In our series of Loyalty Day lessons learned, we’re revisiting the sessions from this year’s conference, ‘Loyalty Day 2024: how good is your supporter experience?’ and pulling out some of the highlights and key takeaways which you can implement straight away.
People choose to support a charitable cause for all sorts of different reasons. Perhaps they’ve had a personal experience with that charity which sits close to their the heart – or perhaps they feel strongly aligned with the organisation’s mission.
From our research into supporter commitment, we know that understanding and reflecting these motivations at every point you can is an essential part of providing an excellent experience. And we were delighted to hear from Emma Smith, Senior Voice of the Supporter Manager at British Red Cross, about how their commitment to asking, listening and acting on supporter feedback has helped to improve the experience and grow loyalty.
Want to find out how? Check out the full talk below – or, if you’ve only got a few minutes, recap Emma’s top tips right here:
Make it simple, start small. Don’t spend too long getting to the insight. By keeping actions straightforward and accessible, then you can start small and iterate based on feedback as you go.
Try different approaches. Not everything will work for all of your supporters, and you’ll need to approach listening in different ways for different audiences. Think outside of the box – can you add a QR code to your shop receipts, or share a survey alongside a prize draw?
Don’t lose sight of your supporters. Consider how you can amplify your supporters’ voice across your organisation. Use their words to tell authentic stories that resonate emotionally.
Emma shares an excellent example of kicking off meetings at British Red Cross with quotes from real supporters. How could you place your audience front and centre at your organisation?
Their words help tell a story. Numbers and KPIs help us to monitor progress, but words and stories bring them to life. If someone has taken the time to share with you what is driving them to support your organisation, this could be the perfect opportunity to bring a ‘human touch’ back into a conversation around data.
Consider when and how often you ask. This will be different for every organisation, and every audience – so, test test test!
As Emma so brilliantly puts it:
“Before you listen, you need to ask - to offer the opportunity and allow people to be heard.”
Whether you’re asking over the phone or on your donation forms, the power of listening really can transform your supporter experience. And when supporters feel heard, seen and appreciated, their continued support will lead to long-term fundraising success.
Watch the full recording here:
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