Emerging Trends in Digital, Data, and Direct Mail

How will you prepare your organization for tomorrow’s direct response trends if they’re not on your radar today?

In our recent webinar, we looked into the future of fundraising with an engaging review of emerging trends across the industry.

Participants heard about the advanced tools available for organizations and ministries, including how to get a more complete view of their donor file and a practical view of making strategic decisions in an increasingly challenging fundraising environment.

Why Multi-Channel Matters

In a crowded message marketplace, no individual channel can stand on its own. Each channel—from direct mail to digital—has its own particular strengths and weakness, so a strategic plan combining channels produces significantly stronger results, particularly in crucial long-term donor value.

Emerging Trends: Direct Mail

Among the topics discussed were current findings in neuroscience supporting the ongoing success of direct mail in terms of both donor response and generosity.

We discussed the areas of the brain associated with thought, feeling, sensory and motor systems that are affected positively by touch.

Also of interest, new data concerning the personalization available with direct mail—customizable, affordable, and accessible—also indicates greater donor interaction.

Emerging Trends: Digital

In the digital sphere, evidence supports a direct connection between integration, site speed, and network growth. For example, 47% of consumers expect a page to load in two seconds or less, and 40% will abandon a website that takes more than three seconds to load!

Digital advertising is also seeing improvement in targeting capability, lowering the cost to acquire a donor. At the same time, real-time testing continues to improve, while emerging trends like 1 to 1 messaging (text, chat, messenger), livestreaming, new social networks, and virtual or augmented reality platforms bear close examination.

Emerging Trends: Data

Across the expansive scope of data analysis and implementation, we’re seeing new analytical tools, greater accessibility (for now!) and a downturn in traditional methods of employing data.

Another interesting growth trend is the use of data cooperatives to lower your direct cost, provide free model building, find new pools of potential donors, and improved lapsed donor scoring.

Pitfalls

And while you plan your move forward with your multi-channel fundraising, areas of concern are pitfalls with Artificial Intelligence, deliverability issues, and the constantly changing landscape—right up to and including concerns about compliance.

And since it’s all about results both in your organization’s mission and your fundraising, contact Douglas Shaw & Associates about building a custom fundraising solution that engages your donors—and fits your organization.