Applying the Hot Trends in Nonprofit Marketing to Your Planned Giving Newsletters Presented by Kivi Leroux Miller 16 th Annual Planned Giving Days

About Me

Enough Me, How About You? Everyone Stand Up! Flickr: Zen

Everyone

Stand

Up!

Planned Giving Newsletters Are Often Too . . .

Planned Giving Newsletters Are Often Too . . . Technical Boring Morbid

Technical

Boring

Morbid

Planned Giving Newsletters Should Be . . .

Planned Giving Newsletters Should Be . . . Inspiring Motivating Life-Affirming

Inspiring

Motivating

Life-Affirming

So What Can You Do About It?

Take Advantage of Three Trends

Trend #1 I Am Donor, Hear Me Roar!

I Am Donor, Hear Me Roar!

Philanthropy is Personal Let me out of here!

What This Means It’s all about them, not you!

It’s all about them, not you!

What This Means Stock articles won’t cut it. Flickr: Krypto

Stock articles won’t cut it.

What This Means

Trend #2 Facts We Forget, Stories We Remember

Facts We Forget, Stories We Remember

Stories Work Because . . . They are sticky. Flickr: roboppy

People Hear AND See Good Stories “ Stories provide simulation (knowledge about how to act) and inspiration (motivation to act).” – Chip Heath and Dan Heath in Made to Stick

“ Stories provide simulation (knowledge about how to act) and inspiration (motivation to act).”

– Chip Heath and Dan Heath in Made to Stick

What This Means You need to become a half-way decent storyteller. Flickr: Zoomar

You need to become a half-way decent storyteller.

Stories rush by you everyday. Take the time to capture them.

Three Classic Stories The Challenge Plot The Creativity Plot The Connection Plot Mixing and matching is fine!

The Challenge Plot

The Creativity Plot

The Connection Plot

1. The Challenge Plot Classic underdog, rags to riches, against all odds, bootstrap stories Inspires action, confidence; appeals to our courage and strength Flickr: barriebarrie

Classic underdog, rags to riches, against all odds, bootstrap stories

Inspires action, confidence; appeals to our courage and strength

Act I: Introduces the character, his situation, and his goal.

Introduces the character, his situation, and his goal.

Act II: Character faces obstacles. Tension mounts.

Character faces obstacles. Tension mounts.

Act III: Action peaks. Character triumphs, gets payoff.

Action peaks. Character triumphs, gets payoff.

So Who Is This Guy in Your Planned Giving Newsletter Stories?

Writing the Challenge Plot Characters at a particular time and place Their goals or desires Barriers that they must overcome How they get beyond those barriers Payoffs or triumphs Here’s What You Need

Characters at a particular time and place

Their goals or desires

Barriers that they must overcome

How they get beyond those barriers

Payoffs or triumphs

2. The Creativity Plot Aha! moments, breakthroughs, “what if” stories that work out Inspires us to take a chance, experiment, support a new approach Flickr: Thomas Hawk

Aha! moments, breakthroughs, “what if” stories that work out

Inspires us to take a chance, experiment, support a new approach

Writing the Creativity Plot A well-understood problem A standard response that just doesn’t work A new approach (test runs or theories OK) Vision of a new reality Here’s What You Need:

A well-understood problem

A standard response that just doesn’t work

A new approach (test runs or theories OK)

Vision of a new reality

3. The Connection Plot Bridging the gap, we are one, there but for the grace of God go I, big meaning in a small event stories Inspires compassion, understanding, love, cooperation Flickr: pondspider

Bridging the gap, we are one, there but for the grace of God go I, big meaning in a small event stories

Inspires compassion, understanding, love, cooperation

Writing the Connection Plot A small, specific situation or event A connection to a greater, universal human experience A surprise, discovery, or epiphany Connections within the story and with the reader’s heart/soul Here’s What You Need:

A small, specific situation or event

A connection to a greater, universal human experience

A surprise, discovery, or epiphany

Connections within the story and with the reader’s heart/soul

Trend #3 Feeding the Snack-Size Culture

Feeding the Snack-Size Culture

Make it quick, will you? Short attention spans, ADHD, information overload, blah, blah, blah, blah, Flickr: Sarah Mae

What This Means Cut your text way back.

Cut your text way back.

What This Means Make everything scannable.

Make everything scannable.

What This Means Give people options.

Give people options.

BEFORE Technical Boring Morbid Inspiring Motivating Life Affirming AFTER Make It All About Them Tell Great Stories Keep It Snack Size

Technical

Boring

Morbid

Inspiring

Motivating

Life Affirming

You’ll find a copy of this presentation and additional resources at NonprofitMarketingGuide.com/pgdays