I have a dream that thousands upon thousands of charities and associations will embrace reader-centric messaging in 2012.
That they’ll realize the power of putting donors and members in the spotlight. And as a result they will enjoy higher response – more new donors and members, higher retention rates, more upgrades and larger sustainer files, more attendees at conferences … more funds raised to support their mission.
Too many nonprofit websites, letters, emails, tweets and everything else sound like a child calling out, “Mommy, Mommy. Look at me and what I’ve done.”
Mom takes a quick look, smiles and praises her child’s efforts. Then she goes right back to what she was busy doing.
Your busy donors and members respond in much the same way to copy that focuses on what your nonprofit has done instead of what your supporters have accomplished. They glance and move on to something else.
Copy that’s NOT reader-centric becomes the nonprofit calling out for praise – like the child to Mom – to its supporters. The nonprofit is bragging.
Oh, the writer may not be thinking that way … but that’s how it comes across to the reader.
Why bother with reader-centric copy?
There’s no need to bother mastering this skill (or outsourcing to someone who can write this way), if you’re content to endure lower response.
On the other hand, if you want supporters to …
– feel more like a part of your team
– feel like you know them and what’s important to them
– feel like you respect them and their support instead of simply viewing them as a source of revenue
– believe you know precisely how they feel
– get inspired and respond to messages that strongly resonate with them
– get excited about how donors make a difference or how members in a professional association enjoy more fulfilling careers
– tell others in their networks about your nonprofit (i.e., they champion your cause and bring you more support) because you give them an exceptional experience
… Then you MUST master the skill of writing copy that’s centered on the donor or member.
How can I help you?
I write about this often and I wonder if I’m making any progress. So today I’m going to ask YOU for ideas on how I can help you write more reader-centric copy.
Please answer the questions in the survey below so I can help you enjoy higher response in your messages and appeals to supporters, and simultaneously make this dream come true for both of us.
NOTE: Use the scroll bars along the right and bottom of the “gray framed” survey window to read the complete question and to see all of the questions. Only two (2) of the four questions are mandatory & require answers, but you must click the “FINISH SURVEY” button for your answers to be captured. Thank you.
Did you scroll down within the “gray-framed” survey window and click the FINISH SURVEY button? Great. And thanks for completing the survey and letting me know how I can best help you learn how to write more reader-centric copy in 2012. Let’s make this dream come true.
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