Thursday, October 3, 2013

Mobile Text Donors Want to Give Even More

Most donors who give via text message would like to make larger gifts using their mobile phones, according to a new mobile donor survey reported in The Chronicle of Philanthropy. Of the more than 20,000 text-message donors in a survey sponsored by the mGive Foundation, charitable arm of a mobile fundraising firm, 85% said they would be willing to give $25 to $50 via text. Mobile contributions are currently limited to $10 each. The generosity of the mobile-giving crowd can be tapped to a greater extent by other methods as well, the survey shows. For example, the survey found that people who make donations via text message also give using other methods at the same time, with online giving top-ranked as the preferred donation method, followed by special events and then text messages. Roughly 85% said that making a small gift via text message would not make them less likely to make a larger donation through another method, such as online or direct mail. For more details from the survey, see the article at http://philanthropy.com/article/Donors-Who-Give-by-Text-Want/140521/

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Catalogs, Direct Mail Attract More E-commerce Fans

E-commerce companies are embracing the marketing power of print catalogs and traditional direct mail in growing numbers these days, according to a recent post on The Huffington Post's business blog. The article by marketing agency execs reports that small, mid-size and premium digital brands are turning to high-impact direct-mail pieces--from full-size catalogs to postcards--as effective acquisition and retention tools. For example, a print catalog can deliver a potent one-two punch strategy via a high-response mail contact followed by cost-effective online order fulfillment, the post argues, which is why the brand roster of direct-mail converts now includes e-commerce heavy hitters like Amazon, eBay, Shutterfly, Zappos, Art.com, JustFab, Snapfish, One King's Lane, Modcloth and Minted. Building incremental sales with direct mail can be challenging in a multi-channel marketing and sales environment, forcing better analytics and systems for database targeting, response tracking and ROI allocation. But, for those e-commerce fans who aren't convinced it's worth the effort, the post shares the attractive math of a typical catalog test campaign in terms of ROI and costs. Check it out at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andy-ostroy/why-ecommerce-companies-a_b_3983952.html