Direct mail plays a big part in fundraising and promotional strategies, especially when combined with online marketing. Asking donors to participate requires both an online and offline approach because the two promotional mediums work well together to help establish a solid relationship with supporters and potential givers. Direct mail can engage donors. It has evolved over time and become an important part of spreading a message to a wide variety of potential supporters.

Testing the envelope
One way to improve upon direct mailings is to test different methods. A/B testing changes one variable in a mailing segment and compares the response rates to the other segments. According to The NonProfit Times, mailing experts tested the package or envelope material was sent in. Using a control for the test, they tried different sizing to see if people would open it depending on the external appearance of the package or packet in their mailbox. There was a recorded 10 percent increase in fundraising results with the improved envelope and showed experts that testing will not only increase donor engagement, but also improve statistical support.

Additional testing options
As more nonprofits look to use direct mail to increase the number of people who fill out online donation forms, they may also want to think about other details they can test and improve upon. This is possible by changing up the length of the letter, type of copy, color of the materials included, the language used and more, according to the Nonprofit Hub. There are numerous possibilities, meaning nonprofits should know that this will take time and not always improve fundraising overnight. But investing in the donor experience with direct mail to help boost online donations will be worth it.