7 Ways to Use Verbal Images to Pull Donors Into Your Appeal
You can use verbal images to make just about every part of your offer and your appeal more compelling for donors, keeping in mind that the images should be based in fact and not just made-up. A verbal image is an effective way to …
1. Present the need
A verbal image can show donors why their support is vital, giving them a clear, specific problem to solve. Instead of simply saying, “Children are dying in poor countries,” you can use a verbal image: “A little boy sick with tuberculosis, lying in a remote clinic in Tajikistan, explodes into a deep, heaving cough, bringing up blood, shuddering in pain. He needs someone like you.” With the verbal image, the need is more immediate and more urgent.
An agency-trained, award-winning, freelance fundraising copywriter and consultant with years of on-the-ground experience, George specializes in crafting direct mail appeals, online appeals and other communications that move donors to give. He serves major nonprofits with projects ranging from specialized appeals for mid-level and high-dollar donors, to integrated, multichannel campaigns, to appeals for acquisition, reactivation and cultivation.
