Modern smartphones have more processing power than the Apollo space shuttles that carried astronauts to the moon so your organization might as well take advantage of it. While it’s no secret that mobile fundraising is the new frontier, fundraisers might still struggle with tweaking their message to fit into a digital, mobile world.
During a session at the Bridge to Integrated Marketing and Fundraising conference earlier this year in National Harbor, Md., “How Mobile is Changing Everything – and How you Can Use it to Build your Base, Raise Money, and Raise Hell,” Nick Allen from Open America and Lara Koch from the Human Society of the United States addressed different ways for nonprofits to break into the mobile world:
- Engage with donors over short message service (SMS), it is a platform that is close, always on, and works almost everywhere. Take advantage of the news cycle to create an ask that is urgent and relevant to your donors to make the right ask at the right time.
- Facebook is also a powerful mobile tool. In a March 2016 Humane Society campaign, 83 percent of overall Facebook gifts were made via mobile device and 68 percent of overall funds were raised mobile device.
- It is essential to have a functional and mobile-friendly website. Some 61 percent of traffic to the Humane Society’s website was via a mobile device versus only 7 percent in January 2011. Some will use mobile regardless, but most will only use mobile if it is as seamless as possible.
- Test everything. Using a combination of questions (“Will you…”), imagery, personalization, and pre-filled forms can make your ask all the more appealing.
- Mobile-first acquisition requires mobile-first thinking. Lowering possible barriers to accessing your website and completing forms creates a more positive end-user experience.
