by Ian Haisley | Apr 16, 2021 | +Good Newsletter
This list originally appeared in +good — our weekly round-up of the articles, tools, books, videos, and stories we can’t stop talking about. If you aren’t already subscribed, sign up for free!
1. Saying 💬 thanks never gets old.
Being thanked is different from feeling thanked — and mastering the attitude of gratitude is what separates the good from the great when it comes to donor relations. Think your thanks need an upgrade? Don’t worry, we’ve got seven ways to express gratitude that will give your donors those fuzzy feelings.
Easy ways to thank your donors. [Swell + Good]
2. Is your content 🕶️ on trend?
Wish you had unlimited time and money to jump on every single trend you see? Us too! But we’ve learned (sometimes the hard way) to be picky about what we invest in. These tips from Contently help you navigate the trends of 2021 to decide which ones work best for your goals.
Content marketing trends that matter most. [via Contently]
3. You read 📖 this, right?
If you’re still reading, learn why others might have looked over these next few sentences. The Startup suggests that using subheaders could not only improve your SEO but hold onto your reader’s attention. When drafting the copy for your next fundraising campaign, follow their advice: Start with too many subheaders — then cut back. Your most important message should be the easiest to read.
We’re guessing you read this, too. [via Medium]
4. Are Facebook ads worth it?
What percentage of Americans log in to Facebook each day? If you guess was nearly three-quarters, you’re right — 68% of Americans look at the site on a daily basis. And if your audience is there, you should be there, too. Get started with Facebook Ads (or take your advertising to the next level) with these helpful hints. From detailing your Facebook ad budget to recommending the metrics to track, this guide does the research for you.
Get into the ad business. [via Neil Patel]
5. Heat up your cold 🥶 subscribers.
Almost 20% of your average nonprofit’s donations come from email lists, so if your newsletters and campaign emails are feeling stale, it’s time to hit refresh. Learn best practices for scrubbing your subscriber list, discover the secrets of an effective email cadence (hint: you should send more frequently than you do), and receive a free license to break the email marketing rules your internship taught you.
Mix up your email game. [via Marketing for the Modern Nonprofit]
This issue of +good was written and produced by Allison Kooser, Ian Haisley, Sydney Bartlett, Lindsey Lincoln, and Katie Powers.
by Ian Haisley | Mar 29, 2021 | +Good Newsletter
1. Your nonprofit needs a 📚 book club.
Start a book club to engage with your donors! Build community, educate donors, and spark action by featuring impactful stories and thoughtful discussions. Sound like a plan? Use our helpful book club guide to get started!
Every nonprofit needs a book club. [via Swell + Good]
2. Fundraising copy, best served 🥶 chilled.
Fundraising copywriters are adept at tapping into big emotions to elicit strong reactions, but sometimes we get a little too caught up in the glow of the moment. Bake a cool-off period into your deadlines, step away for a few hours (or, if you can stand it, a few days), and come back to assess your words with new eyes.
Fundraising copywriters, let your copy cool before serving. [via TrueSense Marketing]
3. Increase discoverability with Instagram 🎥 Reels.
From TikTok to Snapchat to Instagram, bite-sized videos are sweeping the internet. And you’ve probably already noticed Instagram Reels making their way into your feed. But did you know that the Instagram algorithm serves Reels to users who don’t follow you? That makes it a great tool to reach new eyes and connect with a new audience.
How to make a successful Instagram Reel. [via Social Media Examiner]
4. Following your donor’s 🤝 lead.
When it comes to fundraising, it’s not about you— it’s about your donors. And asking them for a major gift doesn’t have to be nerve-wracking. These five tips remind us that asking is a process and, just like giving, it’s one rooted in emotional responses to your mission. The next time you make an ask, trust your donors and your own instincts.
Five suggestions for when your nerves start getting the best of you. [via Gail Perry]
5. Collect food 🥫 and clothing with just one click.
In 2017, Facebook launched its Community Help Hub to centralize resources and allow users to connect quickly following a crisis. Now, it’s released Drives, a US-only feature that enables users to create and share initiatives, such as canned food and clothing drives, for those in need.
Rally your community through Facebook Drives. [via Tech Crunch]
This issue of +good was written and produced by Allison Kooser, Ian Haisley, Sydney Bartlett, Lindsey Lincoln, and Katie Powers.
by Ian Haisley | Mar 20, 2021 | +Good Newsletter
1. Make your Facebook group 💬 a close-knit community.
Your Facebook group can help you reach your goals, but only if you take the time to cultivate it correctly. Understanding what to post and what not to post is critical! These suggested rules and boundaries encourage deep engagement within your group, attracting your kind of people and fostering community.
Develop a loyal community. [via Social Media Examiner]
2. Finally learn what 🔍 SEO is all about.
You know what SEO is…but do you actually understand it? Neil Patel makes Search Engine Optimization (SEO) make sense and lays out a few practical techniques to increase your web traffic and brand awareness. Learn how to complete your own SEO audit, create SEO optimized landing pages, and more (way more).
Find yourself on the first page of Google. [via Neil Patel]
3. Increase your reach 🚀 with Instagram’s Live Rooms.
New features alert! You can now host an Instagram Live with one, two, or three other accounts using Live Rooms. A Live with a few cohosts allows you to engage with your community while connecting with their communities, too.
Using Instagram Live Rooms. [via Facebook]
4. Get quick and easy feedback 🗣 in just a few clicks.
Having access to actionable, qualitative feedback from your target audience is key to a project’s success. With Loops, you can post creative work and receive hundreds of honest and constructive comments from team members and strangers in just minutes. While that might sound overwhelming, it only takes a few easy clicks to analyze the feedback and find the most effective ways to implement it.
Find out what they think. [via Loops]
5. Find, use, and create GIFs to 📈 enhance your brand.
We might not know how to pronounce gif, but we definitely know we love them. Those ubiquitous, looping animations can be used everywhere — in emails, blog posts, social media, and more. Try out some of these suggestions, and use gifs to engage with your audience and promote your brand.
Get started with gifs. [via Neil Patel]
This issue of +good was written and produced by Allison Kooser, Ian Haisley, Sydney Bartlett, Lindsey Lincoln, and Katie Powers.
by Ian Haisley | Mar 12, 2021 | +Good Newsletter
1. Cultivate Deeper Relationships 🤝 with your Donors.
We know you’re a whiz at using email to connect with donors, but there’s always room to improve! Is your strategy ready for a refresh? These proven donor cultivation strategies actually work (as in, they’ve been tested by real nonprofits!) and, just as importantly, are simple to implement.
Three Proven Non-Profit Donor Cultivation Strategies. [via NextAfter]
2. Make the 👍 Facebook Algorithm work for you.
The Facebook algorithm presents a unique challenge, and marketers need effective strategies to beat it. Posting a link on Facebook used to be an easy way to generate revenue or drive traffic, but now the average post will only reach 5 percent of your followers. This analysis offers 20 actionable ways to boost your organic reach on Facebook by utilizing strategies such as brand presence, cross-promotion on various platforms, and audience insights.
20 Secrets to boost your organic Facebook reach. [via Neil Patel]
3. Finding the right 🤳 shot.
A picture is worth a thousand words, so if your content doesn’t feature the right image, you could be missing out on an opportunity to convey your message to your audience. But have no fear. Pexels provides over 10,000 open-source stock photos and videos shared by talented creators. Marketers can search by keyword to find the right image for any project — and best of all, it’s free.
The best free stock photos & videos. [via Pexels]
4. Where workplace ⚡️ spontaneity lives again.
There’s been plenty of chatter around Clubhouse, the limited-access social network where users can jump into voice chat rooms together. The app draws users in by promoting off-the-cuff, unplanned conversations. Now, a slew of spontaneous social apps is following in its footsteps. For professionals bogged down in a calendar of Zoom calls and Slack check-ins, anything that resembles the water cooler chats and lunch breaks of days gone by is a welcome change.
A wave of spontaneous apps. [via Techcrunch]
5. Your Donors’ Love ❤️ Languages.
Valentine’s Day may be behind us, but romancing your donors is a year-round gig. From engaging new donors to stewarding your most faithful supporters, two strategies always pay off in a relationship: paying attention and communicating! Unique volunteer opportunities, segmented mailing lists, and handwritten thank you notes are just a few ways to show your donors some love.
Light the spark — and keep it alive. [via Nonprofit hub]
by Ian Haisley | Mar 5, 2021 | +Good Newsletter
1. Retention 🤗 is the name of the game.
We all want to increase our retention rates—but the big question is how? Enter: donor cultivation. The way you communicate with your community all year long matters, and there are easy things you can do to improve your strategies right now.
An insider’s guide to donor cultivation. [via NextAfter]
2. Something new for your 🎧 headphones.
Hey podcast fans, this ones for you! If you find listening to content easier than reading it, check out Audiblogs—a new tool that can turn any web article into an audio file in your podcast app. And bonus: it’s free.
Check out Audiblogs. [via Audiblogs]
3. Copywriting 101 ✍️ with Aristotle.
Want to be a more powerful writer? Start with Aristotle. Sure, his world was thousands of years away from emails and direct mail, but ethos, logos, and pathos are as effective today as they were back then. And they are the building blocks of effective fundraising communications.
An ancient guide to compelling copy. [via Copyblogger]
4. Getting started with Google and Facebook ads. 🖥️
If you want to connect with donors, spend time where they are already hanging out. These days, that means online—and it probably means Google and Facebook. Luckily, both platforms have made it easy for nonprofits to take advantage of their advertising tools (sometimes for free!), helping you reach more people with your message.
Learn how to advertise online. [via Classy]
5. Keep your evergreen 🌱 content alive.
We are plant people. Our homes are overflowing with succulents and snake plants and monsteras…and somehow the collection keeps growing. One thing we’ve learned from our plant babies is that they need attention—and the same thing is true for your evergreen content. You need to do some work to keep it alive. The thing (whether it’s your new cactus or that blog from 8 months ago) will only stay green if its needs are met.
How to care for your evergreen content. [via Amazon]
