Multichannel

With consumers shifting their shopping online and their in-store purchasing from cash to plastic, The Salvation Army’s familiar red kettle campaign isn’t the reliable source of donations it once was for the nonprofit. Local Salvation Army chapters, which on average raise between 40 to 50 percent of their annual budgets during the holiday season, are…

Here, on the cusp of 2016, it's hard to imagine digital marketing as a fringe or niche aspect of marketing. Such a time did exist, and with 2015 coming to a close we have fully and completely moved past that transient epoch. “Digital marketing has moved into the mainstream, as 98 percent of marketers affirm…

Those of us in the direct-response fundraising profession are living in the age of walking a tightrope. That’s especially true when we wrestle with budgeting issues. Let me suggest we begin with two key insights: (1) Who nonprofit fundraisers should target to maximize revenue, and (2) how and where to best communicate with the target audience to accomplish this...

As the use of digital marketing continues to evolve and expand within the nonprofit industry, fundraising executives are demanding more integration within their marketing, communication and fundraising solutions. The key point of distinction is nonprofits that wish to implement integrated fundraising strategies must first think of their constituents rather than the communication tactic itself...

Omnichannel marketing is like kale. You know it's good for you, but that first mouthful goes down hard. Though nimbly traversing across several marketing channels has been widely accepted as crucial for relevant customer engagement, only 11 percent of companies claim to go down that road. Most (55 percent) admit that they have yet to…

We held an event recently and didn’t follow our own advice. The advice we give clients, that is. We neglected to promote it through a well-coordinated combination of direct mail, email (both blasts and individual) and social media. The event was in partnership with another firm, and the folks there decided to promote it solely through email. We followed their lead. We also made a substantial investment in paid social-media promotion...

The year 2015 has been one of change and revolution, both in and outside marketing. As we approach the final stretch of this turbulent year, I thought it prudent to review some of the most prevalent talking points in marketing, and why they probably shouldn't be talking points in 2016. Not because these aspects of…

Utilizing direct mail fundraising is an effective way to circumvent the crowded inbox. But just because you send direct mail out doesn’t mean that’s the way the donations will come in. In fact, 35 percent of donors say they prefer to respond to direct mail by giving online, according to “The Direct Mail Paradox and How You Are Losing Donors,” an infographic from MobileCause. So, what does this mean for your nonprofit, and how can you make your online donation process easier?

If you live in New York, you've probably noticed an influx of costumed pedestrians and strangers since last Thursday. Blame the 2015 New York Comic Con. The sold-out event is always a spectacle, which reverberates outside the Javits Center walls, and these events are only getting bigger. In many ways, the growth of these events…

Finally, someone said it! We need to realize that getting “attribution” right is going to take all of us, and we need to stop being afraid of it...