Green Bay Copywriting LLC
920-254 3504
  • Fundraising
  • Commercial
  • Contact
  • Blog

How to tell if your email list needs help.

6/11/2021

0 Comments

 
You can write the best emails in the world and it won’t make a difference if your list is wrong.

What do I mean by ‘wrong’?

They don’t need or want what you’re selling. They don’t want to hear from you. They don’t open your emails or worse – mark them as spam.

How do you know your list is bad?

Your results will be poor, for a start.

But if you aren’t sure if that’s your list’s fault, here’s a great article by Lindsay Kolowich Cox that not only gives you the warning signs of a bad list, but also how to turn it into a good one!

Lindsay’s point about buying, borrowing, or renting lists is especially important: If you bring on a new employee or partner, don’t assume you can just blend their list with yours. I worked with a number of companies in the past who’ve done this, and their results have been abysmal.

The best way to grow your list is to read this and follow the advice.

You can find Lindsay here.
0 Comments

3 things you must get right if you’re doing direct mail.

9/5/2017

0 Comments

 
Direct mail can be a great way to reach new customers or bring old ones back – if you do it right.

In this post I’d like to talk about the 3 most important parts of any direct mailing.  
Get them right and you’ll dramatically improve your response.  Get them wrong and your mailing will be a waste of time (and money.)

Let’s start with the first part of any direct mailing:  The offer.
 
Your offer must be compelling 

Paying for a mailing without a strong offer is a waste of money.  If your offer stinks, no one will respond.
Ideally, you want an offer that sells itself – something so irresistible that your reader takes action that very moment.

Give your readers something they actually want.  

15% off store-wide?  You’re kidding, right?    

Buy one get one free?  Depending on what you’re selling, this might work.

It has to be something worth your customer’s time.   If you want a really strong offer, you’re probably going to need to step outside your comfort zone a little.      

If you’re not willing to put out a strong offer, there’s no point in doing direct mail.  Do not waste the money.  There are other ways to market your products or services.

Having a strong offer is non-negotiable if you want to see results.  Make your offer irresistible, and your readers will respond.  But the offer is only the first part.  Mailing to the right list is also important.
 
Your list must be targeted

Your list and offer will account for most of whether your mailing works or doesn’t. 

The key with list building is quality over quantity. 

A larger list is not necessarily better.  You want to mail to people who will find your offer compelling.  If you’re a divorce attorney, you wouldn’t mail to a bunch of single 20-something’s would you?

What traits do your ideal customers share?  Put together a list of people with those traits.  If you’re not sure where to begin, there are brokers available to help you build a well-targeted list.

But what do you do once you have your list? 

Finally, we come to everyone’s favorite part:  Writing the letter.
 
Your copy should be easy to read.

A great offer does you no good if no one reads it.  Your job is to make them read it. 

You say you’re not a world class writer? 

No sweat.  You don’t need to be.  All you need to do are two simple things: 
​
  • Write like you talk.  If you can do this, you’ll be ahead of most everyone else out there.  Don’t sweat the grammar.  Read your letter out loud.  It should sound conversational.   
 
  • Respect the white space.  This isn’t your high school writing class.  Keep your paragraphs short (2-3 sentences at max.) 

Occasional one-sentence paragraphs are to be encouraged. 

When you hit people with long blocks of text they tend to stop reading.  When they stop reading, your letter gets tossed in the trash.

And there you have it.  The three keys to a successful direct mail campaign.

Strong offer, targeted list, and readable copy – 3 essential pieces of any direct mailing.  Get them right, and watch the response pour in. 

Mess them up, and all you’re likely to hear is crickets chirping.  

0 Comments

How to raise more money with your website.

9/1/2017

0 Comments

 
By now you know how to create a fantastic donation page. 

But the donation page is only part (the final part) of the non-profit website puzzle.  Before your visitors can donate, you have to get them there, and make sure they’re in a giving mood when they arrive. 

Not an easy task!

Don’t worry. 

Together we’ll get your website working like a tear-jerking fundraising machine that snatches your donors up and doesn’t let them go till they scream ‘take my money!’

Maybe that’s a bit too far…

But seriously, if you want to make your website more effective, you’ve come to the right place. 


Read More
0 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>
    Like what you're reading?  Sign up and get my best stuff delivered straight to your inbox.

    * indicates required

    Archives

    August 2021
    June 2021
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    February 2014
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    September 2012

    Categories

    All
    Acquisition
    Advertising
    Better Websites
    Build Trust
    Case Study
    Cause Marketing
    Direct Mail
    Donor Appreciation
    Email
    Fundraising
    Know Your Audience
    Online Fundraising
    Other Experts
    Research
    Saying Thank You
    Social Media
    Storytelling
    Thanks
    Website Copy

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.