Whenever I get a box for a delivery, I look at the size and see if I can reuse it for something else. Can I ship a care package to a nephew who’s deployed? Could I ship something to our kids or grandkids?
Well, the same applies to fundraising and direct response.
I’ve been doing this for some 40 years. During that time, I learned that many things go in cycles. Often, we fundraisers and direct marketers want to try something new because we were tired of it long before the donors are.
We are always trying to come up with new stories, new ideas and new approaches. But at some point, there are only so many hours in the day. The creative juices stop flowing and we’re getting closer to burnout.
Here’s an idea: Recycle, reuse, repurpose.
In direct mail, what worked seven years ago can be reused and work again, especially as you’re dealing with supply issues and possibly not being able to mail what you usually mail at this time of year. You can repurpose something used previously, especially if your organization struggles to come up with stories. Many organizations are already applying this principle by creating a simple reminder to the first drop. Did you receive your letter?
Look at something you did seven years ago — or maybe even more recently — and see if you can retest it.
That same applies to emails and social media posts. Look at your inventory of images, videos and emails. What worked well for one-time gifts? How about trying that email to invite donors to consider a recurring gift?
A few tweaks can do wonders in very short order and breathe in a whole new life without a lot of creative heavy lifting. How many donors are going to remember that story you sent two years ago? How many donors will blame you for reusing a wonderful video in an email that was used on social media? I bet you can count the number on a single hand (or should I say it’s zero!).
I recently did this with an email to invite monthly donors. We used it one-and-a-half years ago. This time the results were even better than the first time! It was a great story, so why not reuse it?
So, give yourself a break. Give your creative juices a break. Instead, look at your archives and inventory and recycle, reuse, repurpose. You’ll generate and keep more recurring gifts because of it.
