NON PROFIT

Direct Mail Marketing for Appeals

When it comes to nonprofit organizations of any size, one of the most successful times for nonprofit marketing is during appeal season. An appeal marketing campaign needs to ensure that your message for support and donations is delivered to the right people at the right time. The ability to reach the right people during appeal season can make or break your efforts. Research has shown that one of the areas many nonprofit marketers have trouble with is determining the correct timing when it comes to direct mail marketing. Keep reading to learn who to reach out to with your direct mail strategy.

Why Direct Mail Works for Appeal Marketing

One of the most interesting things about appeal marketing is that direct mail marketing has proven to be quite successful with this audience. As part of your direct mail strategy, you are basically asking for money from a donor who, having a physical connection to the ask, helps you generate a higher giving rate. This nonprofit marketing fact is supported by psychological research that states when something that is intangible is presented in a more tangible perspective, the likelihood of receiving a donation from the target donor will increase.

Direct Mail Strategy for Non-Profit Appeal Marketing

An effective strategy for direct mail marketing that makes an appeal will be similar to other direct mail strategies. You do need to remember that every other appeal effort to donors is unique so you will need to do research into your alumni and donor lists in order to better understand who they are so you can create specific messages for each of them that speaks to their reasons for donating.

Here are some of the most effective strategies for direct mail marketing during appeal season.

Targeting & Segmentation
Proper targeting is vital to getting the desired response and increased giving rate:
- Alums
  This target group is an easy “go-to” as they are inclined to support your mission which generates good results.
- Income Level
  You need to vary your message and target high income earners with one message and lower income earners with another message because speaking to their income level generates more donations.
- Job Title
  A job title is indicative of both their earning potential and how you speak to them in terms of their professional background getting them to where they are now or how their educational background has set them on a path to success.
Personalization
When an appeal contains a personalized message, it will generate a higher response rate and also increase the amount that is donated.
Design
The design of the appeal is related to targeting, but the design has to match the theme and environment of the message. Don’t let an inferior or poorly planned design be the item that prevents your results from being achieved.