The 7 Steps to Multichannel Success
Really, multichannel marketing isn't new, but the tools to get your message out there might be. So, how do you navigate this new world? You can start by following a new set of rules:
No. 1: Secure institutional leadership on channel integration
If the powers that be (whether that is your CFO, president or board) understand the power behind integration and are good at sharing credit for every dollar raised (regardless of how budgets are managed), you are that much closer to program integration and the benefits from multichannel marketing.
No. 2: Respect each channel
Direct mail may be king in terms of small-donor fundraising power — and probably will be for a while — but that doesn't mean it can't benefit from the influence of other channels (and doesn't mean it can't influence those other channels, too). Several studies have proven a telemarketing contact lifts direct-mail performance for the six months following the contact, and other studies demonstrate a well-timed text message can lift e-mail performance. Facebook is unlikely to be a major fundraising channel in 2012, but it might play an important role in cultivating donors and prospects, and keeping the charity top of mind after an e-mail or mail piece has gone out.
No. 3: Break down silos
Talk to your colleagues regardless of whether they sit in your department/floor or not. If your direct-mail program sits in one department, your newsletter or magazine in another, and your e-fundraising program in a third, you are going to have to be proactive about message development. Direct-mail fundraisers need to know what's coming down the pike many weeks in advance of their online colleagues — but they also benefit from knowing what works online before spending a lot more on print, production and postage.
