Many nonprofit organizations have long-standing direct mail programs that run like a well-oiled machine. The cadence is consistent, the audience is primed for engagement, and the solicitation results continue to prove successful. But when results stabilize and a direct response program is no longer showing significant growth, digital enhancements must be discussed. 

How to do more with less

As fundraisers develop their upcoming campaign calendars and prepare budgets, many are trying to solve the puzzle: how to do more with less. 

Even when direct response programs bring in consistent revenue, direct mail budgets are at risk of being trimmed. Direct mail can be costly, have a low ROI, or become stagnant with the audience if not segmented correctly. 

Adding digital enhancements to an existing direct mail program can elevate awareness, increase revenue, and provide your audience with more opportunities for engagement. 

Not sure where to start? Here are five of our favorite recommendations to introduce your donors to the digital space. 

Enhance your mail 

Is your mail a driver of digital traffic? Here’s a quick checklist to ensure your mail is allowing donors to digitally engage with you: 

• Solicitation copy lists the donation URL at least 3 times
  • Bonus points if you also include a QR code on the solicitation
• The remittance slip includes the URL and a QR code to give 
• The outer envelope has the URL to give on the envelope flap 
• The return envelope has the URL to give on the envelope flap 
• Informed delivery is set up 

Campaign Emails 

If you’re sending a mailed solicitation, you must complement those efforts with emails that match the look and feel of your direct response campaign efforts. 

Here’s a baseline suggestion to use when planning the timing of your direct response solicitation email series: 

• Email 1: Send 5 days before mail reaches homes 
• Email 2: Send day mail should reach most homes 
• Email 3: Send 7 days after mail reaches homes 

TIP: We suggest starting with a 3-part email series to complement your direct response mailer. However, tracking engagement from your email series is critical to customize it to your audience. It’s normal to feel that rolling out a 6-part email series could be too much, but you should test if that sentiment rings true with your donors, first!

Digital Engagement 

Emails are more than a one-time solicitation tool. They should be viewed as the most efficient way for you to continue a conversation with a donor or supporter. In addition to direct response campaign solicitations, map out other digital touchpoints that engage your audience and keep them clicking all year long. 

Some of our favorite additions to a program include: 

• Holiday E-Cards
• Monthly E-News
• Downloadable Content
  • Impact Reports 
  • Cookbooks
  • Coloring Pages
  • Supporter Signature Blocks

These digital touchpoints should continue the story you’re telling with your audience and give them opportunities to engage year-round. 

Social Media 

When your direct response program is scheduled to reach homes, you should schedule lookalike social media posts to flood your channels around the same time.

DID YOU KNOW? On average, someone needs to see a digital ad 7 – 21 times before the message sticks. This means the more visible your efforts, the more likely you are to succeed. 

Some of our favorite social media tips include:

• Add a link to give in the organic post copy or in your bio and make it clickable any chance you can
• When posting on Instagram Stories, use the “donate” button to guide traffic 
• Create informational posts to increase awareness 
• Create actionable posts beyond solicitation that drive the audience to engage with your content – bonus if they want to give you their email in exchange for the engagement activity! 
• Use UTM tracking codes to easily distinguish the gifts that went through your social efforts vs emails and direct response 
• Use a lookalike audience to expand to a potential new audience. 

Videos 

In your direct response solicitation, are you highlighting something special? Sharing an incredible story? Inspiring someone to want to make a gift? If your answer is “YES,” adding a video element to your direct response package can be a perfect digital addition. 

Think about someone the audience would like to hear from who could share their personal feelings about the story you’re sharing. Maybe they were highlighted in the piece or maybe they’re a team member that can drive home the importance of supporting your effort. Either way, asking to record a personal message for potential donors or existing supporters can go a long way. 

Some things to consider before you record include:

• What’s the goal of the video?
  • Should the person being recorded ask for a gift? Or should they ‘thank’ donors? 
• Who should receive the video?
  • Should you record multiple versions of the video at the same time to segment your audience? 
• When should they receive the video? 
• Can the video be repurposed on social media? 

BONUS – Time to Automate

Now that you’ve viewed some digital additions that can boost your direct response program’s performance, what comes next? Automation! 

Adding digital enhancements to your fundraising program doesn’t have to feel like a huge lift when you can forecast the timing, how it can integrate into your existing efforts, and automate the pieces that can become a baseline constant your donors can depend on. 

Ready to get started? 

If you are looking to learn more about adding digital to direct response programs and how you can automate those initiatives, please reach out to us!