Despite the digital world we live in today, direct mail remains a vital component of advancement strategies. But, to truly harness its potential? We need to innovate and adapt to modern trends.
In 2009, Todd Moxley started a small printing and fulfillment business to help fundraising shops engage with donors via direct mail easier. And now, that business has grown to be officially known as Pledgemine by EverTrue – a full scale digital-print and mailing facility serving hundreds of advancement shops and nonprofits.
It’s safe to say Todd knows a thing or two about direct mail, so we’ve compiled his four easy steps your shop can take to revolutionize your direct mail practices and significantly boost donor engagement and giving. Ready? Let’s go!
1. Embrace Informed Delivery
Informed Delivery is a USPS service that allows recipients to preview their incoming mail and packages digitally, enhancing the overall mail experience by integrating email with physical mail. This offers several benefits:
- Greater Visibility: By reaching customers both physically and digitally, you enhance your brand’s visibility and engagement.
- Enhanced Engagement: Providing additional content, announcements, and interactive elements in email previews can lead to higher open rates for physical mail, improving overall engagement and increasing the likelihood of giving.
Here’s more from Todd on Informed Delivery:
Action Tip: Informed delivery is free! Test it out with a small direct mail order to see if it can work for your shop. Eventually, you’ll be able to integrate Informed Delivery into all of your direct mail campaigns to provide a multi-channel experience that keeps your university top of mind for potential donors.
2. Utilize AI in Content Creation
Personalization of donor communications enhances the donor experience, builds loyalty, and improves the effectiveness of fundraising efforts by targeting communications more accurately. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) models like Chat GPT have revolutionized content creation, offering tools that can generate personalized, engaging content at scale. Using AI, you can:
- Enhance Personalization: Quickly tailor your messages to different segments of your audience based on their interests, affiliations, past behaviors, and other qualifiers.
- Boost Efficiency: AI can automate parts of the content creation process, freeing up your team to focus on strategy and analysis.
Action Tip: AI prompts can be a bit finicky at first, but once you master the art of prompt writing you’ll be well on your way to your most efficient self.. Check out EverTrue’s Big Book of Chat GPT Prompts for Advancement Professionals to kickstart your AI assisted content creation!
P.S. AI wrote this section!
3. Integrate QR Codes for Interactive Elements
QR codes have made a significant comeback, offering a bridge between physical mail and digital experiences. They can greatly enhance the effectiveness of your direct mail campaigns by:
- Increasing Engagement: QR codes make it easy for recipients to access additional content, such as landing pages or videos, directly from their mail piece.
- Tracking Responses: Unique QR codes can help you track responses and measure the effectiveness of your campaigns.
- Maximizing Personalization: Use QR codes as a way to foster multi-channel donor engagement by incorporating other forms of media, such as video, into your mail.
4. Refine Audience Targeting
As direct mail and postage costs rise, it’s crucial to target your audience precisely to ensure cost-effectiveness. Effective audience segmentation can lead to higher response rates, increased conversions, and improved return on investment (ROI). Consider the following techniques:
- Segment your audience: Target audiences based on previous giving frequency, historical gift timing, event participation, milestones, and more.
- Optimize ROI: Mail is expensive! By sending it only to those most likely to respond, you can maximize the impact of each campaign.
Action Tip: Try out a small on-demand direct mail order! It’s a great way to make your communications feel even more personalized and deliver you great analytics without hurting your wallet.
P.S. Pledgemine by EverTrue specializes in smart segmentation for direct mail. Schedule a chat with us to learn more!
The key to achieving the best possible results with direct mail is to continuously innovate, test, and refine your approach. By taking these four steps, you’re setting yourself and your team up for continued direct mail success!