You don’t want to be a tool, do you? Who do you read to make you think? One blog I like to check in on is Trevor O’Donnell’s Marketing the Arts to Death. As the title says, it’s about arts marketing. But to me, it’s broader. Trevor shows how mistaken arts marketing often is. Because […]
How to raise more money. (Hint: It’s not about you.)
How to raise more money Patting yourself on the back hurts. Jeff Brooks warned us about the dubious utility of anniversaries in fundraising. You should read it (I read Jeff’s blog every day), but the point is simple: you might care about your anniversary, but donors do not. He’s right. What seems a momentous occasion […]
How to be heard in a noisy world
We live in a noisy world. So what does your attention cost? I was reading an article in Sunday’s New York Times about the cost of our attention. The author’s point was that in today’s noisy world, our attention – our mind-space – has become commodified. Ads at the checkout line, logos in every possible space – […]
If you tease me, make it worthwhile
“Teaser copy.” You’ve seen it, I’m sure. Teaser copy is that little bit of copy on the outside of the envelope. Its job? Get you to open the envelope and read the letter inside. It seems to be almost standard for fundraising appeals these days. But it shouldn’t be. Teasers can be very effective – if […]
You don’t want to be that guy
You don’t want to be that guy Imagine someone coming to your door. You open it and hear: Hey babe! Here’s why you want to go out with me. First, I’m a great person. Just last year, I was listed as one of the 40 greatest guys under 60. In fact, I’m 24% better than […]