What Response Ratescan Can you Expect in Direct Mail Fundraising?

Author: vicque fassinger
Category: Go home.

by: Jennifer Smith

Your individual response rate for direct mail will vary depending on the type of recipient you are trying to reach. Acquiring new donors or customers will net between 1% to 2.5% responses. For existing contacts, you can expect anywhere from 5% to 30% response rate. The key is how to boost your response rates within this range. Below is a list of tips designed to help you run an effective direct mail campaign.

Consistency.

The buzz word is branding. No matter which type of donor you are trying to reach, recognition is the goal. With a monthly direct mail campaign, brand recognition is the goal. You want the recipients of your mailings to recognize the look of your information. The golden arches are instantly recognizable. They don’t change their logo with every ad campaign. This may seem obvious, but many organizations fail to see the value of this consistency.

How does this increase response rate? When your brand is recognized, the number of people your campaign connects with increases. Donors start noticing your mailers through familiarity. This will start to push your return rate from 1% to 2.5%. This may not seem like an incredible jump, but consider 1000 mailings netting 10 responses, with consistency it will grow to 25 responses for 1000 mailings. Your return rate is still within the industry standards but you are able to maximize your efforts.

Timing.

When is your season? You already know when your fundraising peaks. How are you planning for it? Expecting a maximum response rate because it is the “season” isn’t enough. What you do in the down time will make the difference. Sending your mailings in the lean times will help you maximize your return. During the slower periods, marketing efforts may seem fruitless but when your season is rolling it will increase your already high responses.

Consider a local amusement park. Unless they are in Florida or Southern California, their window of operation is 3 to 4 months. In just over a quarter of the year they need to bring in enough revenue to cover expenses for the entire year. Commercials begin running in January and February so they can maximize day one of their season. They want people thinking about their parks in January and February when vacations are planned. Your direct mail marketing works the same way. It’s about the timing of your campaign.

Partnerships.

Who is your marketing partner? The partner you choose for your direct mail campaign will have tools to increase your fundraising efforts. They will be able to help your campaign strategy and your relationship will impact both businesses. They have an investment in your success. The data acquired from your marketing will help them develop better tools and help your current and future direct mail campaigns.

Purchasing a service from your chosen partner is scratching the surface of this relationship. It is important that you understand how direct mail can meet your goals. The data that the partner has collected will be able to frame the projected response rate for you. Once it has been framed for you, the goal of increasing responses can be reached.

Where does a direct mail campaign fit into your marketing strategy? The above tips will help you fit a campaign into your organization’s plan. Knowing what response rates to expect will help you evaluate and strengthen your efforts. You know you need to employ this into your strategy, however, not understanding the power of direct mail, it can feel a little like throwing a bottle with a note into the sea and hoping it finds someone.

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