Category Archives: Copywriting

Emphasize your uniqueness

[Dalya’s Note: This is an excerpt from my award-winning book, Writing to Make a Difference: 25 Powerful Techniques to Boost Your Community Impact.]

Ask yourself: What is amazing, special, inspiring, stimulating, and unique about your organization’s work?

You probably know more than most people do about the many outstanding public-benefit organizations improving your community. In this way, you are truly blessed and inspired. However, all of those organizations inevitably encounter competition for all kinds of resources. Everyone needs financial backing, people-power, public attention, market share, etc.

To make your organization stand out, you need to highlight what distinguishes it from similar groups. You must show how your organization is uniquely positioned to address a specific need that your community has expressed.

For instance: Does your organization deal with a particular aspect of an issue that no one else focuses on? Do you have a breakthrough approach or method? Do you work with a severely underserved community? Do you offer a product or service that solves a compelling social problem but is not readily available anywhere else? Do you have a history that has positioned you as the ‘go-to’ organization in your community for years?

Those distinguishing characteristics are key parts of your brand and bear repeating (over and over again).

EXAMPLE:

“‘When ‘Get Well Soon’ seems a bit out of place, Kimo Kards™ are cancer recovery greeting cards that have just the right words to help a friend or loved one through the difficult journey of chemotherapy and other cancer treatments.

Our messages are positive: designed to encourage and inspire men, women and children in different ways, including humor, scripture, and empowering words. Every card is ‘Created by Survivors for Survivors.’”

Your uniqueness must be so clear — and so relevant to your readers’ individual or community lives — that it gets noticed and gets people talking about you. This defining quality of your organization makes you the best choice for your readers to support or work with.

Ask yourself: What makes your organization different?

EXAMPLE:

International Development Exchange (IDEX) answers the Frequently Asked Question, “How is IDEX different from other international organizations?”:

“Since its inception in 1985, IDEX has made it a priority to support economic development initiatives in a way that is quite different from traditional large-scale philanthropy and prevailing models of global aid that are often top-down, paternalistic, and money-centered. IDEX’s grantmaking model has evolved over the years, but remains focused on:

The value of community-based solutions and the wisdom of local leaders who are grounded in their communities.

Providing multi-year unrestricted grants so that local partner organizations can apply funds where most needed and can plan for the future.

Providing additional resources as opportunities arise. This may include participation in conferences in the U.S. or elsewhere or facilitating connections to fair trade organizations.”

Some ways organizations have traditionally set themselves apart from the pack include:

high quality and value

superior effectiveness

personal service and attention to detail

speed or convenience

outstanding credentials, experience, or clientele

unusual ease of use

continuous innovation

widespread familiarity

And as a public-benefit organization, you probably can also talk about qualities such as:

community accountability

values-driven decisions

socially responsible sourcing and trading

environmental responsibility

community participation

a leading-edge point of view

Your uniqueness is whatever your ideal readers really want and are concerned about but cannot easily get elsewhere. Once you identify those unique selling points, you can begin to incorporate them in your brand.

You might even take this idea one step further by showing how your work in conjunction or coalition with others in your field sets your organization apart.

CAUTION

If your organization is “too unique” (special in unfamiliar ways) you may generate initial resistance. Try to relate your work to things your intended readers already know and trust.

16 Tips for Crafting a Powerful Postcard Campaign – Part 2

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[Dalya’s Note] This guest blog post originally appeared on Michael Rosen’s blog on April 19, 2013. (http://MichaelRosenSays.wordpress.com). Today we pick up where Michael left off in Part 1.)

9. Speak their language. The term “bequest” can be confusing or off-putting to some. It’s best to use simple, plain language when communicating with the public. While the postcard uses the word “bequest,” it also uses the phrase “…to include Federation in your Will…” Using simple language will appeal to the largest audience.

10. Include a call to action. The postcard includes a call to action. It lets readers know that the Federation staff is ready to talk with and assist them with bequest language or information about other giving options. It also invites readers to contact Federation to “establish your Jewish legacy.”

11. Offer to help. In its call to action, Federation offers to be of assistance: “Federation staff members are happy to provide bequest language to include Federation in your Will…” Be giving. Do not just let readers think you want something from them. Offer them something of value.

12. Build trust. The postcard builds trust in a variety of ways. One way that caught my attention, because I don’t often see it, is the postcard mentions that Federation staff are willing to speak with the reader and/or his financial planner.

By acknowledging that prospective donors may have advisors that they will want to consult and by offering to work with rather than behind the back of those advisors, Federation is sending out a message that can help earn the trust of both the prospect and the advisor.

13. Provide a named contact. People are far more likely to respond to an individual than a faceless institution. The postcard encourages readers to contact “Rachel A. Gross.” The card could just as easily have suggested folks contact the “Development Office” or the “Planned Giving Department.” However, by giving people the name of a specific person to contact, the postcard makes it more likely some folks will actually reach out.

14. Make it easy for people to contact you. The postcard provides readers with four ways they can contact the organization: regular mail, email (Rachel’s actual email address), phone (Rachel’s actual direct phone number), and website (URL to the appropriate landing page).

Some people prefer communicating one way over another. Providing folks with options allows them to choose what works best for them. It’s part of being donor-centered.

15. Do not mess with the Post Office. Make sure to keep the address area and the space below it completely clear. Postal scanners can be thrown off by printed messages in or near the address area. This can result in delayed or undelivered mail. Also, make sure to use the correct postage for the size of your mailing. If using a postal permit, make sure there is sufficient money in the account.

16. Do not just send one postcard. If you only have the budget to send one postcard to your prospects, you should probably spend the money on something else. To be truly effective, a postcard mailing should be part of a series of mailings. And, ideally, articles and/or ads in your organization’s publication will support the mailings. In other words, a postcard mailing should be part of a multi-faceted marketing strategy. This is the case at Federation.

After studying the postcard, I contacted Rachel A. Gross, Esq., Director of Planned Giving and Endowments at Federation, to learn more about the organization’s marketing strategy. She provided some insight into the campaign. She told me:

We wanted to show real people from our community and how their gifts continue to make a difference.”

She also told me that the postcard is part of an overall campaign that includes display advertisements every other week in The Jewish Exponent, the community’s weekly newspaper owned by Federation. The ads highlight bequests (3/4 of the time) and Charitable Gift Annuities (1/4 of the time). There will be two more postcard mailings before the end of the fiscal year on August 31.

As for the ads, some will feature younger donors who have made commitments but whose gifts will not be realized for years to come. Rachel’s strategy is to show different donors — young, old, male, female — in the hope that the ads will speak to different people.

While a consultant can be of great value when preparing a postcard mailing and/or marketing strategy, it’s possible to put together a terrific campaign in-house. That’s what Federation did. The team that put the campaign together includes Rachel, Susan Lundy (Endowment Officer), Jessica Endy (Director of Marketing and Communications), and Mark Berman (Creative Services Manager).

As a donor to Federation and as a former member of its Board of Trustees, I’m glad to see that the organization has implemented a solid marketing strategy. It’s a strategy that all nonprofit organizations can learn something from.

What are you doing to communicate effectively with your donors and prospects? If you dare, what have you learned the hard way?

That’s what Michael Rosen says… What do you say?

16 Tips for Crafting a Powerful Postcard Campaign – Part 1

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[Dalya’s Note] This guest blog post originally appeared on Michael Rosen’s blog on April 19, 2013. Michael J. Rosen, CFRE is President, ML Innovations (http://mlinnovations.com), and Publisher, Michael Rosen Says… (http://MichaelRosenSays.wordpress.com).

As you might imagine, I regularly receive direct mail appeals from many charities. Most of them are truly “junk mail.” After a quick glance, I quickly deposit the junk appeals into the recycling bin where they will do much more good than their intended purpose.

Occasionally, I’ll receive a mailing that captures my attention, for the right reasons. Even more rarely, I’ll find something in my mailbox that is worthy of sharing with you. Earlier this month, I found just such a piece.

The postcard mailing from the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia arrived shortly before the Passover and tied into the holiday. This post contains an image of the front and back of the postcard so you can see it for yourself. Federation did a great job with the piece. So, let me take a few moments to share some tips we all can learn from it:

1. Get rid of the envelope. One of the greatest challenges with direct mail is getting people to open the envelope. They won’t get your message unless they do. If you can get your message across in a way that does not require a full mailing package, you can overcome this challenge by simply doing away with the envelope altogether. Federation’s postcard mailing has done exactly that.

2. Employ a pattern interrupt. Another challenge with direct mail involves figuring out ways to engage the recipient so they spend more than two seconds with the piece before tossing it into the trash. When most folks go through their mail, they quickly look for the fun stuff and bills. People quickly weed-out what appears to be junk.

So, how did Federation disrupt the typical mail-sorting pattern? They did it with two very different photos on the front of an odd-sized postcard. While speedily going through my mail, I noticed an old-fashioned, sepia-tone photo of an older couple on the postcard. Beside it, there was a contemporary color picture of a cute, young child eating matzo. The postcard got me to ask, “Huh, what’s this about?”

In other words, Federation caught my attention by being unusual and by presenting contrasting photographs. They knocked me out of my normal mail-sorting pattern.

3. Make it easy to read. By printing black type on a white background, Federation provides strong contrast that makes reading easier. While reverse type was used – something I normally do not approve of — it was used sparingly and with a larger serif font ensuring easy readability.

4. Keep the message brief but impactful. In about 50 words, I learned that Mr. and Mrs. Schweig had passed away long ago. However, I also learned they had contributed to Federation. Most compellingly, I discovered that their generous support would feed 1,500 community members in need during Passover.

The generosity of the Schweigs impressed me. The depth of the community need surprised me. The organization really had my attention.

5. Engage the reader. I was already engaged with the postcard when the photos caught my attention and I read the pithy message on the front of the card. However, the card engaged me further with a simple question: “What will your legacy be?” By asking the reader a question, you can get them to stop and think.

6. Provide more details. On the address-side of the postcard, the reader is told that Mr. and Mrs. Schweig made their gift through a bequest. Providing additional details and telling people where they can get even more information will satisfy all readers and their individual levels of curiosity.

7. Demonstrate impact. Donors want to make a difference. Whether they give to the annual fund or make a planned gift commitment, people want to know that their support will have a positive impact. They want to know that their donations will be used efficiently to help the organization fulfill its mission.

This postcard shows how the support of past donors is being put to good use. The implied messages are: We wisely use the support from past donors to help the community. We can help you to have a positive, high-impact as well.

8. Show appreciation. By recognizing two deceased donors, Federation sends the message that the organization remembers donors even after they are no longer physically with us. By thanking Mr. and Mrs. Schweig for their impactful support, Federation is letting all donors know their support is valued.

For those considering leaving a legacy gift, these are meaningful messages. While some people may not necessarily want to secure a measure of immortality, all donors will be happy to know that they can continue to have a positive impact on the lives of others after they themselves are gone.

(See Part II of this article HERE.)

Happy Earth Day! Are You Greenwashing?

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[Dalya’s Note] This blog post was written by my Assistant, Leslie Rivera.

In honor of Earth Day, I thought we would talk about an important topic for anyone involved in socially and environmentally responsible copywriting (that’s us): greenwashing. It’s a new concept for me; maybe it is for you too! Greenwashing is the unethical practice of portraying a product or service as significantly more environmentally sound than it actually is. I wanted to do some research around this topic to learn more about what it is and how to avoid it.

You’re probably very familiar with words that are often used to greenwash, such as: 100% natural, biodegradable, eco-friendly, green, non-toxic, and sustainable. But do you ever stop to think about what they really mean?

Some writers intentionally apply their own spin to popular terms or buzzwords in ways that sound good, but may be less than completely ethical or accurate. I encourage you to be honest and transparent with the words you use. Deliberately masking your meaning by using deceitful framing or speaking in code may call into question your organization’s integrity.

Here are some resources I found helpful as I learned more about greenwashing:

This article talks about the 6 sins of greenwashing, which include hidden tradeoffs, lack of proof, vague claims, irrelevant claims, the lesser of two evils, and outright lies.
Perhaps you’re wondering how to spot greenwashing and the answer lies in this article. “It’s whitewashing, but with a green brush.”
Several large companies, such as Nestle, are guilty of greenwashing and have to pay the consequences, as evidenced in this excerpt. Look at what happened to Nestle when promoting its bottled water. This is an excerpt from the book Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green: Winning Strategies to Improve Your Profits and Your Planet by Jay Conrad Levinson and Shel Horowitz.
More examples of greenwashing can be found on this blog, which looks at McDonalds, Google, and others.

Now that you know what greenwashing is, my guess is that you’ll start recognizing it everywhere. I hope that you learned more about the concept and will be take a second look at how YOU are using green buzzwords. They’re fine to use as long as the claims you’re making are honest, not misleading, and supportive of genuinely environmentally friendly efforts. Happy Earth Day!