Show Me You Know Me: Postcard Edition
I love a good piece of snail mail.
With so much vying for our attention, sharing your message with your people in multiple digital and print ways is crucial.
But recently, I got two postcards that made me cringe.
The first was from an organization of which I'm already a member, asking me to become a member.
The second was from an organization to which I had made an online donation, thanking me for my in-kind donation.
It even had blanks for me to fill in to list the items and their value. AND, it had a handwritten note thanking me.
I always say that the golden rule of communication is "show me you know me" with your audience in mind.
Everyone wants to feel seen and heard for who they are.
In these cases, the time, funds, and energy put into writing, designing, and mailing each of these postcards really backfired.
Instead of bringing me closer to each of their missions, I felt unseen, unappreciated, and more distant.
And here I was thinking we had something special...
This is not what you want for successful awareness-raising or fundraising.
I know segmenting your lists can be a challenge for several reasons.
And I know there are never enough hours in the day.
But if you're going to take the time to send the postcard, it's well worth your time to make sure you're sending it to the people who actually need to see it—and not hurting your relationships by sending it to those who don't.
Just remember, show me you know me.
After a decade as an in-house nonprofit marketer, Jordana Merkin founded Voice for Good to bring her insider knowledge and outsider perspective to help growing nonprofits like yours clarify their messaging to raise awareness and funds for their missions.
Her work with nonprofits includes messaging guides, communication strategy, and copywriting. (Learn more here!)
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