Whether digital fundraising is a new strategy for your charity, or you’ve been running digital campaigns for some time, one thing remains the same. Past data should be assessed to set comparable and realistic targets before any appeal begins.
The key benefit of a digital appeal over an offline appeal is that you don’t need to wait until the last donation is received before analysing results.
Using an integrated system which provides real-time reporting allows a charity to track email open rates, click-through rates, donations received and key campaign milestones daily.
1) Understand the data
SupporterHub has a comprehensive data analysis and reporting tool that helps charities define the success of campaigns based on previous results and donor history.
If it looks like the appeal is tracking below target, investigate individual giving history to identify whether major donors have given and when they’re likely to donate. You can also assess previous campaigns to identify the point of the appeal that the bulk of donations were received. This might be after the follow-up or even on a specific day of the week or month.
You can track these highs and lows from previous campaigns to identify whether you’re truly off track or if the appeal hasn’t yet reached its peak.
2) Adjust campaign messaging
If the digital appeal isn’t hitting the mark and donors aren’t responding to email headlines or clicking through to the website, you can easily make adjustments before the follow up is sent. Perhaps you need to change the copy or simplify the email so supporters know exactly how they can support the cause.
Nothing is set in stone with a digital appeal, take full advantage of the flexibility and make sure the campaign is truly meeting all the donor’s needs.
3) Engage community support
If your campaign doesn’t look like it’s going to reach targets, approach local businesses or community groups and propose a matched giving campaign.
Not only will this highlight the community support behind your campaign, but it can also encourage donors to give knowing their gift will have double the impact. Businesses also like the opportunity to support a local charity and show existing customers how they’re giving back to a cause bigger than themselves.
4) Refer to your database
Your database is the key to unlocking the fundraising door. Analyse donor habits and make sure you’ve contacted them at the time they like to give and according to their communication preferences. If donors prefer the personal touch yet they’ve received a generic email, pick up the phone and contact them directly.
SupporterHub is a donor management platform that helps charities build better relationships with supporters to increase fundraising outcomes. It offers valuable insight into every donor to help charities utilise intelligence and reach fundraising targets.
5) Run a social media campaign
Social media campaigns are cost-effective and can be implemented quickly and with minimal disruption. If your appeal isn’t reaching the desired audience, launch a targeted social media campaign to extend reach and increase results instantly.
6) Communicate with supporters
If a campaign isn’t reaching targets, communicating directly with past donors is the best way to find out why.
Pick up the phone, arrange a face-to-face visit (following social distancing guidelines) and get to the bottom of why past donors have chosen not to support you.
Digital campaigns allow charities to track and monitor progress from the moment the appeal is sent. If an appeal isn’t performing as well as it could be, researching analytics provided through SupporterHub will help you make continual adjustments until targets are reached.
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