Your mobile donation page is essential to your fundraising campaign. Gone are the days of lengthy pitch letters and appeals meant to move donors to action. A strong donation page can significantly affect whether your fundraiser reaches its goal.
Since 2007, Tatango has helped organizations bring in more than $400 million in donations via SMS marketing. Our experts know a lot about what works to maximize fundraising with donation pages. In this blog post, we share the top three best practices for your donation page. Keep reading to learn how to optimize your donation page.
What Are SMS and MMS Text Messaging?
SMS text message marketing, a modern form of fundraising and marketing, differs from more traditional communication and promotion methods such as email and direct mail. The average open rate for email newsletters is only about 22.71%, and the average click-through rate is a paltry 2.91%. SMS and MMS text messages boast far more impressive numbers. For example, 78% of consumers say SMS is the fastest way to reach them and open rates regularly reach 99%.
Technology and innovation have helped make fundraising and marketing more flexible, efficient, and effective. You can now do more and raise more money in less time without sacrificing the quality of your message. Text message marketing can reach thousands or even millions of supporters at once. It’s an ideal channel when organizations need to share time-sensitive promotions and information. More than 90% of text messages are read within three minutes of being received, making text messaging a powerful tool for reaching subscribers.
SMS and MMS marketing also foster a personal connection between campaigns and subscribers. Text messages directly connect organizations with each recipient, unlike social media, where everyone sees the same message (if the ever-changing algorithms let them see it at all).
And with segmentation, organizations can further strengthen those connections by creating individual lists for specific groups of subscribers, such as volunteers, donors, and supporters. Segmented lists make it easy to message people based on details like their location, interests, and past donations. SMS helps organizations communicate quickly and directly on time-sensitive issues so they can stay focused on raising funds to advance their cause.
3 Best Practices for Donation Pages
Keep these three best practices in mind to turn your donation page into a highly effective fundraising cornerstone for your organization.
Brand Your Page
On average, branded donation pages help raise up to six times more funding than non-branded donation pages. Consistent branding helps build trust and credibility, and it’s becoming increasingly important among young donors—75% say they’re turned off by outdated websites. Make sure your donation page matches the aesthetic and voice used on the rest of your organization’s website and other marketing materials.
Keep Your Message Simple and Clear
The sole objective of your donation page is to collect donations. Any elements that diverge from that goal can create a distraction for your supporters. Avoid anything that will draw a potential donor’s attention away from this page, such as links to your social media channels, other webpages, or conflicting messages.
Keep your donation page simple and clear by limiting your copy and images and creating a logical information hierarchy. Guide supporters through the page and make sure they understand two key things: what you need them to do and how to do it.
Embed the Donation Form on Your Page
Don’t make your donors leave your donation page. Make it easy for them to complete the donation process in one place. Customize your donation form to further simplify the donor experience by including pre-selected donation amounts, suggested donations, and different payment types.
Bonus Best Practice: Create a “Thank You” Page
A “thank you” page is essential. The message your donors see after their donation goes through can influence whether they’ll give again in the future. Few things are more valuable to a fundraising campaign than a repeat donor.
Add Tatango to Your Marketing Workflow
Transform your donation page with these three easy ideas, and contact the text message marketing experts at Tatango to learn more about other ways Tatango can help elevate your organization’s SMS marketing and fundraising campaign.
