Direct Response: Not So 'Direct' Anymore?

Change your analysis

We should refrain from reviewing results to just a mailing or just an e-mail. As donors interact with our organizations in multiple ways, we should start thinking more carefully about how we monitor results.

Too often, organizations use a simplistic picture of segmentation and analysis when making decisions. They take the easy path and suppress seemingly unresponsive, online-only donors from mail. But what if receiving that mail improves their long-term value (forget if they become multichannel donors or not)? This is analysis that can (and in many cases should be) conducted, but I bet most organizations don’t take the time or resources to delve into this question. It’s much easier to look at the “direct response” to each effort, but clearly, that doesn’t tell the whole story anymore.