business

This has been a banner year for Jen Smiga and Shannon Winning.

We have learned, lost, worked hard, pitched our hearts out and grown beyond what we could have imagined when we partnered up officially in January. Together we have won and lost clients, produced websites, garnered press and written something like 213 blogs, email newsletters and press releases. I thought when we added it all up we’d be tired, but truly seeing the ground we’ve covered this year only leaves us with one thought: Gratitude.

We’re thankful to God for our partnership and for you who read our updates every week (or at least receive them. No one reads everything of anybody’s. Just this week I ignored a presidential tweet and a reminder from my mom to get the kids’ Christmas lists together. No shame. That’s life.)

If you’re feeling grumpy today with the holiday rush, or want to get that Friyay feeling early, allow me to throw some good will at you before you get elbow deep in that turkey (or in Jen’s case, that Tofurkey).

Go with me as I explain, listicle style, why we as a team are so thankful this year.

1. We’re better together

For years Jen and I worked quietly alongside each other, her in PR and social media, and I in journalism and marketing, wondering how we could team up. It was a logical step, but like couples who file their taxes separately, it always seemed that we could make more money apart. Then one day (like a day that lasts three months) we said, “Heck with it. Let’s team up to pitch comprehensive all-out marketing services to national companies.” The move allowed us to scale up the business from a partnership to an agency model where we can take on big projects, while still giving love and care to our small business client crew. Win. Win.

2.We’ve got some fine people behind us

We welcomed back git-er-done Danielle from maternity leave last month in the nick of time as projects were coming in the door. In less than a day she was back to killin’ it on social media and Constant Contact. Stephanie came on this year to cover for Danielle, which was like starting your first day as a Toys R Us cashier on Black Friday. Stephanie did a little bit of everything from pitching and social to writing and presenting. If you came to one of our small business events with SCORE you know that she can rock a crisis communications plan. Our newest designer/developer Ali came out swinging for three new web projects over the last several months (including Marketing Rival’s site) and he KO’d that CSS, making beautiful websites with his “sure, no problem” attitude. Having him as my go-to HubSpot guy enabled me to do better, faster work with less headaches. Designer Maryann once again consistently turned out beautiful work with an intuitive knack for what the clients really want out of that graphic, even though they can’t articulate it. Developer Shane also turned out gorgeous, slick sites for us and jumped in at a moment’s notice, on more than one occasion, to make back end changes that we needed, “RIGHT THIS VERY SECOND.” Jamie our Brand Specialist, or the image whisperer, made our images sparkle with life and developed a brand concept for an elusive product while moving and taking pictures of tiny animals. We are thankful for them ALL.

3. We’ve got clients who trust us

That was not always the case as we found our groove in who is the right client for us. The client relationship is like dating where you need to get to know one another over coffee a few times and make some assessments about how your goals line up. So do you want kids? Do you really want to grow this company through content marketing? (So obviously similar these questions are…). I’ve heard more “That’s a great idea” “I like it” and “I’ll let you run with this” in the last month than in the whole year. It’s glorious. And we are thankful for our clients who entrust us with their precious businesses.

4. We didn’t compromise

When you love PR and social media (as Jen does) and writing and marketing (as I do) you can get behind almost any product or business and do good work and have fun. But there are some projects that just aren’t YOU and this year we turned down two of them. Turning away money is not easy, let me tell you. But when taking it feels like a moral compromise, you’re better off leaving it on the table. I’m so grateful we gave each other the freedom to do that. (I know you’re curious. It was a furrier and an adult, ahem, “enhancement” product.)

5. We’re just getting started on the fun stuff

I’ve written about many different industries, restaurant, law, pharmaceuticals and I always find a way to get into the subject matter where the writing is fun. But sometimes it takes a little more “getting into” to get to the fun part. This year Jen and I moved into the design industry where we’re helping a Canadian stone company grow their online presence and market a new product. Architecture and design are two of our shared loves, which makes the work a pleasure. We also signed on to develop a lifestyle brand focused on telling stories of ordinary Americans pursuing life, liberty and happiness. For a Charles- Kuralt -Lisa-Ling wanna be like me, that is like candy. This is on top of Jen’s continued work in the pet industry, probably her chief love. We’re thankful to have these projects in our daily work, and promoting what we love is encouraging us to get more like-minded clients in our pipeline.

I know if I continued to write I could come up with five more things we’re thankful for, but this is a nice handful to give you a sense of what a great year it’s been and how excited we are for the future.

Full disclosure: I almost skipped this Thanksgiving greeting because I can’t stand canned holiday business messages. I wanted to write a blog for our business audience entitled, “Nobody Wants Your Holiday Message. They Want You To Help Them Solve Their Problems.” Though I stand by the sentiment, Jen talked me off that ledge, and I’m so glad she did. Because consciously detailing the things for which we’re thankful has doubled my gratitude and energized me for the work that still needs to be done. And there is a lot.

So from Jen and I, I wish you our clients, friends, partners and community members, a sincere Happy Thanksgiving. May you give yourself a few minutes to catalogue the five things you’re thankful for and double your gratitude too.

Click a button and donate. Seems simple and effective, right? People, the donate button is dead.
 
Slapping a button on your website isn’t going to move strangers to give their money to your nonprofit. You know your organization changes lives and manages resources effectively, but your site visitors might not, especially those who’ve landed here for the first time. You’re strangers to each other and like our mom taught us, we don’t give our money to strangers.
 
Like all donors, your site visitors need to be nurtured. They need to learn your story, understand your organization, and feel a connection to your fundraising effort. Only then will they feel knowledgeable and comfortable (even inspired) enough to give to your cause.
 
Let’s talk about another, more effective way to raise funds for your organization than a standalone donate button. How do you effectively communicate your story to your readers? First, understand the life cycle stage of website readers.
 
Generally, there are three of them and they are the key to improving your online fundraising.
 

Strangers

The stranger begins with an anonymous visit to your site. This visitor is just checking you out, getting a feel for your organization and what you do.

You don’t ask strangers for favors in your personal life, why are you asking strangers on your website for money? These visitors need to see a clear message communicating exactly what your organization does, your goals, and tangible evidence of work your organization has done. Great website content that is creative, but concise, can give strangers visiting your site a sense of what you’re all about. It’s important to effectively communicate the value of what you offer to your site visitors. What makes you different from other charitable organizations? How are funds used and can you show tangible results of success? How are you connected to the local community?

Action: Attract strangers with blog posts promoted through social media. Convert strangers to potential donors with a call-to-action in your blog. Do you have a case study or client success story you can package as a downloadable offer? Give it away free in exchange for the visitor’s name, email and the answer to a telling question. Maybe, What charity did you give to in the last year?

Learners

Visitors will click around your site, getting a little taste here and a little taste there until they feel more knowledgeable about your mission. This is the learning stage, and it’s critical in converting visitors into donors. Learners need to feel a personal connection to your mission, and the way to create this relationship is through storytelling. Blog about success stories of people who have benefitted from your organization’s efforts. Have staff members tell their personal stories about why they focus their energy on the mission of the organization. Highlight the important volunteers that spend their time working for the cause will work wonders in connecting your reader to your mission. (We always suggested hiring a professional writer for this. If you need a referral, just ask Shannon@marketingrival.com).

Action: Now hit your readers with a call to action that helps them learn more, like Want to hear more great stories about how our volunteers are changing lives? Click here to subscribe to our blog. On this form why not ask how they like to give to charity, with their money, their professional expertise or their time.

Deciders

After getting the warm fuzzy feeling reading a real life story about your organization’s work, your learner is probably feeling ready to make a decision. Whether it’s time or money you’re asking for, readers who feel they have a connection to your mission are more likely to decide to become a donor.You’ve been nurturing this potential donor through your social media, blog and email. Now it’s time to ask for the donation.

But before you ask for that credit card number, read this

Charity:water, a nonprofit providing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations, understands the power of connecting with site visitors. They focus their energy on creating powerful content that inspires people to join or donate to their cause. And the numbers speak for themselves. In 2012 they raised $33 million, $8 million of which came through online fundraising.

The organization takes a smart business approach by giving potential donors the choice to pay how they like. The single-line form is prefilled with a small dollar amount and offers a choice to use PayPal or a credit card. Plus there’s a line to give by check or give stock.

Action: Give them options. One donate button for everyone is like one-sized-fits-no-one-tights. Not pretty. Not effective.

Now don’t go talking smack about the millennials.

Trashing millennials for not knowing how to use land lines or feeling entitled is great fun, but let’s not be so smug as to miss their value to nonprofits and businesses. At 75 million strong, this group can’t be overlooked. The people of this tech-savvy, self-confident generation back causes they believe in, who give them the information they want in a creative and clear way, engaging them with personal stories. But their biggest value to you might be their penchant for sharing every-little-thing-they’re-doing-right-now. They might not come to your gala event, but if they donate or volunteer, they’re going to tell everyone of their friends on the interwebs.

Data shows that 50% of millennials share information about charities they support with their Facebook friends, according to a recent Blackbaud study.

Action: Give your donors a way to show off their contribution and encourage their friends to check out your organization. Adding social sharing buttons to your thank you page (and straight up asking for your donors to share their generosity) adds to the feel good for them and the exposure for you. (Plus then you can publicly thank them on your social media.)

Right now your donate button is probably living in the upper right hand corner of your site. Am I right? That’s because your web developer knew that was prime real estate for eyeballs. But now you know that nurturing is more effective than asking for money cold. Today we challenge you to capture one of your organization’s compelling stories, in a blog, video or case study, and swap it out for that donate button. Then Tweet us when you see the results @MarketingRival and we’ll share your good news.