Supporter experience and supporter loyalty has never been more important. At a time when charities and fundraising are under more pressure than ever before, it is crucial we talk to our supporters, listen to them and then respond in the most engaging way for them.
At our recent Loyalty Day, we were delighted to be joined by key speakers from the world of charity and commerce discussing some simple measures and takeaways that charities can start doing today to enhance supporter loyalty.
In the first part of our Loyalty Day insights, we discuss the key takeaways and offer practical advice and tips that any charity can use to start growing supporter loyalty straight away.
Key takeaways from Loyalty Day
Understand what loyalty is and its core building blocks – commitment, satisfaction and trust (see below).
Starting to look at supporter loyalty and the supporter experience doesn’t need to be complicated or costly.
Imagine your supporter is sitting in on every meeting and discussion you have. What would they think about the decisions you are making?
Supporter experience cannot just be the responsibility of one person or one team.
Loyalty should be engrained across an entire organisation – and starting from the top down.
Find simple, non-intrusive ways to communicate regularly with supporters. Listen and respond to what they are saying and make them feel good when they support you.
Get to know your audience. Understand different messages will work better for different audiences who might have different motivations. Share your goals and vision and give everyone a reason to think about why this is important to them.
Insight is important - ask the right questions of your supporters, and use your data, to uncover the right elements of supporter experience for your charity.
Understand what else supporters might have going on in their lives and try to reflect this in your communications.
Learn from your peers. Talk to others in the sector who can demonstrate what they are doing and what they are learning. And join the About Loyalty community
What is loyalty?
As a sector, we need to start thinking differently about what we mean by ‘loyalty’.
First of all, what is it not? Loyalty is not retention. Retention is simply what happens when you get loyalty right.
True loyalty is full of love and excitement and commitment and desire. It’s based on sharing your values and your goals. It’s the feeling that makes you prefer one over another, and which makes you want to help when there is need.
"Loyalty is not the number of times a supporter has given nor retention, repeat giving, upgrades, consent, nor even a gift in a will. These are not loyalty. They are a consequence of high loyalty.”
Roger Lawson – Founder, About Loyalty
Building around commitment, satisfaction and trust, loyalty is the passion a supporter feels for you and your cause, which means they want to support you long into the future.
By knowing how people are feeling, and then adjusting our message and tone, we can ensure all communications are timely, relevant and appropriate.
Keep commitment, satisfaction and trust at the forefront of your supporter journeys and communications and loyalty will, in turn, grow.
Watch Roger’s full Loyalty Day talk on why growing loyalty really matters on YouTube.