Direct Mail

Want in on a little-known secret? Wealthy people aren’t the primary group leaving bequests to charities. In fact, according to the Institute of Charitable Giving, 82 percent of bequests come from donors with a net worth of less than $3 million. Planned giving refers to a charitable gift that an individual creates during his or her lifetime that will take effect after his or her passing. It’s a way for people to make a lasting gift to a cause that’s important to them. It can also provide tax benefits to the donor. ...

Recent data shows that "the pattern of retention for cash giving in the U.S. has worsened, with some organizations experiencing upwards of 70 percent attrition between the first and second gift." Your organization’s thank you letter is not the be-all, end-all to ending donor attrition. But it is an important first step in creating loyal, lifetime donors. Does yours have all 10 essentials?...

According to the Fundraising Effectiveness Project, first-time donor retention is a measly 19 percent. While repeat donor retention is much better at 63 percent, that still means one in three current donors don’t give again. Overall, the median donor retention rate is just 43 percent. It’s not a huge mystery as to why. Donors want…

Experienced writers and designers who do email and direct mail marketing know this for a fact: The littlest things can add up to make the biggest difference in response and sales. How much attention are you paying to details like these? 1. Perfect your preheaders. Use the area at the very top of your email…

U.S. Mail goes digital in Gotham this week. Residents and businesses in several New York zip codes are being introduced to the Informed Delivery app, which—every day at 8 a.m.—emails them pictures of the front of mail envelopes being delivered to them later in the day. The pilot program works through the My USPS website…

Every industry has a set of principles that holds true despite years of change, innovation and disruption. Direct marketing is no different. Although there is an expanding array of channels, when it comes to the overall marketing mix, direct mail is still fundamental to marketing. It’s the flour to bread, the grapes to wine and…

Direct mail has been one of my passions since my first job as a copywriter at a direct marketing agency in Washington, D.C. I’m always on the lookout for trends that impact this channel and creative mailings that grab prospects’ attention and demand response. So what’s new and what’s working in direct mail these days?…

Minutes of testing could save marketers’ hides for months, if not longer. Testing is touted but sounds difficult to many, so marketers may not do it as often as would be ideal. However, having a firm foundation may make marketers feel more comfortable about taking the plunge. Lisa Qian instructs viewers of this O’Reilly Media…

If you remember the plot of Mel Brooks' classic movie "The Producers" the idea was that the scammers set out to produce the worst possible play imaginable to be certain it would close after one night. Yet, they made it so bad it broke through the membrane of awful into the sublime. And they were…

As direct marketers, we’re all looking for an edge, even just a slight adjustment to the offer, copy or design that will lead to better response rates. Would you believe me if I told you that something as simple as one sentence, just five little words, has the power to lift results by 20 percent?…