Changing My Hairstyle
My kids chide me that I haven’t changed my hairstyle since Nixon was in office. (Actually, it may have been earlier than that.) Is it inertia,
bending to the cultural and professional norm, or the lack of enough “resources” to work with? Nonprofits often find themselves in that same predicament when it comes to their fundraising or development I heard this factoid quoted and wanted to pass it along...
90% of nonprofits use the same fundraising strategy today that they used 10 years ago –and less than half say it is “effective”!
If you are involved in a nonprofit (board, staff or volunteer), you owe it to your mission, the cause, and the people or pets you pledged to serve. Change requires recognition that your present activities aren’t getting the outcome you truly desire or your donors deserve. Next, an honest assessment of your processes and habits should happen. Often, an independent observer can provide perspective and counsel. Finally, a plan with new actions can be set in motion. Consider these low-cost efforts.
- Call 10-15 donors who gave in 2013 but didn’t in 2014. (Letters or focus groups won’t provide the same results.) You are not seeking a donation, only information. Disarm them with your honesty upfront and they will reward you with useful insight. Ask why they gave before, why they didn’t give last year, what has changed over that time, what the “talk” is about your organization and what improvements he/she might suggest. When taken seriously and done by the highest-ranking executive, it can yield incredible information.
- Don’t want to stray too far from “what works”? Change doesn’t have to be total. Consider adding A/B testing to your fundraising. It’s a simple concept that’s been used for decades. Start with a statistically significant sample; half is common. Mail a different appeal or offer to each set. Change only one thing so you don’t confuse the conclusion! Keep track of which effort “wins” by: dollars, comments, or responses – whatever your metrics indicate
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- Institute a “major donor” appreciation event. It doesn’t have to be an expensive dinner! In fact, some of the best ideas cost little money, which demonstrates your understanding the value of a donated dollar, too. Make it exclusive and DON’T ASK FOR MONEY.
Hope this helps. Let me know what your nonprofit did to become more effective.
If you’ve been following this series (thank you!), you know we’ve arrived at a favorite topic: SEO. Search Engine Optimization tops our list—not because we’ve mastered the elusive art of first-page organic rankings, but because the pursuit of ranking higher drives us to improve daily. For those new to SEO, it only became essential in recent years. Google, like its competitors (Dogpile, Safari, Bing, and others), aims to deliver the “best” results for every search—no matter how obscure. Naturally, companies scramble for a coveted spot on page one since most shoppers don’t look beyond it. This sparked an SEO arms race, with agencies worldwide claiming to have the "special sauce" (timing, techniques, maybe even a little magic) to boost website visibility and drive traffic. But the truth is, only Google knows its formula, and they keep changing it under the guise of improvement. Of course, this conveniently boosts their ad revenue by encouraging paid placements. The good news? You don’t need to chant magic keywords to enhance your site’s visibility. There are plenty of low-cost, high-value strategies to improve your natural ranking. Start with a thorough website audit and keyword research to uncover opportunities. This might mean optimizing on-page elements like image meta tags, headings, and content, or tackling off-page efforts like building quality backlinks. From there, we’ll create a tailored strategy based on your goals and audience, monitoring performance and fine-tuning along the way to ensure success. You can attract more visitors and boost your site’s visibility—no wizardry required! ⬇️ https://www.with1vision.com/services#DigitalMediaManagement
Yes, SEM absolutely deserves its own spotlight! It’s not some overlooked, red-headed stepchild of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). I can say that—I used to be a redhead. Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is a powerful tool for driving targeted leads and sales through your website. Done right, it delivers quick results, precise targeting, increased visibility, and an impressive ROI (return on investment). So, what exactly is SEM? It’s all about boosting a website’s visibility on search engine results pages through paid advertising. Think of it as giving your business a front-row seat in the dynamic marketplace of search engines. SEM generally encompasses two key strategies: Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising : Here you bid on keywords relevant to your products or services. When users search for those terms on platforms like Google or Bing, your ads can appear right at the top of the results, catching reader’s attention even before organic listings. You only pay when someone clicks on your ad—hence, “pay-per-click.” Display Advertising : While PPC focuses on text, display advertising takes a more visual route. This involves placing eye-catching banners or interactive ads on websites within networks like Google Display. By targeting specific demographics, interests, or even particular websites, you can get your ad message in front of the right audience at the right time. At 1Vision, SEM is as much art as science. We start with in-depth keyword research to uncover high-value search terms tailored to your business. Then, we craft custom campaigns that target demographics, interests, and locations. Our Digital Media Specialist closely watches performance metrics, tweaking bids and strategies to ensure your budget works as hard as possible. Whether your goal is brand awareness, website traffic, or lead generation, there are SEM techniques that can help. Over time, SEM can feel like a trusted and productive member of the marketing family.
Growing up, we didn’t really have a budget—we had a father. Requests for frivolous items or fleeting joys (no matter how much I begged for candy) were met with a sympathetic smile and a gentle pat on the head. Looking back, I realize dad was teaching me the value of deferred gratification and the art of managing resources wisely. Perhaps that’s also where I learned the importance of investing in what truly matters. In today’s world, content is king, and creating impactful content requires the same discipline my father had: focusing on what’s essential and resisting the temptation to let distractions drain time and money. To clarify, I define “content” as any media that communicates a message. This includes blogs (like this one), podcasts, social media posts, websites, videos, and ads. The best content reveals something genuine about its creator, leaving the audience feeling like they know them better after engaging with it. Great content is relevant, original, authentic, engaging, and actionable. It should inspire the audience to act while resonating with their needs and interests. Informative blog posts, entertaining videos, or engaging podcasts can be developed with creativity and expertise, capturing attention and driving action. Importantly, you don’t need an extravagant budget to create meaningful content. By using cost-effective distribution channels and repurposing content across multiple platforms, you can amplify your message and maximize your reach without overspending. It’s a great mentor/parent lesson: prioritize what matters most, focus your efforts, and invest wisely. Whether in managing a family’s finances or creating communications content, the principle remains the same.
