Three Ways to Keep Copy Fresh

 creativity, Nonprofit  Comments Off
Jun 272011
 

The other day, my 8-year-old asked me what I did at work. Patiently, I explained (again) that I write letters asking for money for organizations that help people. She rolled her eyes and said, “I know that! I meant what did you do today?” I told her that I worked on a letter for one of my clients. She heaved a big, 8-year-old sigh and said, “Yeah…but, well, do you just write the same letter over and over?”

Nearly every time I sit down at the computer and stare at the blank screen, it feels like a brand new mountain to climb. There are new facts to learn, new victories to share, new programs to ask for money for. Most of the time, I feel energized by the work that I do. Each letter is a new opportunity to delve deeper into an organization’s mission and to find new ways of telling their story.

But everyone has days where work feels like, well, work.

And one of the most important parts of my work is making sure I don’t write the same letter over and over. Believe me, donors can tell when you’re phoning it in. They know when your copy is less-than-inspired, and they respond by NOT responding.

So how do I keep it fresh each and every time?

  1. Micro-editing. Like all writers, I have words and phrases I favor. Organizations have those too. I combat all that boilerplate with aggressive line-by-line editing. A stronger word or a more active phrase can liven up even the most lifeless copy.
  2. Read it aloud. A direct mail letter is a personal letter from one individual at your organization to one donor. It should sound like that person talking to a friend. When you read it aloud, you can hear those boring recitations of facts for what they are: turn-offs. Bonus — you can also spot the complicated turns-of-phrase, the too-long sentences and the just-plain-awkward asks.
  3. Turn it on its head. Say something unexpected. Use a metaphor or simile that no one would anticipate. Ask a question that cuts to the heart of your issue (and leads the donor right to where you want them to go). Take advantage of literary techniques like assonance and alliteration. Make a pun. Unleash your creativity and see where it takes your letter. (You can always cut those bits that don’t work out, but taking the risk is bound to pay off now and then!)

I told my daughter a few more details about the letter I was working on that day — for an environmental organization — and it led to a great dinner-table discussion about conservation and natural resources. The next day, I heard her telling one of her friends, “My mom writes a lot of letters, but they’re not all the same, even though it kind of sounds like they could be.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

 Posted by Richelle at 10:58 am  Tagged with: , , , , , , , ,

Tip O’ the Moment

 Nonprofit, Tips and Tricks  Comments Off
Jun 152011
 

Signing the Letter

Sometimes, who signs a fundraising letter (or e-mail) can be one of the most contentious points in planning a direct mail campaign. Which is funny because my answer is very, very simple.

The signer — and there should only be one! – should always be the person with the most name recognition on the particular issue you’re addressing in the mailing.

So why is this very simple thing so complicated to put into practice?

The reasons are endless. A nonprofit might have two figureheads (a President and an Executive Director, say) who both feel they should be the ones signing letters to donors. Or it could have one leader who is very well-known for one specific issue — even though the organization is working on several issues — who insists on signing everything. A nonprofit might have oodles of celebrity support, but be afraid to ask for celebrity signers. And on and on.

Organizations should consider each letter they send out as a new opportunity to bond with their donors. Which means they should think carefully about what issue will do that and who the best person in the organization is to address that issue.

In an organization with a particularly strong or charismatic leader, it might be that leader every time. In an organization that has two distinct audiences — say an activist human rights group with a strong education program — there may be one leader who is perfect for addressing the activists on the list, and one for the education supporters.

One environmental group I work for has a celebrity — in this case, an actor well-known for his environmental advocacy — sign a letter for them a few times a year, while the executive director signs everything else.

Above all, your letter should always have only one signer. Remember, fundraising letters are personal letters from your organization to your donor. They should speak directly to that ONE donor, person-to-person. And they can’t do that if they’re signed by two people.

 

 Posted by Richelle at 11:20 am  Tagged with: , , , , , , ,

Tip O’ the Moment

 Nonprofit, Tips and Tricks  2 Responses »
Jun 082011
 

Write to ONE Person

This is true of ALL your Direct Mail communication — heck, all of your communication with your donors, period — but don’t forget that a fundraising letter is a personal letter from ONE person in your organization to ONE donor.

Yes, most of your donors will get the same letter, but when you’re writing it, don’t think of your donors as a mass group of anonymous sacks of donation money.

One of my clients keeps a photo of a kind-eyed senior citizen above his computer to remind him who is reading his letter. He calls her Verna, and whenever he crafts an ask, he imagines how Verna will react.

You, too, should write to your own Verna, the one person who stands in for your entire audience of donors.

In these days of e-mail and Facebook, the art of letter-writing is waning, but try to think about how you would ask an old friend to support your cause.

Would you give them your official mission statement and a bulleted list of accomplishments and leave it at that? Or would you ask them questions, remind them of shared experiences and explain how important it is to you, personally, that they support this cause? (Hint: it’s the latter!)

One simple trick for making a letter personal is to write the first draft starting every paragraph with I, You, or We statements:

  • “I know you are someone who cares about the future of our planet.”
  • “You are no doubt aware of the growing gap between the rich and poor in this country. But did you know…”
  • “We never back down from a fight we believe in!”

Above all, when you’re writing fundraising copy think more about what your donor gets out of supporting your organization, not what you get from their support.

 Posted by Richelle at 2:17 pm  Tagged with: , , , , ,

The Three R’s of Copywriting

 Nonprofit  Comments Off
May 252011
 

There are hundreds of books out there that can teach you about the principles of great copywriting. But I find there are three simple rules — The Three R’s — that I turn to time and again when I need a little creative jump-start.

Make Your Writing Relevant

Nobody wants to be mailing an issue-based appeal on the wrong issue. So if you are an environmental organization mailing on conserving public lands, you don’t want your letter to hit two weeks after a major oil spill.

Chances are, you’re already paying attention to news relating to your mission (and if you’re not…well, you should be!). So make sure to apply that news to the copy you’re writing for your donors. Because if they’re interested in your mission, they’re probably paying attention — at least in a small way — to that news, as well.

If you know a relevant vote is coming up in Washington DC, try to time your mail to hit when news about that vote hits. If you have a newsletter featuring an issue you want to mail on, let the newsletter hit first so that your issue is already in the minds of your donors. And if a major news item happens to hit just as you’re preparing your letter to go out, make sure you acknowledge it (at the very least) in your communication with your donor.

Above all, make your mailings relevant — to your organization’s mission, your donor’s hopes and fears, and to the world happening outside your front door.

Make Your Writing Readable

Most of us have heard — and some lamented — that newspapers aim for their reports to be written at an 8th grade reading level. That’s probably a pretty good rule of thumb for direct mail fundraising letters, too. Use simple, short sentences and easy to understand vocabulary.

But it’s not just the way the piece is written that makes it readable. It’s also the way you put that text on the page. Short paragraphs rule in direct mail — normally no more than 4-5 lines. Toss in a couple of one-line paragraphs.

Try double indenting paragraphs you especially want people to read.

And I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating. Highlight your most important points, including your Ask. Use bold, italics, strikethrough or underlines to add emphasis. Ask your graphic artist to circle deadlines or other points that are tremendously important.

Anything you do that makes your letter easier to read is going to help push your donors through the letter and on to the reply form…and to their gift.

Make Your Writing Relatable

Remember, direct mail letters are personal letters from one person in your organization to one donor. Sure, many donors get that same letter, but you should always have one specific donor in mind as you’re writing. One copywriter I know keeps a photo of Edna, “his donor,” above his desk to remind him to always write specifically to her.

Sprinkle lots of I’s, You’s and We’s into your copy. Remind your donor that we’re all in this together. Reveal a personal hope or dream of the signer’s that relates to your organization’s mission. When donors see that there are real people behind the curtain, people who share their values and aspirations, they are more likely to give the first time and to stick with you for the long haul.

These personal touches, making your organization and the people who run it relatable, draw people in. Remember, it’s much harder to say “no” to a friend than to a faceless organization.

Remember these Three R’s as you’re drafting your fundraising letters, and you’ll have letters that work harder for you and your organization.

Need more examples? Have more questions? Post them in the comments!

 Posted by Richelle at 1:10 pm  Tagged with: , , , , ,
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