There’s a crumpled piece of paper on my desk. It’s a
handwritten note my mentor authored about 25 years ago. He sent in response to
either a marketing or fundraising appeal I had asked him to proof. I obviously had not hit the mark, so he scribbled
this template for me to follow:
“Hello. I want to tell
you something. It is about you or something you care about. It won’t take long
and there is a prize at the end.”
Marketing and fundraising techniques have advanced light
years over these ensuing two decades, yet my mentor’s fundamental principle of
effective engagement has stood the test of time.
While not handwritten, here are a few related copy engagement tips that
apply across channels--from presentations to fund development appeals.
Make me a promise.
Very early on, I need to believe that I’m going to get
something of value from listening to you or reading your message. Is your
TedTalk going to uncover secrets of the universe? Will your organization’s YouTube
fundraising video make me smile or inspire me to act? Show me upfront and I’ll
stay to the end.
Make me want to care.
I like stories. We all do. I much prefer you tell me a good
story rather than facts and figures. Go ahead and place key information within the
story, but put it in a context that I care about. Show some emotion. I’ll even
buy into a bit of tension. It keeps me awake and engaged.
Get to the point, and
make it a good one.
I may be listening, but I’m probably multi-tasking. This
doesn’t mean you need to beat me over the head with a painfully obvious
message. Quite the opposite. Tell me something fairly profound that will make
me stop and pay attention.
Start and end with a
clear theme.
A good speechwriter knows the importance of a relatable
theme. It keeps the messaging from straying too far from the target, engages
the audience and wraps it up in a way that educates, informs and inspires.
