The 3 Biggest Mistakes in Membership Marketing

Are you in charge of fundraising for your non-profit organization?  Do you have a comprehensive outreach marketing plan in place or are you looking to start such a program.  Before you do so, read about the 3 Biggest Mistakes made in Membership Marketing.

Not being relevant ~ What’s one of the worst things about marketing?  Being inundated with advertisements about products or services you don’t want or need!  This holds true when you use the voice interaction channel too.  People are often already a little suspicious when they receive a phone call from a stranger, why give them another reason to be irritated?  Fundraising poses a unique challenge to marketers because donors do not receive a tangible product or service for their donation.  One way to please your members is by providing a relevant offer such as a gift or connecting with them through a compelling or personal story.

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Using only one channel ~ Does your organization use direct mail to request donations?   You could be leveraging your outreach power by employing the voice channel.  If you partner with the right interaction center, you will be able to communicate effectively with your members without pestering them.  Voice and messaging reinforce the direct mail message and help overcome questions or hesitancy. Providing them with information about how their donations are used, informing them about upcoming pledge drives and thanking them for their past donations will work in your organizations favor.

Failing to “Thank ‘em” ~ Thanking your contributors (members) is the first step in fostering a positive relationship, and should invariably be your opening and closing.  If you are always contacting your donors to ask for money without thanking them for previous donations, I daresay they will continue contributing to your organization.  Marketing to your members is like walking a tight rope.  It’s all about balance.  You need to come up with the right balance between relationship building and soliciting so they remain engaged with the cause and feel a part of the larger community.

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