A few years ago, I worked with an organization on developing a "trigger-based marketing plan." At the time, the agency involved wasn't very supportive, but since it was coming from the top of the development area, it didn't do much good to complain.
I never really understood why this was such a problem. Is it the name "trigger-based"? What about "behavior-based"? Who cares what it is called? Trigger-based marketing is the right thing to do, and guess what — it's not really "new." Granted, it is different than scheduled marketing. Trigger-based marketing is not driven by a calendar of dates. It is driven by (aka triggered) behavior that can come at any time in the donor relationship. This kind of marketing is not necessary for every one of your donor segments.
Let's talk about some of the tried-and-true strategies that have been in play over many years that can be classified as "trigger-based" ...
- Has your organization analyzed when donors tend to lapsed (i.e., no gift after XX months, XX months skipped on a monthly pledge, etc.)? If so, have you instituted a "pre-lapsing strategy"? Have you started communicating differently to prevent donors from lapsing and hopefully recementing their loyalty? Well, that's a form of a trigger-based strategy. A donor has done something (or in this case not done something) at a particular point in time, and this causes a change in communication strategy.
- How about this one? Do you have a midlevel giving program? Do you monitor the giving levels of your donors and if someone gives above a specific threshold you treat that donor differently — be it special packages, special messaging, special "clubs," etc.? How is that not a trigger-based strategy?
Trigger-based marketing is what you should be doing already. If you aren't looking at specific types of engagement and then creating special pathways for donors based on those actions, then you really aren't doing the right thing for your donors.
Ever hear the phrase "I don't know what I don't know"? Well, apply that sentiment to your donors. They don't know everything about your organization. And you, as the marketer (and fundraiser), need to create the right path for your donors based on what they "tell you" through their actions.
So, congratulations if you are already creating special communication pathways based on what your donors do — you are a trigger-based marketer! Shocking, I know.
But let's break this down in to a few areas that all of us should be watching:
- Are your donors exhibiting signs of leaving you? Do you know what the typical life cycle is of your average donor? If not, get that answer and then start watching for donors that exhibit a different life cycle. Now, I'll be the first to tell you that not all of those donors should be "stopped from leaving," but by looking at value combined with giving activity you can make the best decisions for whom you really want to talk to differently. In other words, why wait until they lapse to start talking to them about coming back? Look for the "trigger" that implies a donor is losing interest or moving away from you, and hit it head on.
- Have some of your donors increased their giving from one year to the next over a specific percentage? That percentage is different for every organization based on the upgrade strategy it deploys, but each organization should have a typical/average upgrade amount. So, what happens when someone upgrades outside of that average expectation? Are you watching for people who are acting differently than the normal donor curve? They are telling you something. You need to be listening.
- Do you have donors who have provided you feedback or completed satisfaction surveys? What did you do with their information other than just rolling them into a "segment" reported out in an executive summary? When people take the time to tell you their feelings about the brand, their expectations of their giving relationship, and even information about their preferences and interests, the marketing program needs to "respond" or at least recognize what they have disclosed to the organization.
- On the flip side, are you monitoring donors who are really not engaging at all? A trigger can be "non-behavior" as well. You should be, at minimum, analyzing your chronic non-responders. Is there anything that those donors have in common? Do they represent a large percentage of your zero- to 24-month donor population? Sometimes the strategy with these folks should be as simple as letting them go; other times their non-response can be shifted with a shift in communication strategy.
Just get started. That's my advice. Spend an hour or two and walk through the different types of behavior your donors exhibit. Which behaviors are unique? Which behaviors would you consider a sign of interest? Loyalty? Higher Value? Then talk through how you could create a marketing approach to maximize when people engage in those manners. But, don't try to boil the ocean because if you do you won't measure the difference between a trigger-based approach and a calendar-based approach. Realistically your program should be have both — but without trigger-based or behavioral-based strategies you are not truly listening to what your donors are saying in real time.
- Categories:
- Database Marketing
- NonProfit Pro
Vice President, Strategy & Development
Eleventy Marketing Group
Angie is ridiculously passionate about EVERYTHING she’s involved in — including the future and success of our nonprofit industry.
Angie is a senior exec with 25 years of experience in direct and relationship marketing. She is a C-suite consultant with experience over the years at both nonprofits and agencies. She currently leads strategy and development for marketing intelligence agency Eleventy Marketing Group. Previously she has worked at the innovative startup DonorVoice and as general manager of Merkle’s Nonprofit Group, as well as serving as that firm’s CRM officer charged with driving change within the industry. She also spent more 14 years leading the marketing, fundraising and CRM areas for two nationwide charities, The Arthritis Foundation and the American Cancer Society. Angie is a thought leader in the industry and is frequent speaker at events, and author of articles and whitepapers on the nonprofit industry. She also has received recognition for innovation and influence over the years.