You’ve probably noticed a continuity error in a movie or TV show before. Because different cameras capture different angles, and directors shoot scenes multiple times, keeping the scene the same from cut to cut can be challenging. In one scene, maybe the actor has a coffee cup raised to his lips; in a different angle of the same scene, that coffee cup is sitting on the table.

Those errors in continuity are not just a mild annoyance; they actually interrupt the viewer’s experience of what they’re watching. For awhile, the viewer is deeply engrossed in the film, but the next minute the viewer comes crashing back to reality, realizing, “Oh, yeah. This is just a movie.”

It can be the same with donor recruitment and development. Continuity among all your platforms is crucial for successfully creating, maintaining and growing a healthy donor database. Once that consistency is interrupted, donors can become confused, annoyed, or turned off altogether.

In today’s digital world, it is no longer enough to be in only one place. Different audiences want to hear from you in different ways, and most audiences are interacting with you in more than one place (email, website, social, etc.). It’s necessary to integrate all the channels of communications and be consistent in doing so. Neglecting important channels or sending a different message on each one can create disconnect or even distrust with the donor.

How to create an integrated donor experience

Take an inventory of all parts of the pieces you use to communicate with donors. Gather copies or printouts and examine them side-by-side. Check:

• Direct mail (letters, brochures, postcards, any other print pieces)
  • Email
  • Landing pages
  • Website/blog
  • Social media accounts
  • Any and all other efforts

Look for visual consistency

Ask your team for feedback to look for consistency among all pieces regarding branding, imagery, colors, and so on. Are there any “outliers” that don’t seem to fit in visually with the rest of the pieces? Do the visual aspects serve your goals for your organization?

Look for messaging consistency

Next examine those same pieces for continuity with messaging. Are you hitting on the same prominent themes in all the pieces? Do they each have a similar tone and style? Is the writing quality consistent and error-free?  Do the messaging aspects serve your goals for your organization?

Look for inter-connectedness

Finally, make sure that all pieces complement one another and related materials support each other (i.e., a direct mail piece should include a URL to an appeals landing page to give online; that landing page should match the mail piece; the email should match both, etc.). Pieces within the same campaign should be obvious matches, but every aspect of your donor recruitment across all platforms should be similar in branding and messaging. All pieces should work together to serve your goals for your organization.

Creating an integrated experience for your donors is worthwhile, as it is an effective way to connect with supporters and build trust. Just by taking the time to monitor and adjust this aspect of donor development in your organization, you are likely to see increased donor recruitment, retention, and activity.