Tag Archive for: direct mail marketing

11 Reasons Direct Mail works for Nonprofits

We have heard it all. And we think direct mail gets a bad rap. Long considered “junk mail” direct mail is seeing a new revival with the onslaught of emails sent to your inbox every day. That’s why we’re making the case with these 11 statistics.

There are articles out there stating why it’s making a resurgence. And then there are others, which support the idea that direct mail has a more lasting impression on donors than digital marketing.

Of course, we’re biased for mail, since that’s what we’ve done for 20 years. But since we’re also tasked with using digital mediums, email for instance, we thought we should make the case.

And it’s pretty convincing.

Here are 11 reasons you should consider direct mail marketing:

  1. 56% of donors think print marketing is the most trustworthy of all marketing channels.

  2. Donors spend an average of 30 minutes reading mail on any occasion.

  3. 70% of Americans say that mail is more personal than the internet.

  4. 73% of donors said they prefer direct mail for brand communications because they can read it at their convenience.

  5. Recipients read 56% of postcards, making them the most read mail pieces.

  6. 48% of people keep mail pieces for future reference.

  7. 79% of donors will act on a postcard immediately, compared to only 45% who say they deal with email immediately.

  8. 76% of Americans purchase because direct mail influenced them.

  9. Response rates still top those of other mediums; the average response rate is 1.1-1.4% compared to .03% for email, .04% for internet display and .22% for paid search.

  10. 56% of consumers say they have tried a new business after receiving a postcard or letter, while 70% have renewed previous relationships with businesses.

  11. 44% of people said they had visited a website after receiving postcards; 34% searched online.

Now, since your focus is on building your nonprofit donations, why wouldn’t you consider adding more touch points to your annual appeals?

We are passionate about direct mail. In fact, we’ve shared statistics frequently for you to use in defense of direct mail. Finally, we put together an infographic for you to highlight some key statistics.

Direct Mail Infographic

BCG Connect works with development and advancement offices in the education, nonprofit, and healthcare sectors. If you’re seeking direct marketing that reaches your donors in a timely, managed fashion, reach out to us today.

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Sustainability Efforts Through Reforestation

We have made a commitment to our planet, and we will reflect it in the way we do business. BCG Connect commits to sustainability efforts; to reducing our carbon footprint and working towards a sustainable future for generations to come. We focus one of our primary efforts on reforestation.

What Does Reforestation Have To Do With Direct Mail?

The first thing to do is to understand the basics of reforestation. It is the process of planting trees on land that is deforested or cleared of its original forests and vegetation.

There are a variety of benefits, such as restoring a natural environment, reducing erosion, providing shelterbelts or windbreaks. It also helps in stabilizing soil and preventing landslides.

Reforestation is an important measure for fighting climate change because it sequesters carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and converts it into biomass and oxygen through photosynthesis.

“To plant a tree is to give hope to tomorrow.” – Matilda Joslyn Gage

There Are Many Reasons Why We Believe In The Importance Of Reforestation

Reforesting the world is one of the most important things we can do to protect ourselves. In a study by the University of Maryland, they found trees absorb about 7 percent of all carbon emissions in the air. In addition, to this, the study found that the U.S. Forest service estimates that a tree can store 100 kilograms of carbon in its trunk and branches for up to 60 years or more.

In a world where there are many environmental problems, reforestation is an essential part of breaking down carbon dioxide and other harmful gases into harmless gases like oxygen and water vapor.

Print One Plant One

How We Support Reforestation

In May 2021, we partnered with PrintReleaf and created our Print One Plant One program. PrintReleaf is a company that specializes in reforestation. They have been working with direct mail companies for the past 10 years. We work with PrintReleaf as they measure the paper footprint based on cumulative printing and plant trees according to the Environmental Paper Network.

According to PrintReleaf, “your paper consumption is measured, and trees are automatically reforested across our global network of certified reforestation projects.

Paper use to tree equivalent

PrintReleaf guarantees every sheet of paper a customer consumes will be reforested at a rate of 8,333 sheets of standard letter (8.5 × 11″ 20lb paper) or 37.16kg per tree (40ft height × 7in width or 12.192m × 0.1778m).

This open-source formula is widely and generally accepted as the industry standard as established by the Environmental Paper Network.”

Reforestation is one of the most important solutions for mitigating climate change and preserving biodiversity.

How You Can Integrate Reforestation Into Your Next Direct Mail Campaign

Finally, the next time you are planning your direct mail campaign with us, tell us you’d like to participate in the Print One Plant One program. Then, you choose where you would like to allocate your sustainability efforts. You can select locations from all over the world. Then we’ll add the PrintReleaf logo to your mailing. It’s a great way to help get the word out about the environmental benefits of reforestation.

Our Actions Matter. Plant a Tree Today & Make the World Greener.

Ask your Account Team, or reach out to us today about how you can add PrintReleaf to your next campaign and let’s plant some trees!

Sustainability Efforts at BCG Connect

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Increasing donor response by combining email and direct mail marketing

Using email and direct mail together only improves your fundraising efforts, and they are a perfect mix for any organization. Since email is the best way to reach out to people who are already digitally connected, direct mail is the best way to reach out to people who are more comfortable with traditional tactics.

Foremost, direct mail is an excellent way of reaching your donor base. You may not have been able to reach through email alone. Second, email provides a more personal experience and direct mail provides a more in-depth experience.

What is Direct Mail and Why is it Important for Fundraisers?

Direct mail is one type of marketing that has been around for over 100 years. Fundraisers have been no stranger to using this one tactic during the last century. And we know you encourage donors to support your cause when they receive a direct mail piece.

As it’s still an important part of many organizations’ communications strategies, direct mail appeals may even be more important now than ever before. As your donors are aging, it’s the younger generations who value their time spent with direct mail.

The many benefits of direct mail are that it’s cost-effective, easy to segment, and offers the chance to connect with your constituents.

How Email Marketing Benefits from Direct Mail

With a high success rate, direct mail has proven to be an effective communications tool. The approach is perfect for reaching out to your donors in the comfort of their home and getting their attention outside of an online platform.

While it’s been around for a long time, direct mail has seen some changes with email marketing. The popularity of direct mail declined over the years as more and more people switched from traditional mail to email. However, as we all hunkered down during the pandemic, direct mail has found its way back into homes our now more than ever before.

Email Marketing is a powerful tool for any institution. It can help you reach a wider audience, drive traffic to your website, and generate more donations. But email marketing doesn’t work on its own. It needs the support of other marketing tools to be most effective.

Direct mail provides an opportunity to connect with your audience in person – something that email can’t do. And it also provides an opportunity to build a relationship with your constituent that will lead them back to your site and keep them coming back for more.

There’s no doubt that both these methods have their pros and cons, but what if you could use them together for better results?

How to Combine Direct Mail & Email Marketing for a Better Response

Direct mail and email marketing are two of the most popular ways to reach out to your donors. But how do you know which one is right for your campaign?

Email marketing and direct mail are both great ways to reach out to potential donors, but they work best when used together. There are a few different ways that you can use email in your direct mailing campaigns. Here are five ways you can use email and direct mail with your appeals.

1. Target email non-responders

No matter how exciting and innovative your email marketing campaign is, some people will just not open your email. This could be because of several reasons. Maybe they are so inundated with emails, or your appeal gets lost in the shuffle. If you are struggling to get your donors to open your emails, a complementary direct mail piece is the option.

2. Sense of urgency

Sending annual appeals with direct mail takes planning, creative and content. Annual appeals sent with direct mail brand your campaign, connect your donors to your institution, and shares your annual goal. Adding an email can create a sense of urgency so your donors act sooner rather than later. The closer you get to the end of your campaign, use an email to update your constituents on the status of reaching your goal.

3. Use direct mail as part of your email drip campaign

Drip campaigns play a role now more than ever in fundraising campaigns. With all the data you have on your donors, infusing a personalized postcard or letter to your donors will help give your appeal a boost to your next drip campaign. Add a QR code to your direct mail and drive them to a landing page that mirrors the same creative as the drip campaign. Incorporating digital and direct mail helps you reach more donors in more places.

4. Email as a follow up to direct mail

Research shows that when you combine direct mail with email communications, the response rate is 25% higher. This approach also means that more donors will visit your donation page. So, the combination of direct mail and email is a good idea because more donors will see your donation page.

5. Event communications

As traditional as they are, there’s nothing quite like an invitation sent in the mail. The formality of an invitation is even more effective when followed up with an email to connect the donor to an event page. Using direct mail and email marketing together is a more effective way of reaching your constituents and drive attendance or donations to your event.

Conclusion: A Combined Approach to Direct Mail & Email Marketing that Works!

Direct mail and email marketing are two of the most popular marketing channels. Using them to complement one another gives each channel a lift. Whether you’re targeting your non-responders or implementing a drip campaign, direct mail and email work best together when you integrate your segmentation data into each. This combination will help you create a better donor experience by providing them with over one option for engagement.

Do you need help to pull together your email and direct mail campaign? The team at BCG Connect can help manage your next campaign and drive more donors through integrative approaches with direct mail and email. Contact us today.

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Understanding Informed Delivery

With Informed Delivery service, you can digitally preview your incoming mail. You can manage your packages from a computer, tablet or mobile device via email or a USPS dashboard.

Increase Your ROI

During mail sorting, USPS® digitally images the address side of every letter-size mail piece that runs through automation equipment. USPS uses these images to provide digital notifications with gray-scale images. Users receive images of their mail in an email or posted to their USPS dashboard before the delivery of physical mail.

Below is an image from the dashboard.

Informed Delivery Dashboard

 

Over 44 million customers have enrolled since they launched it in 2017.

In addition, the USPS “Informed Delivery offers business mailers the opportunity to engage users through an integrated mail and digital marketing campaign that generates additional consumer impressions, interactions, and insights.”

You can do these two ways. Replacing the gray-scale image with a “Representative Image” of the mailer and including a “Ride-along” image. The representative image is not clickable or interactive, however, the ride-along image is and contains a call to action. Regardless of the images, a single target URL is required to conduct an interactive campaign.

Informed Delivery Ride Along

 

How Can You Improve Your Direct Marketing Efforts?

As a fundraiser, sending out appeals and other communication with additional digital components can only enhance your overall campaign visibility.

The bonus it is free from the USPS.

Below is how one of BCG Connect’s clients used this digital platform within a recent campaign:

BCG Connect Informed Delivery

Result: Using Informed Delivery drove additional clicks to our client’s website and allowed for further engagement with their donors and prospects.

Interested in trying Informed Delivery for your next campaign? We can set it up for you. Not a client yet? Contact us today!

 

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3 Examples of High-Impact Spring Appeals

Let’s talk about your Spring Appeal. Direct mail is a valuable tool for any organization trying to communicate their case for support. The challenge is, how do you use this tool to engage your constituents and inspire them to take action?

Here are 3 tips to help your spring appeal make an impact:

Use current photos to show impact

Using powerful images is a widely understood concept for appeals.1 Showing the impact of how gifts have helped current students, allowed for extra safety measures, or provided support to those in need during the pandemic will resonate with current and prospective donors.

See how the California College of the Arts used this approach: CCA Appeal

Make sure it is clear what you would like donors to do

Like a successful email campaign, an effective appeal involves a clear CTA and message. If donors are unsure what your goal is, it will be less interesting for them to take action. 

See how this appeal illustrates a clear CTA: Friends Central School Appeal

Don’t rely too heavily on copy 

Crafting effective messaging is important and there can often be a lot that you want to say to your audience. However, that message could get lost in translation if there is too much copy drowning it out.2 Finding the balance between images, copy, and a format that appeases both is the goal.

See how we helped York College accomplish this balance: York College Appeal 

What are you trying in your current programs? Connect with us today and let us know.

Sources: 

1 = SG Engage

2 = Huffington Post

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3 Ways to use direct mail for virtual events

Most fundraising professionals have reaped the benefits of events for years. Whether it be the education, healthcare, or nonprofit space, the value of visibility and interpersonal interaction at events is undeniable.

Thanks to COVID-19, many organizations are struggling1 from both a donor acquisition and revenue perspective due to the loss of in-person events. While some events have been cancelled or postponed, still more have switched to a virtual format instead.

It might seem counter-intuitive to state that direct mail pairs well with a virtual event. How could a perceived “basic” tactic like direct mail compliment a highly sophisticated online gathering?

Here are three ways to use direct mail for virtual events:

  • Use direct mail to send special offers to attendees

Events are the perfect time to engage or re-engage donors with a little extra TLC.

While donors are at home looking forward to their daily walk to the mailbox, it makes sense to utilize direct mail in the wake of a virtual event. Sending a pre-event checklist that donors can hang in their home office or a special promo code2 postcard are some simple and budget-friendly options.

  • Use direct mail as an extra touch point

One of the current weak spots of a virtual events is, quite simply, the competition. While attending a virtual event has many pro’s, the biggest con in this climate is over-saturation.

Using direct mail as an additional touch point can help break up some of the virtual clutter and overall fatigue.3  Consider sending a personalized direct mail invite or save the date, just like you would an in-person event (example here).

  • Use direct mail for appointment setting

Appointment setting is a hugely popular practice of sending an offer to attendees before the event in attempts to connect with them at the show. Usually there is some kind of special offer being teased at the booth or an opportunity to speak to an expert in person.

Direct mail can still be used for virtual event appointment setting. Provide attendees the opportunity to speak with you in a one-on-one chat room. You can also send them a special code to enter your booth prize drawing.4

In short, events may be more complicated for the foreseeable future, but that does not mean they have to be overly difficult. Virtual events exclude more traditional logistical challenges and costs, such as paying for airfare and hotels. Adding the ease and proven track record of direct mail to your event strategy is sure to prove successful.

If you like this post, check out our guest blog spot with the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce on how direct mail can cut through the virtual noise in 2020.

Sources:

1 = Harvard Business Review

2 = Impact

3= 4 Ways to Use Direct Mail in the Current Climate

4 = Event Marketer

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Optimizing Direct Mail Programs: Post-Pandemic and Beyond – Tip #3

Tip #3: Better Together – Email and Direct Mail

This is the last post in our special blog series discussing effective ways you can optimize direct mail programs in a post-pandemic world and beyond.

Many organizations that rely on annual giving have embraced an omnichannel approach in their direct mail efforts. Although they are often pitted against each other, combining email with direct mail is a great example of two mediums that are stronger together.

Combining email and direct mail can help maximize your fundraising campaigns by boosting your engagement rates and increasing your ROI. While these two tactics certainly have merit individually, many organizations don’t realize how powerful they can be when paired together.

This partnership couldn’t have better timing from a content, messaging, and outreach perspective since “digital burnout” continues to plague potential donors.

Digital burnout has many variations, including “virtual fatigue” and “webinar fatigue.” It’s easy to overload your constituents with virtual information if you are relying heavily on email in the current climate.

Consider the following statistics:

  • 56% of customers find print marketing to be the most trustworthy type of marketing1
  • 44% of email recipients made at least one purchase last year based on a promotional email2
  • Digital burn out has been on the rise since 2019 and has worsened since the pandemic3

Utilizing direct mail and email together is more impactful than using just one. Benefits of email include quick and direct contact, easy tracking, and the ability to change messaging quickly. Direct mail can be more logistically challenging, but the ethos it invokes is hard to ignore. Why not combine them and have the best of both worlds?

Here is an example from a client who was able to successfully pair these tactics to create a comprehensive spring appeal program:

Pingree Spring Appeal Letter

Email

Although there is still some uncertainty around the future of fundraising, there are many creative and practical ways that organizations like yours can reach potential donors and convey your organization’s message. Analyzing your outreach methods and seeing how they can complement each other is a great start.

What do you think about our third and final tip in this “Optimizing Direct Mail Programs: Post-Pandemic and Beyond” series? We’d love to hear your feedback. Click here to leave us a comment.

Sources:

1 & 2 = Mann & Co.

3 = Inc.

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Optimizing Direct Mail Programs: Post-Pandemic and Beyond – Tip #2

Tip #2: The Cost of Poor Graphic Design

In this special blog series, we will discuss effective ways you can optimize direct mail programs in a post-pandemic world and beyond.

Our previous post examined the critical step of perfecting data management to ensure a successful and compliant direct mail campaign. But what good is flawless data if you haven’t focused on your design elements?

In the best-case scenario, a fantastically designed direct mail piece will delight your audience, compliment your call to action and invoke donations. In the worst-case scenario, a poorly designed direct mail piece is deemed irrelevant, alienates your audience, or is tossed in the recycle bin. Although expert data management will ensure that you are targeting the correct people, impactful graphic design and messaging is what will ultimately compel them to embrace your cause.

A recent design firm analyzed how much money they lost in one day based on the time their employees spent attempting to decode a poorly organized chart. It totaled $273, which was more than the daily rate of one employee.1

It is possible to underwhelm with an underdeveloped design, but it can be just as offensive to potential donors if you overwhelm your direct mail with information and graphics. Subtlety is not always a bad thing if you are appropriately taking advantage of every available space on your direct mail piece.2 A good designer will be able to usher you through that process, and understanding the nuances will eventually become second nature.

How can you ensure that you are considering thoughtful graphic design practices in your own direct mail initiatives? Here are some general guidelines from our very own BCG Connect graphic design team:

  • Focus on function as well as form
  • Embrace concise and relevant copy
  • Remember to follow your pre-existing brand guidelines for continuity
  • Make sure the tone of your message is reflected in the images you use

Effective graphic design can make or break your direct mail campaign. The fundraising world especially relies on empathy and ethos in their outreach to potential donors.

Here are some examples from our clients who asked us to help them balance their data management needs with effectual graphic design.

Data segmentation will never lose its importance, but when you combine it with innovative and well-crafted graphic design, you are elevating your direct mail strategy to a whole new level.

What do you think about our second tip in this “Optimizing Direct Mail Programs: Post-Pandemic and Beyond” series? We’d love to hear your feedback. Click here to leave us a comment.

Sources:

1 = Evergreen Data

2 = Target Marketing

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Optimizing Direct Mail Programs: Post-Pandemic and Beyond – Tip #1

Tip #1: Debunking List Management 

In this special blog series, we will discuss effective ways you can optimize direct mail programs in a post-pandemic world and beyond.

Direct mail is known to be an efficient and engaging channel that helps retain and acquire donors in the fundraising world. But has coronavirus changed its credibility?

The answer may pleasantly surprise you. According to the USPS Market Research and Insights Report, 65% of those surveyed stated that receiving mail lifts their spirits, with 54% of respondents stating that mail helped them feel more connected.1 

You may be thinking, “Great! Sign me up.” But it’s a little more complicated than that.

In our internal May 2020 BCG Connect client survey, 100% of respondents described their organizations as understaffed. Additionally, 99% of respondents indicated that they do not have the time or resources to focus on fundraising campaigns to their desired extent.

At the best of times, fundraising campaigns require careful planning and copious amounts of attention and detail orientation to yield results. The most successful direct mail campaigns are the ones that are the most highly targeted. In order to develop a customized, engaging direct mail piece, you have to perfect one key element: proper list management. List management can single-handedly make or break your campaign.

The good news is that direct mail is resonating with donors and prospects. The bad news is that many organizations are overwhelmed and understaffed. So, what action should organizations take to run a highly targeted direct mail campaign without straining their already limited resources?

The answer: outsourcing. Utilizing a partner who understands the intricacies of list management can ease the stress of your campaign, increase your bandwidth, and help you meet your fundraising goals.

Direct mail is reaching audiences in meaningful ways during these unprecedented times. It’s more important now than ever to analyze your list in order to optimize it and run a profitable campaign.

What do you think about our first tip in this “Optimizing Direct Mail Programs: Post-Pandemic and Beyond” series? We’d love to hear your feedback. Click here to leave us a comment.

Sources:

1 = Target Marketing

2 = USPS Market Research and Insights

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3 Focus Areas for Creating Engaging Annual Reports

BCG Connect is a steadfast supporter and advocate of Friends of the Children-Boston (Friends-Boston), a nonprofit organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of generational poverty through salaried, professional mentoring. To achieve this, Friends-Boston pro-actively identifies kindergartners who possess untapped limitless potential but face the most significant barriers to future success. They then relentlessly dedicate their resources to them for the child’s entire school aged years – kindergarten through graduation, no matter what. That’s 12+ years!

One of BCG’s most recent collaborations with Friends of the Children was their 2019 Milestone Report. The challenge was to create an inviting and informative report that everyone wanted to read. It was important to understand that these readers were already supporters, so the message had to be tailored to them. Friends of the Children also stressed their desire for this report to have a contemporary feel, complete with story-like infographics and interesting data visualization.

Some of the areas highlighted to achieve this can be applied universally.

Here are 3 focus areas for engaging annual reports:

  • Understand the organization’s mission

An organization’s mission statement is its lifeblood, and they must find meaningful ways for donors to contribute to that mission. It is essential to understand, highlight, and appreciate this in order to convey its message successfully.

  • Mention successes and failures

It’s important to highlight the organization’s progress, which includes the good, the bad, and everything in between. Executive Director of Friends of the Children, Yi-Chin Chen beautifully expresses this as the ability to “Fail Louder” in future endeavors.

  • Communicate data visually

Data is one of the most compelling engagement tools in fundraising, as donors want to know how their gift has impacted an organization. It’s often difficult to translate these stats into an eye-catching format. Stick to simple numbers, appropriate chart types, and consistent formatting.

One recipient of the 2019 Annual Report shared:

“I just received the 2019 milestone report in the mail – congratulations on a really beautiful publication. I immediately wanted to read it and found it really engaging and inspiring. I love how it’s on-brand, authentic, compelling, and provides easy ways to see how anyone in the community might engage.”

-Anonymous recipient

You can view the Friends of the Children 2019 Annual Report here.

For more information on how BCG Connect can create similar projects for you, contact us today.

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