More Thoughts on Multichannel Campaigns

A while back, FundRaising Success held a webinar on the ins and outs of multichannel campaigns. Here, some last thoughts from one of our speakers, Jono Smith, director of nonprofit marketing, Network for Good:

Q: How much variation in messaging should there be between channels? Or should it be 100 percent consistent?

A: The core message should be consistent, regardless of what channel you choose to communicate with your audience. A fundraising appeal is a fundraising appeal is a fundraising appeal. There should always be a call-to-action, and all roads should lead to appealing to the audience’s values. And, across all channels, there should be set goals and expected outcomes.

Where the finesse and variation comes in is via the specific language and techniques you use in each medium. For instance, the conversational, quick tone an organization uses on Facebook would not be as effective when used as a telemarketing script. Another example of variation is the fact that layout and design principles vary from channel to channel — where a reader’s eye travels first on a piece of direct mail is not necessarily the same as in an e-newsletter.

The best approach for checks and balances when it comes to messaging is to put yourself in the reader’s shoes (test it out!) and see how the communication is coming across.