7 spots in appeals where donors look and linger

Develop your appeal letter's "prime real estate"

First, shape your letter’s prime real estate ((the spots donors see)) then finish the rest.

Maybe you're a social butterfly.

I'm more like a social caterpillar.

When it occurs to me to attempt fluttering by in a social situation, I default to "not just yet."

I mean, in a room full of lovely people, where do I look? There are so many faces. There are so many possibilities. It's overwhelming.

My gaze will usually fall on my familiar peeps. I'll gravitate to them. I'll have nice conversations. I certainly won't talk to everyone. My little caterpillar legs only carry me so far.

That's just me.

What's not just me is how this relates to fundraising...

First, develop your appeal letter prime real estate.

Even if you're a social butterfly, in a party with countless faces, you'd be hard pressed to have a face-to-face with all those faces. That's how it is with a direct mail fundraising appeal letter. It's got so many words. Most of your donors will likely not have a face-to-face with all of those words.

They'll skim.

They're busy.

So, strategically, certain (not always so obvious) places in your appeal represent prime real estate — because they are where more donor eyeballs will visit and linger.

THEREFORE: first, develop your prime real estate.

You only have so much "writer's blood" to spill onto a page. Be careful how you spill it. Invest your first splashes of writerly energy in getting your key puzzle pieces in place.

Below, highlighted by examples from an appeal we recently wrote for a client, are the key puzzle pieces in question...

First: obvious prime real estate:

1.) the outer envelope teaser

The job of the teaser is to get the outer envelope opened. You can go with no teaser, which works well. But a very good teaser will tend to do better.

2.) the Johnson Box

The job of the Johnson Box (the area at the top of the letter; not typically in an actual box) is to convey the gist of the appeal in a way that makes your donors feel something and to keep them reading.

3.) the P.S.

The job of the P.S. is to be a similar-yet-different bookend to the Johnson Box. You want your donors to be able to read it alone and make a giving decision. (Does this P.S. seem long? It's by design for this particular appeal... your mileage may vary.)

Second, non-obvious prime real estate:

4.) the hook

The job of the hook is to pull the reader in and connect their experience to your appeal's fundraising story, offer, and ASK. Donors should be personally invested before they're asked.

5.) the line that comes after each ASK

The job of the line after an ASK is to quickly pick back up the case you're making, preferably connecting it again to the donor's interior story they carry as they read.

6.) the last line on each page

The job of a page's last line is to keep the donor reading. In this case, the quote is interesting and the donor has to turn the page to finish the sentence.

7. the first line on each page

The job of a new page's first line is to keep the donor reading. In this case, we are implying the local need, setting up 3 impact bullet points.

These 7 elements are like your puzzle corner and edge pieces. Your first order of business is to get them situated. The rest of the puzzle will then fall into place more easily.

(Note: you can't literally write all 7 elements from the outset. Still, I recommend this be your general aim, as much as possible. In other words, don't fiddle too much with the rest of your appeal letter until you feel confident you've fully developed your "prime real estate.")

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