Let’s Do the Numbers: PTV Digital Marketing & Fundraising Benchmarks You Can Use
Jeff Regen, WETA VP of Development 703-998-2653 & [email protected]
#PMDMC
Chas Offutt, PBS Dir. of Dev. Srvcs, Digital 703-739-5253 & [email protected]
What is benchmarking
• Obtaining a measure – a benchmark, i.e. benchmarks are the “what,” and benchmarking is the “how.”
• Identifying the “good” practices for helping organizations improve productivity and revenue.
• Set standards for operation through measurable, scientific, or business methods.
...And what is it not
• An organization should not limit the scope to its own industry, nor should benchmarking be a one-time event.
• Benchmarking is not just a matter of making inquiries to other organizations or touring and documenting another organization’s facilities or processes.
Why benchmarking matters
• Need to know where you stand before you can map out your strategy for growth.
• By comparing your results, you can assess how you’re doing in relative to your past performance, peers and competitors.
• Benchmarking can also serve as a rallying tool to drive your team toward your objectives.
...It forces the tough questions
• Success is measured in many different ways, but the most prominent measures tend to be related to fundraising.
• However, organizations with a positive trajectory tend to be those that ask: • How are we doing financially? • How do we compare with others? • Are we making progress fast enough? • Are we using “good” practices? • Are we tracking the right metrics?
How PBS uses benchmarks
• Marketing research to position value
• Nielsen data (TV HHs and content rating)
• Business unit competitor analysis
• Google Analytics benchmarking project
• Digital marketing & fundraising data
PBS station benchmark report
25 sta'ons who have been on Convio/Luminate Online ™ pla9orm for a minimum of 3+ years. The data represents: • $16+ million in total online revenue • 330k+ total number of giIs • 3.4+ million usable emails • 180+ million total emails sent
Download the infographic à pbs.box.com/infographic
Digital marketing and fundraising benchmarks
Campaign overview
• Banner promotions were run in the “header” and “funder” spots on the PBS Video portal
• Dates: 12/2/14 – 1/12/15
• Two versions, randomly assigned 50/50 to users. – “Support lifelong
learning…” – “Donate to lifelong
learning…”
Campaign overview
• A lightbox was displayed to localized users on the PBS Video portal and the PBS top-level pages
• Dates: 12/21/14 - 12/31/14
• Two versions were randomly assigned 50/50 to users – “Donate to the very
best…” – “Support the very best…”
Summary of Findings
• There was a 126% year-over-year increase in all donate clicks during the campaign window.
• The lightbox had the most clicks and the best click-through rate of any donate link on PBS.org.
• “Support” (vs. “Donate”) received more clicks in both banner spots and the lightbox.
“Support” (vs. “donate”) received more clicks
Source: Google Analytics: 12/2/14 – 1/12/15
52%
53% 57%
48%
47% 43%
-
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
Lightbox Funder Banner Header Banner
Donate
Support
4,212 3,221
24,049
Lightbox launch
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
CLI
CK
S
Lightbox
Funder Banner
Header Banner
Christmas Eve
December 26th
Source: Google Analytics: 12/2/14 – 1/12/15
December Station Impact: KQED
• 127 Gifts | $22,108 Revenue | $174 Avg.
• 840 clicks to KQED from PBS digital properties
• 15% donation form completion rate
10% of total organic online giving* during December 2014 was attributed to PBS digital properties.
*Does not include online giving related to direct mail and on-‐air pledge.
9% CTR
pbs.bo
x.com/infograph
ic
Resources
pbs.bo
x.com/guide
Jeff Regen VP of Development
WETA’s approach to digital
fundraising
#PMDMC
• Measure, Test & Learn + Creative Innovation • Macro-level: Budget and program evaluation • Campaign-based: Cross-channel and by channel • Channel deep-dive • Digital tools:
– Email – Website – Social media
Maximizing digital fundraising
#PMDMC
+ Creative Innovation
Measure
Test Learn
Macro-level: Budget & program
evaluation
#PMDMC
Online Total Raised – By Month (November – June)
Evaluate vs. budget and program goals: • Overall online revenue • On Air (pledge)-driven revenue vs. Membership-driven revenue • Sustainers and one-time
Timeframe Email Web Ecommerce Total November 20,602.34$ 85,037.97$ 16,635.00$ 122,275.31$ December 125,722.68$ 495,750.75$ 95,886.34$ 717,359.77$ January 16,110.02$ 85,002.03$ 13,032.64$ 114,144.69$ February 16,155.26$ 98,511.64$ 27,053.80$ 141,720.70$ March 34,460.68$ 75,704.23$ 97,328.97$ 207,493.88$ April 16,795.25$ 79,710.35$ 18,950.67$ 115,456.27$ May 21,007.52$ 70,856.66$ 12,727.38$ 104,591.56$ June 44,130.68$ 76,623.32$ 33,049.66$ 153,803.66$ Total 294,984.43$ 1,067,196.95$ 314,664.46$ 1,676,845.84$
Campaign-based: Cross channel and by
channel
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• Total campaign -‐ channels don’t exist as silos
• Within a channel –radio and TV pledge, mail, spots, email, website, events, etc.
Channel deep dive: Giving by device type
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99% 97% 95%
92% 88%
2%
4%
6% 7%
1% 1%
1%
2% 5%
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
FY11 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15**
Online Gi6s*
Online Gi6s Through Desktop, Tablet, and Other Mobile
Other Mobile
Tablet
Desktop
*Excludes e-‐commerce giIs (mostly through pledges) **July 1, 2014 -‐ June 19, 2015
Giving by type of device – External
benchmarks
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0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
May 2012 May 2013 May 2014 May 2015
ActBlue – Percentage of Gi6s Through Mobile Devices
“We generally see about 30% of [online] dona8ons come through via mobile for nonprofits.” – Anne Lewis Strategies
WETA is below industry benchmark à significant opportunity for future growth
Digital tools: Email (file health)
#PMDMC
Openers 1/1/15
Openers 6/19/15
Openers 7/1/15
2 week difference
Total Difference
Donors 42,151 36,751 35,068 -1,683 -5,400Prospects 40,146 36,966 35,585 -1,381 -3,180Total 82,297 73,717 70,653 -3,064 -8,580
Clickers 1/1/15
Clickers 6/19/15
Clickers 7/1/15
2 Week Difference
Total Difference
Donors 9,651 7,136 7,175 39 -2,476Prospects 5,262 3,841 4,946 1,105 -316Total 14,913 10,977 12,121 1,144 -2,792
60-Day Stats
Evaluate every email – especially vs. like messages
Email Results
Date Message Name Subject Line Sent Opened Open Rate Clicked $ Raised (Total)
Total Gifts $ Response Rate
Optouts Bounces
2015 Total 8,133,890 1,305,686 16.05% 72,348 53,277.61$ 1,348 0.02% 10,777 182,714
4,111,863 574,940 13.98% 25,935 29,218.37$ 1,010 0.02% 5,303 116,802 June Total 2,029,045 241,302 11.89% 10,942 45,355.50$ 603 0.03% 2,701 84,194
6/30/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #6 132,363 14,655 11.07% 276 6,595.00$ 90 0.07% 239 299 6/30/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #6 Donor/ProspectOur Final Countdown 123,648 13,384 10.82% 251 6,130.00$ 81 0.07% 230 288 6/29/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #6 Forward Our Final Countdown 8,715 1,271 14.58% 25 465.00$ 9 0.10% 9 11
6/22/2015Join Us for the Premiere of Last Tango in Halifax Season 3! A D.C. Tradition: The Capitol Fourth on WETA165,536 19,755 11.93% 918 -$ - 0.00% 148 2,700
6/29/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #5 132,827 15,059 11.34% 333 10,316.00$ 124 0.09% 242 6,441 6/29/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #5 Donor This is it 78,033 7,603 9.74% 236 9,841.00$ 115 0.15% 81 3,998 6/29/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #5 Prospect This is it 54,794 7,456 13.61% 97 475.00$ 9 0.02% 161 2,443 6/26/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #4 125,277 15,051 12.01% 186 3,291.00$ 45 0.04% 269 775 6/26/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #4 Donor Original Deadline: Invest in WETA's future 35,099 3,374 9.61% 51 1,766.00$ 20 0.06% 36 357 6/26/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #4 Donor HPC Deadline: Invest in WETA's future 35,105 3,311 9.43% 42 1,185.00$ 17 0.05% 36 347 6/26/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #4 Prospect Deadline: Invest in WETA's future 55,073 8,366 15.19% 93 340.00$ 8 0.01% 197 71 6/24/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #3 134,651 18,079 13.43% 195 3,856.00$ 49 0.04% 263 1,094 6/24/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #3 Donor Original Exciting News 35,563 3,811 10.72% 46 1,205.00$ 15 0.04% 30 453 6/24/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #3 Donor Urgent Exciting News 35,563 3,865 10.87% 42 2,301.00$ 25 0.07% 36 493 6/24/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #3 Prospect Exciting News 55,776 8,693 15.59% 89 350.00$ 9 0.02% 184 69 6/24/2015 FYE 2015 Effort #3 Forward Exciting News 7,749 1,710 22.07% 18 -$ - 0.00% 13 79
Q4 Total
Email: Benchmark vs. previous years
àAIer 3 CYE messages, we concluded that CYE 2014 was underperforming CYE 2013 as we took too long to get to the “ask.” Adjusted course for the remainder of the messages.
Valentine’s Day Email: Copy style
test Version A -‐ Winner Version B
CYE Email: Signer test (inconclusive) Version A Version B
Website metrics: Donations & sign-
ups
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Other top metrics: • Most common pathways • Most commonly visited web pages; search terms; referrers 1.04% 1.06%
0.87%
1.08%
1.21% 0.98%
0.45% 0.57%
0.45%
0.83% 0.99% 0.90%
1.08%
0.87%
1.15% 1.06%
1.23%
2.55%
0.00%
0.50%
1.00%
1.50%
2.00%
2.50%
3.00%
1-‐Jan 1-‐Feb 1-‐Mar 1-‐Apr 1-‐May 1-‐Jun 1-‐Jul 1-‐Aug 1-‐Sep 1-‐Oct 1-‐Nov 1-‐Dec
Don
aFon
Con
version Ra
te
WETA Homepage DonaFon Conversion Rates*
2015
2014
* Includes dona'ons through main nav bukon acrooss en're site, but excludes ecommerce and other dona'on forms
Why the improvement? We think: • More lightboxes • Dona'on form
op'miza'on • Mobile
op'miza'on
Website optimization
Weta.org lightbox: Donation options
test
Varia'on B – “Three Bukons”
Varia'on A – “Dona'on Amount”
FYE donation page match / urgency test
(inconclusive) Control Test Version
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We track: • Social network referrals to weta.org – i.e., which posts drive traffic to our sites
• 44% up Jan-June 2015 over 2014 (but only 2.9% of overall traffic) – mostly driven by quizzes and video clips
• Facebook and Twitter followers • Facebook Insights
• Demographics – FB fans skew younger than audience – 65% are 25-54 and 65% are female • Popular posts (people reached, likes, shares) such as “This Day in History” types linking to blog; and videos embedded directly in FB (e.g., traliers)
• Popular tweets – a bit
Digital tools: Social media (i.e., FB and Twitter)
Takeaways
• Benchmarking is critical to your station’s fundraising growth – and your own metrics are often the most important.
• Adoption of good, better, and best practices can drive significantly more revenue.
• Develop a culture of “measure, test and learn” – and is not afraid of failure.
• Testing needs to be a priority at your station – and treat every message as a “test”.
Discussion
• P.S., WETA is hiring for: – Manager, Data Strategy & Management – Database Analyst – Direct Response Fundraising Associate
• Know a strong candidate? Please send them to Jeff at [email protected] or 703-998-2653 or go to weta.org
Thank you!
Q & A
Jeff Regen, WETA VP of Development 703-998-2653 & [email protected]
#PMDMC
Chas Offutt, PBS Dir. of Dev. Srvcs, Digital 703-739-5253 & [email protected]