Just as Black Sabbath isn’t going to get up on 
stage and perform the latest Wiggles set �
front to back for fear of the repercussions, your organization should also know who their audience is when planning a fundraising event. Without properly constructed plans to a specific audience, your event can fall apart before it gets off the ground. When your goal is to persuade (soliciting them for donations) and not just simply to inform, understanding your audience is crucial to shaping and delivering your message. In turn, your message will be more convincing and easily accepted.
I was at an event earlier in the year that was stifled from the beginning. The organizers told me that the crowd was very old fashioned, “they weren’t into technology.” And, that using electronic bidding devices was completely new and it could take a while for them to get used to the system. Not so…The crowd was generally all under forty and adept at using technology. They took to the system right away. No one needed assistance, and attendees were placing bids right from the start. Had the organizers considered their audience from the beginning, they could have raised more money by tailoring the event.
What to learn
By gathering a few key insights into your audience, you can speak to them more effectively, raise more money and not appear desperate for their hard-earned money. First, find out some demographics. Where do they live? How old are they? What is their income level? Next, learn whether or not they have donated to your cause before. Repeat donations should be easier to entice than first timers. Lastly, how are they going to be receiving your message? Are they familiar with technology, or do they prefer their news in paper form? Maybe your audience is segregated. You might need two messages to be the most effective in reaching your listeners.
How to get the information
Start with the basics…ask them. Use tools such as login forms on your website. If you don’t have a database set up already, now is a good time to start. Databases can also tell you a great deal about their interests and where they work. Social media can be useful in tracking as well. Who is following your feed? What types of friends are you getting? Do you see trends that tell you who/where they are? If you’re noticing a lot of .edu tags on your email list – you might have a number of people from the education field that are interested in your organization. Another successful means of acquiring this information is web analytics. Check into how people are finding your site. Where are they navigating from, and where are they going when they leave?
Advertisers have been quite keen to this notion for decades. If their message isn’t tailored to their specific audience(s), that message will get lost in all the clutter. They would make no money and eventually lose clients. It is critical in their business as in planning events to speak to a predetermined audience while using the proper outlets. So, take some time, do some research, ask some questions. In the end, you will have a more successful event and a better chance of seeing those donations repeated in the future.
stage and perform the latest Wiggles set �
front to back for fear of the repercussions, your organization should also know who their audience is when planning a fundraising event. Without properly constructed plans to a specific audience, your event can fall apart before it gets off the ground. When your goal is to persuade (soliciting them for donations) and not just simply to inform, understanding your audience is crucial to shaping and delivering your message. In turn, your message will be more convincing and easily accepted.
I was at an event earlier in the year that was stifled from the beginning. The organizers told me that the crowd was very old fashioned, “they weren’t into technology.” And, that using electronic bidding devices was completely new and it could take a while for them to get used to the system. Not so…The crowd was generally all under forty and adept at using technology. They took to the system right away. No one needed assistance, and attendees were placing bids right from the start. Had the organizers considered their audience from the beginning, they could have raised more money by tailoring the event.
What to learn
By gathering a few key insights into your audience, you can speak to them more effectively, raise more money and not appear desperate for their hard-earned money. First, find out some demographics. Where do they live? How old are they? What is their income level? Next, learn whether or not they have donated to your cause before. Repeat donations should be easier to entice than first timers. Lastly, how are they going to be receiving your message? Are they familiar with technology, or do they prefer their news in paper form? Maybe your audience is segregated. You might need two messages to be the most effective in reaching your listeners.
How to get the information
Start with the basics…ask them. Use tools such as login forms on your website. If you don’t have a database set up already, now is a good time to start. Databases can also tell you a great deal about their interests and where they work. Social media can be useful in tracking as well. Who is following your feed? What types of friends are you getting? Do you see trends that tell you who/where they are? If you’re noticing a lot of .edu tags on your email list – you might have a number of people from the education field that are interested in your organization. Another successful means of acquiring this information is web analytics. Check into how people are finding your site. Where are they navigating from, and where are they going when they leave?
Advertisers have been quite keen to this notion for decades. If their message isn’t tailored to their specific audience(s), that message will get lost in all the clutter. They would make no money and eventually lose clients. It is critical in their business as in planning events to speak to a predetermined audience while using the proper outlets. So, take some time, do some research, ask some questions. In the end, you will have a more successful event and a better chance of seeing those donations repeated in the future.
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