Simple campaigns your charity needs to automate

Charity campaigns are all about the audience. With a wide variety of stakeholders to address, charities must find ways to convey the right message to the right audience at the right time to make their communications the most effective with the limited time available to them.  

To do this requires a unique understanding of your supporters and what stage they are at in the supporter journey. Supporters in the discovery phase, having landed on a charity’s website after searching something related to their cause, will want to know different information than the seasoned donors who have given to organisations regularly across many years. Charities must be able to tailor their campaigns accordingly to address everyone’s needs, engaging their supporters at a time when they are most receptive to hearing about their mission.  

But with so many people to reach, getting communications right can be time consuming. This is where automation comes in handy. Automation allows charities to reach supporters and tailor communications simply without compromising on the authenticity and power of the message they want to send. With tailored communications, charities can increase donations and build a loyal supporter base of true advocates for their cause; automation makes it easier.  

Marketing automation experts RedEye have compiled an essential list of marketing automation journeys that charities need to implement “to nurture relationships, increase donations, and create engagement for fundraisers”.  

Below, we explore the top three marketing automation journeys RedEye recommend to save charities time and boost their marketing efforts.  

Check out the full list

1. The welcome series 

The welcome series are the first messages sent to new and prospective donors when they are first engaging with a charity’s cause. They are particularly important as they form a person’s first impression of an organisation, helping them to determine whether they will invest their money in the mission. Research from the Charity Commission indicates that donors are more loyal to causes than specific charities so making your charity stand out from the off is crucial.  

RedEye suggests that the series can be automated after registering for an event or signing up for a newsletter and should aim to “give [supporters] the full picture of what your organisation does, your mission and impact, and any information on how they can get involved and support.”

2. The donation acknowledgement 

The thank you email sent after a donation is a powerful tool for charities, allowing them to communicate the impact of the money given and acknowledge the contribution of their supporters. These emails should be sent automatically after the donation has taken place, setting supporters off on the next stage of the donor journey. 

“First off thank them for their contribution and any other formalities such as receipts, but then also flood them with content,” says RedEye. “How will their donation make a difference and following emails with updates as the project progresses. Dynamic content may also be added on how they can share this information on their social media channels to turn them into true advocates.”

3. The abandonment campaign