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Creating a Successful ePhilanthropy Strategy
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Colleges and universities are embracing ePhilanthropy strategies to increase alumni communications while reducing donor acquisition and marketing costs. Online marketing is a fast, cheap and effective way to supplement existing communications.
Just as current postal addresses are essential to mail your alumni, current permission-based eMail addresses are needed to deliver your message online. Even if your database currently contains a small percentage of your alumni’s eMail addresses, don’t despair.
Our clients have enjoyed numerous benefits from eMail marketing including touching their best supporters more often. As online communications entails no printing or postage, it is not only faster but also reduces donor acquisition and marketing costs. We recommend our clients deploy eMail to their lowest responding segments to minimize acquisition costs to those segments. Finally, eMarketing is measurable and our clients rapidly know when their eMails are opened and who responds to their call to action.
Here is our recommendation for a short and long-term eMail Acquisition Strategy:
Short-term eMail Acquisition Strategy:
- Contact HEP Development to inquire about their eFind Service
- Investigate appending permission-based eMail addresses of your alumni (to own)
- Service delivered over a secure FTP server and processed in a single location
- Proprietary match logic finds your alumni eMail address
- 75 million record eMail Append Database
- Contract with HEP to own your alumni eMail Addresses
- Customize a Welcome Letter to broadcast to your new alumni eMail addresses
- Confirm deliverability and welcomes them to your online messaging
- Allows alumni to opt-out if they prefer not to communicate via eMail
- Removes bounces and opt-outs from your list
- Receive via secure FTP your net deliverable incremental eMail Addresses
- Typical match rates are 20-35% of your input file
Long-term eMail Acquisition Strategy:
- Gather alumni eMail addresses on your web sites
- Request eMail addresses with every direct mail piece
- Train phonathon staff to update eMail addresses on each call
- Thank you for your pledge Ms. Smith, can we please have your eMail
address so I can send you a copy of our most recent eNewsletter?
- Communicate special eMail benefits (e-newsletters, pledge confirmations,
etc)
- Ask alumni to forward eNewsletters to classmates (so they can opt-in
themselves)
Successful ePhilanthropy strategies will become an integral part of your overall plan. Online marketing will augment your existing communications and elevate the performance of your current tactics.
For more information, please send us an e-mail or call 800-681-4438.
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