And it’s not a cynical ploy. Donors are never really gulled. They know flattery for what it is. But they don’t reject it. Truth? They like the feeling. And, truth, you like the feeling. Fact: We all like the feeling. Flattery reminds us, in case we’ve forgotten, that we’re worth something. That we’re important. And that feels really good.

3.  They want to trust you. They’re just not sure they can. We have something like 1.5 million 501(c)(3) nonprofits in the U.S. but almost no regulatory oversight. Charity fraud is common in the news. You need to reassure your readers repeatedly that your organization is business-minded and trustworthy.

4.  Surprise me. This is mere neuroscience: Our brains tend to pay more attention to anything new. Even the word “new” excites us. Show me something I haven’t seen before. Tell me something I haven’t heard before. The rule: Do anything except bore me. The reality: Ninety-nine out of 100 donor newsletters violate that rule religiously. No wonder your newsletters produce so little.

5.  Prepare to be skimmed. More science: First, we look at all the bigger, bolder, briefer things in a publication, like headlines and photos, before we dig into the articles. And we seldom ever dig into the articles: No more than one in five readers will penetrate the first paragraph of any story. Plus, there’s the BI vs. AI phenomenon: Before the Internet vs. After the Internet. The Internet tossed a grenade into people’s attention spans and blew them all to shreds.

6.  If you want response, you need to make offers. It’s simple cause and effect. What kinds of offers? Information. Tours. Matching gifts. Special fund drives.

7.  Is it easy to give? Inertia is the real enemy in fundraising, I am totally convinced. Simply getting someone to act (write a check, go online and donate) is hard. Convenience is key. Include a reply envelope. Remind the reader on every page of your newsletter that online donations are fast and safe. And then make sure they are fast and safe. I tried to give $350 online to a favorite charity the other day and their PayPal mechanism required me to set up an account first. No, thank you.

8.  Collect email addresses so you can send e-newsletters. An effective donor communications program will field both (not either) printed newsletters and e-newsletters. Brief emailed updates let you keep your supporters informed at almost no cost. Yet most charities I know have email addresses for no more than 20% of their donorbase. Boo hiss.

9.  There are key messages you need to repeat over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and . . . Some of those messages will be specific to your charity. Though some are apt for almost all charities, messages like: (1) The success of the mission depends on donors. (2) Your support is vitally important. (3) Nothing feels better than helping your neighbors and your community. (4) The more you give, the more good we can do.

Takeaway: A good donor newsletter stirs pleasure in its readers. It reassures them that the mission is still urgent and relevant. And it renews in them the certainty that they are accomplishing something worthwhile by continuing their support.

This is good stuff from one of the best. Thanks, Tom!

White Paper examines nonprofit oversight.

One thing non-profit organizations are growing painfully aware of these days is that a nonprofit tax-exempt status is a privilege: It has to be earned, and it needs to be maintained. With privilege comes expectation: A nonprofit must know who it is accountable to. A myriad of agencies, governmental and otherwise; statutes; and individuals regulate a nonprofit’s activities.

A recent White Paper from BoardSource, "Regulating and Monitoring Nonprofits — Balancing Compliance and Best Practices," sheds light on some of those bodies and regulations that oversee, sanction, guide, or place specific expectations on nonprofits. It's incumbent upon the board to be aware of these entities as part of its own primary duty of organizational oversight.

This paper needs to be required reading for your entire board and subject for discussion.

1st in a series on direct mail.

The purpose of these tutorials from SOFII and direct mail guru Jerry Huntsinger is to stimulate your thinking. Challenge your preconceived notions. Stimulate your appetite for testing a new idea. Try this one on for size:

Simplicity is the most complex of all.

As in: Here’s a simple way of looking at the purpose of a direct mail fundraising package.

• The outer/carrier envelope: the purpose is to get it ripped open with as much anticipation as possible. Nothing else.

• The letter: the purpose is to get the reader involved long enough and interested enough to make a positive decision. Nothing else.

• The reply device: the purpose is to provide a practical way for the donor to post the gift. Nothing else.

• The enclosure: the purpose is to increase net income. Nothing else.

• Donor list segmentation: the purpose is to allow you to ask the right donor for the right amount. Nothing else.

• Personalisation: the purpose is to make the donor feel good about herself. Nothing else.

• Premiums: the purpose is to increase net profit by putting something irresistible in the donor’s hand. Nothing else.

• Postage: the purpose is to get the letter delivered to the donor’s home at an appropriate speed and appropriate cost. Nothing else.

If you approach all this in such a simple fashion, then your focal point is going to be very narrow. Your donor’s going to know exactly what the problem is, how much money you're asking for, and what you're going to do with his money.

I don't often say this, but... do what I do. Start keeping fundraising appeals that come to your home. You’ll notice that some packages are repeated over and over again. These are the winners, the control packages. Notice how simple they are.

No, it’s not rocket science.