{"id":9681,"date":"2018-04-28T15:04:07","date_gmt":"2018-04-28T19:04:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/?p=9681"},"modified":"2022-08-25T15:17:22","modified_gmt":"2022-08-25T19:17:22","slug":"how-to-use-powerful-images-to-boost-your-online-fundraising","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.qgiv.com\/blog\/how-to-use-powerful-images-to-boost-your-online-fundraising\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use Powerful Images to Boost Your Online Fundraising"},"content":{"rendered":"

There’s more to fundraising images than choosing a random picture to accompany your communications. A little strategy goes a long way; choose images to create an emotional journey for your donors!<\/p>\n

Images Connect Donors to your Cause<\/h3>\n

Pictures are worth a thousand words. They help donors connect with your mission and they\u00a0put a face to the problems donors want to solve. Great images help\u00a0donors visualize the impact they\u00a0have when they make a gift.<\/p>\n

Use images to build an emotional journey that carries the donor through the\u00a0giving process. Today\u2019s donors are motivated by their desire to make a difference in the world. They want to donate to nonprofits that are affecting real change! If you can show them how they can join you in changing the world, you\u2019re more likely to inspire them to get (and stay) involved.<\/p>\n

Here are some pointers to get you started!<\/p>\n

Create an efficient appeal<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s important to be\u00a0strategic when\u00a0choosing images! Pictures are one of the first elements that donors notice. Make sure your appeal reflects the difference donors make\u00a0and your mission and community. Use consistent imagery across campaigns so that your mission is clearly understood.<\/p>\n

What types of images to use and where<\/h3>\n

Direct mail and email<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Sending donation appeals through email<\/a> allows you to send numerous asks with the click of a button. It’s efficient, and it\u2019s also a great way for you to update donors and prospects about your current and future projects.<\/p>\n

When making an appeal, use\u00a0emotional or urgent imagery to\u00a0connect donors to a specific problem they can solve. Compelling pictures that tug at their heartstrings is a must.<\/p>\n

Chose an image\u00a0that includes one person or a small group. Use one with your subjects looking at the camera if you can!\u00a0Humans react to eyes looking at us, whether it\u2019s on the page, the screen, or real life. This kind of image will\u00a0grab donors’ attention and make them more likely to respond to your appeal.<\/p>\n

Donation forms and remit pages<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Every nonprofit has a story to tell, and it’s important to include that story in every part of the donation process.<\/p>\n

Use a small area on your donation page to\u00a0<\/strong>talk briefly about why your\u00a0donors’ gifts\u00a0are important.\u00a0Accentuate that text with a great image.<\/p>\n

In this spot, using a great emotional, hopeful image\u00a0is your best bet. During this part of the process, you want donors to\u00a0envision the good their gift will accomplish.\u00a0This kind of imagery establishes in their mind that they can\u00a0fix the “sad”\u00a0problem in the appeal into a “hopeful” one with a gift!<\/p>\n

Happy images belong on remit pages (for direct mail appeals), donation confirmation pages<\/a>, and any follow-up communications.<\/p>\n

Thank you pages<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Donors should feel\u00a0like heroes for their contribution.\u00a0This is why your follow-up thank-you emails<\/a>\u00a0should use\u00a0positive imagery!<\/p>\n

You want to make the donor feel\u00a0great about giving a gift. Your photo should\u00a0reinforce the content of your\u00a0thank-you\u00a0letter. This will make the email more visually interesting, and it helps donors imagine the people they\u2019re helping.<\/p>\n

Example: An animal shelter made an ask for supplies, and you’re sending a thank-you to a donor who brought you some of the supplies on your list. Include a picture of animals at the shelter using the kind of supplies you received– dogs eating food, walking on leashes, etc. Donors\u00a0want to know their gifts make a difference.\u00a0This kind of email gives them tangible proof that their gifts make an impact. It can also help increase retention rates!<\/p>\n

Receipts<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Receipts shouldn’t be boring! Use a happy image in a donor\u2019s receipt <\/a>to show them that they made a real difference in someone\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

Donation receipts are necessary and often boring. Sending a traditional receipt doesn\u2019t\u00a0make the donor feel any emotional connection to their contribution. The simple inclusion of a happy photo and a brief thank-you message makes a big difference.<\/p>\n

Adding a happy image also softens the “transactional” nature of a receipt and turns it into a method of reinforcing the good feelings the donor had after donating. When donors feel good about their contribution and your mission, they stay engaged and feel valued!<\/p>\n

Impact reports<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Impact reports are a huge deal. You’re reporting back to your donors to show them\u00a0how their gift made a difference. This is definitely the time to use more happy imagery!<\/p>\n

Impact reports should show\u00a0donors a positive difference, not an ongoing problem. These reports are well-received if they\u2019re written in a donor-centric manner and include positive imagery.\u00a0Use a mix of testimonials, statistics, and happy imagery to\u00a0show donors what they’ve accomplished.<\/p>\n

Example: ThinkNPC provides a great example of what good impact reporting looks like<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Social media<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Social media is a huge focal point for many nonprofits. Since you’re making a variety of posts (appeals, progress reports, etc.), your social channels should include a variety of images.<\/p>\n

Your social posts should still be aimed at connecting people to your nonprofit.\u00a0Make images personal<\/a>. Personal images resonate well on social media! Instead of large groups of people, show one person (or a small handful) and a short description of how a donation helped them. Connect a great story to a person with a name and a face, and\u00a0your readers will be hooked.\u00a0 A mix of happy and urgent\/emotional images can be used on social, but be careful to not overload people with sad images. Too many negative images will drive away audiences! nobody wants constant negativity on their Facebook timeline or in their inboxes.<\/p>\n

Use images as a way of storytelling<\/h3>\n

Images\u00a0help donors visualize\u00a0your mission and connect with your work. Use them well! One thing to keep in mind: keep images high-quality, but remember that large files can impact load times. Balance quality with practicality.<\/p>\n

Your donors care deeply about your mission — show them the impact they’re making!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There’s more to fundraising images than choosing a random picture to accompany your communications. A little strategy goes a long way; choose images to create an emotional journey for your donors! Images Connect Donors to your Cause Pictures are worth a thousand words. They help donors connect with your mission and they\u00a0put a face to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":9799,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[262,261],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Use Powerful Images to Boost Your Online Fundraising - Fundraising Blog for Nonprofit, Educational, and Faith-Based Organizations<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When donors can visualize the impact their donations make, they see a problem they can solve. 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