Move #7 in a series of “9 Best Moves” to achieve development goals and maximize fundraising success.
There are new ways of playing the game, and we have to be open to exploring and prototyping, testing and even failing with some plays so we can ultimately win. And to be clear, not everything has changed — the core principles of good marketing and fundraising still apply.
Test often, and focus on tests that will create the biggest wins.
In today’s digital world, we can test quickly and fail cheaply. We can test messaging and design, and immediately roll out the winning creative with little additional expense. It’s easy and full of potential to “raise our score.”
In one recent campaign for a major client, we tested three different subject lines for an important campaign email:
Open Rate:
|
Subject |
Relative difference |
|
Here’s why this is no time to relax |
(Control) |
|
Once again: As blunt as we’ve ever been |
18.35% |
|
Complete honesty: I need your help |
14.19% |
Clickthrough Rate:
|
Subject |
Relative difference |
|
Here’s why this is no time to relax |
(Control) |
|
Once again: As blunt as we’ve ever been |
49.24% |
|
Complete honesty: I need your help |
31.93% |
All three looked good to the client and our creative team. But the one with the most unusual slant and word choice (Once again: As blunt as we’ve ever been) was the clear winner in open rate (18.35% to 14.19%) and performed nearly 50% better in click-through rate (49.24% to 31.93%).
Had we not tested, we would have left significant income on the table. The winning subject line performed nearly 50 percent better than the first subject line. And the best part of this is that, within two days, we were able to roll out these results to a majority of the file, putting the test into action and driving immediate revenue because of it.
Play with boldness and agility.
Digital makes it possible to be bold and agile in your communication without “betting the farm” on any one decision. You can watch real-time results and make revisions and refinements on the spot. It’s almost never too late to make something better and more effective.
You can also try approaches you’ve never considered before. Test a brand new offer. Evaluate price points. Try a homepage overlay and track results by the minute. And do all of this testing for a relatively low cost. Never before has it been so affordable to fail. The key is to learn from failed plays and move forward with a winning game plan.
Track what others are doing. Build on their wins.
When you work with a marketing agency like Masterworks, you benefit not just from your own testing. We consider the best learnings from across more than 30 clients. And while different audiences sometimes respond in different ways, our testing regimen is monitored for everyone’s benefit. New ideas are shared. Old assumptions are retested and either affirmed or revised.
The digital ‘frontier’ is vast and there is still so much to explore and figure out. But that’s what makes being in the game so exciting. That’s also why we love partnering with our clients to work together as we embrace the future of nonprofit marketing.
Check back next week to learn about Best Move #8: Weave a terrific tale. Or enter your email address above to get updates delivered directly to your inbox.
Read: Best Move #6: Become an “early adaptor” to the latest in technology innovation.