Marketing & CommunicationsNon-Profit
Do you have a strategy for re-engaging dormant supporters?
By Mike Mella | Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Filed under Marketing & Communications, Non-Profit
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You’re probably aware of the importance of engaging your audience. You’ve probably drawn in many of your customers through targeted campaigns and social media. But what do you do to keep those customers?
A 2009 study revealed that “50% of organizations’ online lists had 40% or more inactive supporters. Only 9% had a strategy for reactivating dormant supporters.” - Frogloop.com
I listen to a lot of podcasts. The leading vendor of audiobooks, Audible.com, wisely markets through podcasts to people like me who use mobile devices to listen to more than just music. What I’ve noticed about their ads is that their offer is always the same: Join Audible now and get your first audiobook download for free.
I’ve done this. I joined Audible, downloaded my first audiobook, and I haven’t been back. I’m not entirely sure why I haven’t been, but I wonder why Audible hasn’t done anything about it. I hear commercials for Audible.com at least once a day, but since their promotional offer doesn’t apply to me, it’s a wasted opportunity to lure me back.
Facebook is an example of a company that’s very interested in re-engaging users who have lost their way. They do this by enticing the friends of those inactive users to reconnect with them: write on their “wall”, post photos tagged with their names, and so on. Then those users would get an email saying, “Sally has posted a photo of you! Visit Facebook to see it!”
Your existing audience is at least as important as your potential audience. Don’t just work on gaining new supporters; nurture your relationship with your current ones.
