Michael Kortekaas, July 16, 2009
Economic news seems to dominate everywhere we look. For non-profit groups and smaller charities the current situation may appear very bleak - almost desperate at times when money is required to help save lives. Your fundraising campaign may be stalled but there are many generous people still in a position to donate to your cause. As a creativity exercise, consider a few other more positive E-words that will inspire you to energize your online fundraising activities.
Here are a few to get you started in no particular order.
Email: Internet marketing for profit relies heavily on emails. In most cases, multiple emails must be sent before getting a sale (or a donation). Learn from successful internet businesses and gather email addresses from your visitors. Start an ezine that informs people about the work you are accomplishing and the challenges you are facing.
Events: Brainstorm interesting events that will involve people in specific projects. Look for ways to form virtual groups that allow people from around the world to participate. An online events calendar with related stories will encourage repeat visitors to your website as well.
Exposure: Use as many online technologies as you can to gain more exposure and enhance your web presence. Take advantage of social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube. Create quick videos for upload even if they are just presentations or animated slide shows set to music. Be sure to cross reference your websites with traditional media and marketing outlets - advertise your website.
Exchange: Consider what you are offering in exchange for donations you receive. Are you rewarding generosity with wonderful feelings or with tangible products? In what ways can you make the transaction more appealing without increasing the cost? Also think about various forms of appreciation for different types of people. For instance some people shy from public recognition while others glory in it.
Educate: When you are deeply involved in a project, you may forget that others do not have the same level of knowledge and awareness of the subject. Take the time to present interesting facts and concepts in a way that captures the attention of a more general audience. Your online content will also be picked up by search engines; improve your ranking so you get found more often.
Entertain: When dealing with sensitive subjects, entertaining people may seem a bit strange. But when you tell compelling stories of challenges, hardships and even tragedies, people will eagerly look toward solutions and hope - a happy ending to the story. Without the build up and hope for a better future, contributions would seem pointless.
Examples: Testimonials and case studies documenting your achievements are essential to give you credibility. Post pictures or video and audio recordings. With the right presentation, you can even detail failures and the lessons learned from them.
Explain: Before someone willingly gives away their money, they normally want to know why they are doing it and what it is for. Just asking for money may work for big name organizations, but most people want you to explain your request in a bit more detail. Use sales copy techniques to capture attention then lead your reader through the problem and solution, identify benefits and create an urgent call to action (donate now).
Emotion: Facts and figures are great as back up material but emotion sells. Encourage or enrage your visitors with vivid depictions of actual or potential scenarios. Engage them in your vision for the future. Employ psychology and the power of words to motivate people to act.
Experience: Empathize with the reader to help identify what desires they are fulfilling when they donate. Also, explore the usability of your website from the reader's perspective. Ensure it is easy to navigate with a very efficient donation process.
And, most important of all, entreat. You actually need to ask for donations with an earnest request that stands out. Make it obvious that you are seeking financial donations to help with your cause. People all over the world want to help if you give them a reason and the opportunity.
If you're not on the web yet, take a look at the 30 Day Challenge with Ed Dale - the final E for this article. Sign up for free and get lots of information on how to setup all sorts of internet tools. And if you're already on the web, take a look anyway because the tools and techniques presented will help expand your internet presence quickly and easily.
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