Avoid These Personalization Pitfalls

Go Beyond Fundraising: The Podcast for Nonprofits

Non-profit communicators know that personalization is more important than ever. But given our tech-enabled reality, personalization is evolving. How can you leverage data to create highly relevant and customized content for your audience? That's what we’ll explore in this podcast with two experts from Pursuant: Jennifer Bielat, Executive Vice President of Client Strategy, and Dom Spinosa, Chief Creative Officer. Not too long ago, personalization was limited to the salutation in your letter or email. Today, technology has made it easier to personalize outreach, in both print and digital spaces. Advanced tech also drives data collection and gives fundraisers more nuanced insights about their donors. Emerging tech is also creating a variety of ways to reach your constituents, leading to an authentic omnichannel experience. Consumers flow from one communication channel to another throughout their day, giving you multiple opportunities to deliver your message. An email, a catalog, a text message, a Facebook post — they should all work together to align your mission with your constituents’ interests and drive them toward action. While this sounds like a can’t-lose situation for nonprofits, there are some pitfalls to avoid. Jennifer and Dom share these examples, based on their combined experience in the fundraising space: · Don’t confuse omnichannel with every channel. Use your data to prioritize the channels your constituents spend more time in and the ones they’re most likely to transact in. · Don’t over-personalize. You must be very selective in terms of what data you use. For instance, the donor expects to see their first-party data in your communications because they willingly gave it to you. However, third-party data calls for more restraint. · Don’t make assumptions about why they’re supporting you. Instead, send out a simple survey and ask what brought them to you. The donor will feel like their voice matters, and you’ll have additional insights to drive personalization. The goal is to show constituents you care about them and their support while also communicating how their gift is making a difference. It’s a fine line to walk, but when done well, personalization can help your donors feel like they’re part of your organization.