Where’s Captain Kirk?
Howard Lake | 18 July 2011 | Blogs
In our office there is much ongoing discussion about digital and associated fundraising activities. It was these discussions, and a bit of research into the wider world of online fundraising, that prompted my colleague, Barry Floyd, to write this article. I thought it very appropriate to offer it as a guest post on this blog.
Enjoy!
WHERE’S CAPTAIN KIRK?
‘Cyber-space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of my charity. Our ongoing mission: to explore strange new recesses of the world wide web, to seek out new supporters and new fundraising opportunities, to boldly go where no charity has gone before.’
I was never a huge fan of Star Trek. As a kid, I used to watch William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy do their thing. But, looking back on it, the whole thing seems a bit daft now.
I mean, the Starship Enterprise is a really decent spaceship, right? And the crew were always top quality people? So why is it then that none of them ever took Captain Kirk to one side and say ‘Listen James, what’s the plan? You’ve got some great resources here but we’re just bouncing around from planet to planet. Nobody we meet really seems to like us. Oh, and by the way, you don’t appear to have any strategy whatsoever.’
Yes, it’s all very silly. But many charities seem to have adopted the Captain James Kirk ‘aimless’ approach to their digital marketing. Build a website, make sure the web-journey is a pleasurable experience with as few clicks as possible and so on. Great.
Well, cyberspace is a big place. Your shiny new, all-singing, all dancing website will become an expensive piece of cyber-space-junk if you can’t drive the right people to it. A bit like building a John Lewis in Antarctica.
You’re still going to need a solid fundraising proposition. You’re still going to need to know what sort of people you’re aiming to attract. You’re still going to need a good idea of where you’re going to advertise your charity to attract those people. And you’re still going to need to spend money to attract them.
You’ve got to ask yourself, what’s the point in exploring the final frontier when there are still friends to be found in the known universes of marketing? Wouldn’t it be more sensible to continue to find friends in the ‘old’ marketing universes while we explore the opportunities that cyberspace holds?
It’s little wonder that digital media still isn’t meeting the fundraising expectations of most charities. I’m sure it’s doing well for the likes of the larger charities. Why? Because their digital marketing teams have a … wait for it … yes, a fully integrated, fully functioning marketing strategy. Very few of the household names have abandoned ‘the old marketing ways’.
They have simply adapted and woven their digital marketing into traditional marketing mechanisms.
By integrating their digital marketing with traditional methods they have maximised their opportunities of finding new friends. Why? Because digital media alone won’t allow you to meet your fundraising targets, particularly while spending next to nothing.
Contrary to what a few new media experts are shouting (really loudly) from the rooftops, traditional direct marketing methods are not in their death throes. Direct mail, press ads, inserts and the like are still producing new supporters for many charities. And those new supporters are still converting to regular giving.
So, when you’re thinking about your digital media strategy, think about how you’re going to reach the audiences that you’d like to attract to your website.
One way or another you’re going to have to spend money on marketing. So, rather than put all your eggs in one basket (or shopping cart, if you like) consider a more ‘rounded’ approach to your strategy. Using direct mail and press advertising alongside face-to-face, telemarketing and digital really is okay.
Remember, cyberspace may be the final frontier but it isn’t the only frontier. We are still finding friends in the places we always have done. Cyberspace is vast and there are many, many different kinds of people out there. And, just like in the old days, you’ll still need to go looking for most of them.
Develop a strategy. Develop an integrated marketing strategy. And don’t be Captain Kirk and only explore the unknown. There may be an El Dorado in cyberspace but chances are, for now at least, you’ll find more rewards by using your digital marketing alongside traditional methods.
Live long and prosper!
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.