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Everybody wants our
money. Your church, local charities, even your barista wants a
little something extra in the tip jar. Narrow down the list to
those who you actually really want to give your money to and
there will still be more hands than dollars.
It's the same for
every one of your listeners. So how do you spring your station
to the top of your listeners giving list? Maybe that's the
wrong question.
The real question
we should be asking is, "How do we increase our listeners desire to
support us?"
Every logical
decision begins with an emotional motivation; If we do (X) then we
will look better, appear smarter, seem nicer, etc. It's no
different with giving to a ministry like Christian Radio. Our job
is to take a tangible need, your financial goal, and present it in a
way that it comes to life in the ear of the listener so they can't
help but want to be a part of it.
In this three part
series, I'm going to unwrap some ways to do just that. But first,
we start at the beginning.
Set the Stage
Ever notice how the
title of an upcoming movie can make you see it just as much as the
thumping music and action packed trailer? When we see a title
that's lame or overused we tend to assume that the movie will follow
suit.
Think of your pledge
drive in the same way. What does "the (insert year here) (followed
by call letters) share-a-thon" really say? "We want your
money...again."
Now consider who you
are, what makes you special in your community, and the kinds of
things people say about you over and over.
These are the things
people give to. Create a title for your giving campaign that lets
them know they have an opportunity to invest in what they already
love.
Tell Your Story
For years, the go-to
way of soliciting funds was a "you'd better or else" mentality.
The starving children will die. Jerry's kids will be left to fend
for themselves. A ministry will close up shop for good…this time.
Fear-based story telling was an effective fundraising tactic for a
time, but not anymore.
It is crucial to
tell the story of why you're asking for money but not so you can
unwrap a threat. Sharing the story of your need, your history
and your plans for the future invites the listener to feel like they
know you and establishes your track record. And we're all more
comfortable giving to those we know and trust.
Have three of
your top tier people write a couple of paragraphs
about who they think you are, why your station is important and what
they see for your future.
Compare them and
look for common threads.
Take into consideration the buzzwords people tend to use when they
talk about your station and you can quickly narrow down a concise
list of phrases and keywords you can use as benchmarks in your
donation copy campaign.
Next time I'll
layout a few ideas for spreading out those gems in the most
effective ways.
Kim Snyder has
written. produced and voiced extensive pledge drive copy for the
K-LOVE and Air1 Radio Networks, and donation appeals for Samaritan
Purse, World Vision and many other donation based ministries.
Formally heard on the Air1 and KLOVE Radio Network's at EMF
Broadcasting, she has written, produced and voiced thousands of
pieces for nearly 500 stations and major network clients. Her voice
talent credits include Sprint, Hallmark, the NFL, Christian Dior and
Disney.
Kim Snyder
Media, provides imaging, tracking, voiceovers and
production services for radio and multimedia.
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