Are weak headlines holding your fundraising back?
File under: A vital tactic too few fundraisers know
Donor newsletters can sharply increase giving. Your success hinges on just one skill...
Can you write an OK headline?
What does your donor newsletter (digital or print) have in common with CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and other internationally-trusted news outlets?
They all succeed because their headlines are OK. They don't have to be great. But they need to be OK.
Let's look at an example from the non-profit world.
Here's a recent e-news headline from the Berkshire Natural Resources Council (if "page not found" pops up, no worries: simply click on the BNRC logo to go to their new home page; sorry, I'm having temporary issues with my system).
Once again, here's that e-news headline....
Available to watch: LEARN! Nibbling on Native Plants in Your Back Yard and Beyond
Is THIS an OK headline?
Absolutely, I'd say ... given the target audience (people who've signed up for the Berkshire Natural Resources Council's free and informative e-news).
This headline appeared atop an ultra-short item (about 45 words). The Berkshire Natural Resources Council (BNRC) is one of my favorite charities on (and about) earth. I've stomped their trails. Here are some of their most popular hikes.
The short article beneath this functional headline promoted a BNRC-produced recording by Russ Cohen, expert forager and author of Wild Plants I Have Known … and Eaten. (Sustenance isn't just for grocery stores. In the fall I eat mushrooms from my land ... after my family doctor taught me how to infallibly identify a safe local species.)
One more time, the e-news headline under discussion:
Available to watch: LEARN! Nibbling on Native Plants in Your Back Yard and Beyond
And one more time: Is this an OK, well-functioning headline?
YES! And here's why I think so...
It gives the reader something easy to do next. ("Watch.")
It has a hook (i.e., mentions something surprising): "Nibbling on Native Plants in Your Own Back Yard."
It's identity-based. ("LEARN!" ... since curiosity about nature is probably a core value for typical BNRC donors: hikers, bird-watchers, nature-lovers, those with homes in this gorgeous, complex, swarming countryside....)
It's local. (Given the looming threat of climate change, we CHERISH our NATIVE plants. When you nibble native plants, you bond with your local natural world ... and say NO to invasives.)
It's personal. It uses the all-important word "you" to establish an immediate connection with the reader.
In other words: for the right readers, this BNRC headline would be just the ticket ... and maybe they'd click through (i.e., get more deeply involved). And even if most DON'T click through, this headline will likely leave a positive impression of BNRC.
I call that:
Winning the 3-second test
Every headline you write dearly hopes to win the 3-second test.
Those first 3 seconds when my eye encounters your headline comprise a tiny arena where you WILL fight for my antsy attention span. There's useful neuroscience at play behind your headline's little fight: human brains can — often do — make decisions breathtakingly fast. (In the case of this particular BNRC headline, the "made in a few seconds" decision might be: Should I click through to the video?)
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A headline checklist, next time you craft one
Here's a short list of things I consider when I'm trying to write a functional, OK headline for a donor-newsletter, digital or print. The list is in no special order:
Where's the word "you"? (One of the top 3 "power & persuasion" words in the English language.)
Does the headline (or deck, pull quote, eyebrow) celebrate those few humans who overcame their built-in inertia and took the time to make a gift?
Does it take me, the reader, on an adventure?
Does my headline (or eyebrow or deck or pull quote) talk about something new ... something that would surprise or delight the reader? (It's a NEWS-letter, after all.)
Is this headline (or eyebrow or deck or pull quote) about ME, the donor; about MY interests; about MY identity?
Is this headline (or eyebrow or pull quote or deck) about our suffering, resilient, tenacious fellow souls? Did some at least get help in time? What was the problem? Was that problem solved in part by philanthropy (love)? Would ASAP more philanthropy (love) do even more? In summary, did my gift (combined with all the others) do ANY real good?
Here endeth the lesson. {Skip the ad that comes before the movie clip. Watch 'til to the end.}
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Dear Reader: This is an excerpt from Tom Ahern’s e-newsletter. Did you miss crucial back issues of this how-to e-news? Immediately available! Just GO here. (And scroll down just a bit to sign up for Tom’s revenue-boosting tips and insights. In your inbox regularly. It’s free.)