Many organizations have started pulling back on their marketing efforts, but now is the time to stay the course — or increase your marketing budget. Your organization should refine your message and devote more budget to advertising, especially through direct mail. During a down economy, people set stricter priorities and reduce their spending habits, but troubled times often lead people to want to give more.
Organizations often slash their marketing expenditures across the board in times like these, but such indiscriminate cost-cutting is a mistake. Although it’s wise for you to contain costs, failing to support your brand or examine core members changing needs can jeopardize performance over the long term. Focus on changing up your message to suit the change in times, then market with direct mail to that effect.
People Want to Stay Involved
Even during a down economy, people are likely to want to stay involved, even if it’s from a social distance. Non-profits directly improve the lives of many individuals. There are many people in need right now, and many of your members or prospects are eager to help financially if they can.
It’s crucial your organization reaches out to all members and prospects to see how they are and if they would like to be involved. Don’t assume that all marketing and outreach must stop during a down economy. You should continue communicating with your membership base but adjust your products and services to meet the current needs of your members.
Easy Outreach and Exposure
With millions more people at home right now, it’s much easier for you to get direct maile seen by your current and prospective members. Many people are in a lockdown mode, and when the mail arrives, they instantly gravitate toward reading the content. You can grab the attention of recipients much easier because people are longing for communication.
Also, many other organizations and businesses are not sending direct mail right now, so the amount of mail in someone’s post is more limited than usual. Less competition in the market right now means it’s much easier to get your message through to prospects and members, especially if your messaging addresses their immediate concerns.
Personalization and Geo-Targeting
Non-profits can effectively target individuals with personalization and geo-targeting techniques. You can pinpoint people who are likely to respond during troubling times, especially by using the right messaging. With geo-targeting, you can target your audience based on their geography or location. You can narrow down the location based on many identifiers, including state, city, zip code, or IP address.
The ability to segment down to more granular levels allows you to get very specific in terms of key motivation and desires of your targeted population and then craft content that resonates with them.
Personalization is always essential in direct mail, but it’s even more critical during a down economy. People decide in a matter of seconds whether or not they like your marketing message. You need to provide relevant content to your reader because if you miss the mark, you may lose someone permanently.
Many of your members and prospects find themselves in a difficult position right now. Remaining sensitive to the situation and economy is crucial. But you still have the opportunity to tailor messages and offers to people based on their previous behaviors and interactions with your organization. Use personalization to build a secure connection between you and your members. The bond you form now may establish lifelong members who remember your role during this difficult time.
Marketing with Valtim During a Down Economy
Valtim is still offering our marketing services during this challenging time. The messages you send now will have a lasting impact on your prospects and members for years to come. We can help your organization build personalized messages that will guide your members toward how they can contribute. We can provide you with geo-targeting techniques so you can pinpoint areas with the least or most impact.
Keeping your advertising flowing at this moment will ensure your organization’s strength now and after the down economy. Contact Valtim today to learn more about how our services can help you maintain and grow your relationships through direct mail advertising.
