Recently I received a newsletter from
Charity Dynamics, and I’d like to pass along this helpful information on to you:
Boost your 2010 Event results anywhere from 2% to 50% with a robust campaign to recruit past participants; increase engagement; and lift retention of this year’s participants with eight essential steps.
1. Early and Often
Reach out four to six months in advance of your event to recruit last year’s participants. This gives you time for message repetition and coaching hints to get your participants motivated, and gives your participants time to be successful. Your communication schedule usually wraps up about two weeks after the event with acknowledgements and pledge reminders.
2. Welcome Series
Compose a series of welcome emails that walk your new participants through natural steps and questions a new participant experiences. Rely on previous participant behavior to guide the messages and timing.
3. It’s About Them, So Personalize
Coaching messages should utilize personalized conditional content for survivors, team leaders,team members, and based on fundraising behavior, i.e. % of goal reached, updating of personal page, and number of emails sent. Otherwise you run the risk that your email communication just shows up as another email blast.
4. Peer to Peer Sharing
Coaching messages should include a fundraising tip and "Why I Participate" quotes from actual participants. This helps to remind participants of both the mission and that they are part of something much larger.
5. Look, Feel, and Urgency
The visual design of the coaching emails should reinforce the mission of your event and maintain a consistent look and feel to increase the open rate. Subject lines are where you create urgency for the action recommended in each coaching email. Emails should be short, sweet, and easy to read right away.
6. Bonus Nugget
Include an inspiring quote, a “Did You Know” or an important factoid as an extra bonus for opening and reading your email. Make the nugget something your participant can use to start a conversation or pass onto a friend.
7. Reward Feedback
Who knows the most about effectively coaching participants? Participants. Yes, data, such as open rates and fundraising activity will show you what works, but always create a highly visible way for participants to give you instant feedback , i.e., an “Idea Button” that sends an email directly to your team. And, remember to include a key question or two about coaching in your post-event survey.
8. Participant Support
Participants, particularly new participants, perform better when they have a support line to call or email—at the moment they need support. Offer your participants a live and fast response when they have coaching, technology, fundraising, or event questions. This relatively small investment pays dividends in two ways:
- Your participant is more effective this year; and
- With a good experience this year, he or she is more likely to be a participant next year and beyond.
