Maybe you'd noticed men and women are a little different from each other. Keeping that difference in mind can make you a better fundraiser, because the universe of donors skews decidedly female.
Copyblogger looks at that difference at Romance 101: How to Use Feminine Words That Sell. Short version: Men tend to be motivated to fight, win, conquer -- be heroic. Women tend to be motivated connect, relate, repair -- romance.
So often, male writers frame a charitable cause as a battle; sounds compelling to them, but it's just a bit out of tune to their female donor audiences.
Here, according to Copyblogger, are some "romantic" words that can help copy reach women:
- Love
- Heart
- Secret
- King, Queen, Princess, Prince (or some other honorable title)
- Temptation, Forbidden
- Cloud, Moon, Stars (and other celestial bodies)
- Heaven, Paradise
- Kiss
- Virgin
- Magic, Enchanted, Bewitched (and other references to the supernatural)
And here's the cool part. Some examples from the commercial world:
Plain: "Solve Email Problems"
Heroic: "Battle Your Email Overload"
Romantic: "Love Your Email Inbox Again"
Plain: "Stop Procrastinating"
Heroic: "Defeat Procrastination"
Romantic: "Kiss Procrastination Goodbye"
Plain: "Ditch Your Bad Habits"
Heroic: "Conquer Your Bad Habits"
Romantic: "Make Your Bad Habits Disappear Like Magic"
Try this exercise for your cause.
