Presentation that accompanies the paper "Storytelling and the Art of Email Writing" written by Colin Holtz and Steve Daigneault.
Download the paper at http://labs.mrss.com
6. For a national civil rights organization, the story version lost by 25% For an international aid organization, there was no statistical difference In countless other cases, story-based appeals have under-performed industry and client benchmarks
11. 1) Grab the reader’s attention Nesting season for sea turtles is always fraught with danger from threats like entanglement in fishing gear and habitat degradation. But this year, sea turtles must also face the fallout from the worst oil spill in history. Getting caught in fishing gear is bad enough. But this year, sea turtles faced a much more horrifying threat: Dirty, sticky oil from the worst spill in history.
12. 2) Replace statistics In the wake of devastating floods in Pakistan, hundreds of thousands of children are without food, unable to access emergency supplies without help from an adult. When you’re a starving child, it’s nearly impossible to fight through a crowd of adults. Right now in Pakistan, that’s the only ways to get food – so thousands of children are going hungry.
13. 3) Put a human face on work UNICEF provides water sanitation tablets to decrease the threat of waterborne illness and provide clean drinking water to thousands of children. When children are thirsty, it doesn’t matter if a river is clouded and polluted, they’ll drink from it. UNICEF’s simple solutions like clean water tablets make it easy for children to access clean water anywhere, anytime.
14. 4) Build your org’s credibility We are the nation’s longest-standing faith advocacy organization and have a Charity Navigator 4-Star Rating. When Glenn Beck puts you “on notice,” you know you must be doing something right…
16. Why do people give? “You’ll not only fund our work – you’ll know you changed a life” “Give today to become a member and get insider info and updates.” “We saved the savannah elephant . We can save the Asian elephant too.” “From Martha L., a grandmother in Tennessee to Jim T., a construction worker in Florida, Americans everywhere have already committed to our fight.” To be happy To feel important To be part of a success story Because everyone’s doing it
17. “ What if every week were an incredible week? A week when you felt meaning and purpose. A week when you knew you were literally changing the world for the better. That’s what it’s like for U.S. Fund for UNICEF’s monthly Pledge Donors. Every month, they support UNICEF’s programs with a modest amount. And in return, they can be confident that with less than a dollar a day, they’re saving innocent, vulnerable children from pain and suffering. ”
18. “ Will you sit back and let climate deniers and oil companies destroy this biologically rich, environmentally-fragile, crown jewel of our refuge system? ”
19. “ In the dead of the night last Thursday, the Wisconsin Assembly passed Gov. Walker’s disastrously anti-worker budget. The vote lasted mere seconds – and 28 pro-worker legislators never even had a chance to cast a vote. But it’s not over. That night, the halls of the State Capitol were still filled with protestors chanting “Hell no, we won’t go!” We’re not going anywhere either – because this fight is bigger than just Wisconsin. Governors in a handful of states are already planning their own Walker-like attacks on nurses, firefighters, teachers, and other critical employees. This fight belongs to all of us now, and we don’t have a second to lose. ”
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21. People give because doing so offers them a chance to write their own story – and join in a shared story.
22. From: Mary Bailey Subject: George needs your help Friend – My husband George has almost given up on life. He needs to realize there’s hope for the future. Can I count on you to donate $5 to help pay his debt? If everyone chips in a little, his money problems will be gone – and he’ll know just how loved he is. He’s on the bridge over the river this moment, so we don’t have any time to lose. Donate now. Make donors the hero
23. Recommendations Use stories to explain Make your supporter the hero of the lede Make supporters as a whole the heroes of the overall email
24. If you remember one thing: “Your organization is not the hero. The donor is thehero.”
35. Contact Us: Colin Holtz choltz@mrss.com Steve Daigneault sdaigneault@mrss.com Read more at: labs.mrss.com
Hinweis der Redaktion
And that’s where the “movement story” part of the email comes in. We’re not just giving them extra information. We’re showing the reader how they can write their own story.So why do people give? Here are 4 reasons.#1! According to a 2008 study published in the magazine Science, a three-part experiment found that people who spent money on others are happier than those who spent money on themselves.#2! Giving also makes people feel important. Consider that families living on incomes of 10,000 give away, on average, 4% of their income. Families earning ten times as much, only give away 1%.#3! People want to be successful, and they want to be part of success stories. We offer them an opportunity become part of a success story.#4! A Newsweek article called “The Science Behind our Generosity” reported that when we see others giving, we’re more likely to give.
So now we’ve talked about using stories in emails, and we’ve talked about how the email itself is a story.But we also want to talk about what makes emails a unique form of story.What makes emails unique is that they are interactive.They are not the great gatsby, they are choose your own adventure
Let me put this another way.Great email have a similar structure to great emails.Since we’re talking about end of year appeals, let’s use a holiday movie as an example.