An Army of Words

Are you like me? I can’t help myself. Like you, I get a lot of digital and mailbox noise.

When a message arrives, I won’t spend much time searching for the point. If I am forced to buy a verb to figure out what’s going on, it’s over.

Did you know that the average US household scored 454 pieces of direct mail and 94 pieces of non-profit mail last year. Add an exponent on these numbers for digital. Still, surveys confirm a 91% open rate for physical mail. So, how do you make your message cut through the clutter?

To write for causes, channel the master of brevity. Ask, “How would Hemingway tell this story?” He got to the point by

• making the main thing the main thing,
• using active voice and personal pronouns,
• keeping it simple, and
• knowing that, more doesn’t mean better.

Don’t forget, 73% of Americans report that they prefer being contacted by charities by mail. They can read it, if and when, they want.

Have a story to tell??Let’s gather your people. Review your purpose. Let’s plan.

#nonprofits #developmentandfundraising

#communications