Sparking Ideas

TLC Pulse / 02.29.12

  • Blackbaud recently released their 2011 Online Giving Report. The report is quite detailed, so if you only have time for a quick summary, we recommend Netwits Think Tank’s infographic, which shows online donors give nearly twice as much as offline donors and they give more overtime.
  • Mashable rounded up the top ten non-profits on Pinterest. Has your organization started a Pinterest account yet? Here are a few ideas for potential boards related to your organization’s mission: places or people affected by your organization’s mission; articles or books related to; items in your gift shop; artwork in your permanent collection or an upcoming exhibit… endless possibilities!
  • While it’s geared toward the for-profit sector, KissMetrics compiled a useful list of 40 strategies to improve conversion rates. Among our favorites are use credit card logos and security seals to build trust, prompt visitors to register with your site after the conversion process is complete and test everything.

TLC Pulse / 02.16.12

  • The USPS will run another summer promotional campaign this year offering discounts for pieces that include a two-dimensional “QR” barcode, but the restrictions will be more refined to ensure that QR codes link to a mobile-optimized website offering information relevant to the mail component. The discount will likely be only 2% compared to last year’s discount of 3%.
  • Target Marketing reports that while stronger than expected holiday shipping activity brought in $2.8 billion in first quarter USPS revenue, continued declines in First-Class mail contributed to the overall net loss of $3.3 billion for the start of their fiscal year (October 1 – December 31).
  • Direct Marketing IQ shared some landing page best practices, the first being our favorite – don’t make your visitors think! Keep the design and copy of your landing page super simple so that there are zero distractions between your user and your main goal.
  • Social Media Examiner shares an important reminder in this article about using Facebook as an engagement tool by posting a call to action in your organization’s status updates rather than just news items. Get a conversation going by posing a question to fans, asking them to like or share something or inviting fans to sign up for updates or enter a contest.

TLC Pulse / 02.07.12

  • Fingers crossed – Direct Marketing News reports that the USPS board of governors will vote on Wednesday whether the USPS can once again offer a summertime promotion for direct mailers that use QR codes in their mailings. Last year’s promotion offered a 3% discount on qualifying Standard and First-Class mail letters, flats and cards.
  • The Chronicle of Philanthropy recently released its list of top 50 donors in 2011 and LA Times Culture Monster found that 12 of the 50 donors gave $213.4 million to arts and cultural organizations.
  • Although it’s geared toward for-profits, we loved this case study by KissMetrics about how Netflix determines the Lifetime Value of their customers in order to maximize revenue. Our favorite key takeaway is one we always preach ourselves – remember that it can be worthwhile to lose a bit of money in the short run, if you make it up and then some long-term.
The Latest
Tags
Archives
Share