In her continuing series, we welcome special guest, Stelter Editorial Director, Katie Parker.
I have proof that marketing works.
I’m wearing it.
I bought AllBirds shoes—pricey, but incredibly comfortable—after a seven-month buying decision. What did they have to do to convince me?:
- Deliver me targeted Instagram ads on repeat.
- Watch me put a grey pair in my cart and then leave.
- Remind me that I had a grey pair in my cart.
- Turn my boss into an advocate who wore her AllBirds to work one day.
- Serve me more targeted Instagram ads.
I consistently saw the grey pair I wanted displayed in the same setting with the same price. Over seven months they served me (the right buyer) impactful content (the right message) and eventually found the calendar tipping point (the right time).
Are you as patient as AllBirds with your marketing? Here’s a simple way to think about fundraising from the fundraiser’s perspective: Get bored.
What does “boredom” sound like for planned giving fundraisers?
- You have a laser-focused elevator pitch on your brand’s mission that you can do by memory.
- You keep using your control package until your control package stops winning.
- You rerun bequest language across your messaging. (Related: You present the idea of a gift in a will with every broad appeal since nine out of 10 legacy gifts will come from this source.)
- You repurpose the same impactful story on all your marketing channels.
My favorite example from a client was a $75,000 CGA gift from a donor who received messaging for three years before committing. They were the right person getting the right message and the donor decided when it was the right time.
With AllBirds, they didn’t change their marketing tone or core messaging; they were simply persistent. They may have been bored on their end, but my behavior told them that I was interested…I was just going to dictate my own timeline to lace up.
Do you have a personal example of marketing that just needed to find you at the right time?