Thoughts from a direct mail presentation

I just completed presenting a webinar on direct mail and had a really interesting question asked at the end: "If the PS is such an important and effect part of the direct mail appeal, how do you carry that over into email fundraising."

My immediate and, I still think correct, answer is it is not the use of a PS. That got me to thinking about why the PS works so well in mail but clearly does not have the same impact on email and my first thought was that a PS on an email would be absurd - by it's very nature, the entire email IS a PS - simple direct and to the point. The PS works because it calls attention to a message within the message. By grabbing the readers eye it ensures that the call to action (please make a gift, please attend an event, etc...) is acted upon even if they don't read the balance of the piece.

Electronic communications are by their very nature different. Whether text based email or html, messages are short and direct with opportunities for action to be taken based upon links that provide additional content, forms or images. That said, many of us use templates that have links along the side or bottom and a simple direct statement or message contained in the text. It is my experience that those are wasted links - they rarely generate clicks. Keep in mind that an email is and is within a much busier environment than a letter - distractions are all over the screen and we are rarely getting the readers complete attention.

So how do we grab readers eyeballs and focus them on the action items in email? Maybe we need to look at taking a page from the Red Cross and Haiti - their solicitations didn't seek to inform, just ask. They let other streams provide the information and the email serve the sole purpose of asking them for the gift. In higher education we have the same opportunities using our electronic magazine/newsletters, university magazines and even local papers. Segment, target and mail based upon other interactions and established interests.