Remember that you're sending engagement communications to donors. Your most important job is to keep them motivated to donate.
One of the hardest parts of copywriting is that, to be truly effective, you have to be a genuine advocate for your client or organization. That means you have to genuinely feel what you want your readers to feel.
Pamela Barden takes a look back at 2013's last week of fundraising, this time tackling the fundraising direct-mail appeals she received in the final week of the year.
When you're building a powerful, emotional message, the last thing you want is for the reader to get distracted by trying to understand what you mean. So be brief, be cogent, be powerful, and know when to stop.
This list of writers serves a double purpose: First, it offers some tips that, if you follow them, will absolutely make you a better writer. Second, as you read them, you'll discover how many parallels there are between your writing and so-called "serious" writing.
Recent discussions focus on a myriad of topics, but in the past two months, the recurring targeted topics seem to include the following: cold calling, converting supporters into superstars, the education angle, increased brand awareness, determining what is fundraising ROI, how to apply for grants, the correct use of social media, and planning and executing events. In part 1, I covered the first half of these themes. Here, I tackle the remaining themes.
Recent discussions focus on a myriad of topics, but in the past three to four weeks, the recurring targeted topics seem to include the following: cold calling, converting supporters into superstars, the education angle, increased brand awareness, determining what is fundraising ROI, how to apply for grants, the correct use of social media, and planning and executing events. Let’s explore a few of these topics.
What we write is designed to generate strong emotions. And it's why we have to be certain that what we write takes readers into the world we want them to be in.
Information doesn't raise money. It lays the foundation for raising money. It gives you credibility and gives your donors a reason to listen when you appeal to their empathy and desire to help.
The technique for using concrete numbers effectively is not very concrete. It requires judgment, empathy, euphony, context and experience.
