Today I want to explain why it’s imperative to remain positive even when you’re covering issues that are tragic and negative.
Example: Animal and Child Welfare
Remember: whatever you put on the home page of your website (or in a TV or radio commercial) will be viewed (or heard) dozens of times by the people who see it.
Although you’ll have to briefly explain the “pain, problem, or predicament” to capture their undivided attention, your copy or video should quickly explain the changes you’re making (or planning to make, with enough support) to alleviate or eliminate the tragic situation.
The primary problem with “playing on one note” while covering a sad or tragic aspect of the human or animal condition is that sensitive people will run for the exits, unable to bear the assault on their hearts, while others will see or hear it repeatedly and ultimately tune it out because it’s “a downer”. Most people prefer to dwell on happier thoughts and things. Getting dragged repeatedly into despair is on no one’s list of favorite things to do.
You’ve probably seen commercials on TV about abused animals here at home and about beleaguered children in Africa. During the first viewing, your heart goes out without reservation. You empathize and sympathize. You may even pull out your wallet to help. Awesome! Applause! Bless you!
But with repeated exposure to the identical campaign ad that triggered your initial bigheartedness, its maudlin aspects may well begin to grate on you. The background music that at first attracted you begins to sound histrionic (overly emotional or dramatic); the words that compelled you before, now seems more manipulative than educational or relational.
If you have to show-and-tell to throw a spotlight on a crisis, immediately follow up with what you’re doing to correct the situation and then explain why you need the additional help (money, volunteers, etc.) you’re seeking. Give the reader/viewer something to do (pro-actively) so they feel they’re joining you to improve the situation. And as soon as you’ve enjoyed real results on the ground, be sure to post them prominently in words and on video so the people you’ve asked for money can see that you’re getting results.
It is the positive aspects of your spiel that will keep people coming back to help you. I see far too little of this on most websites and in commercials.
People who care and donate want proof that their caring makes a real difference. Otherwise, you’ll lose them after the first few donations.
Prove to them that what they’re doing to help has positive, lasting consequences and they’ll keep coming back. Keep showing them the same sad story, time after time, and they’ll bail.
Your viewers/listeners want to see results. Be sure you follow up and throw a spotlight on what happened as a result of their help.
Let people know what percentage of the money you receive from them actually reaches and benefits the recipients they intended to bless with their help. Some non-profits have gotten into firestorms of critical outrage when people who donated to help flood and hurricane victims (for example) as the result of a broadcast request for help for a present natural disaster find out that much of the money goes to administrative costs and to other unnamed disasters. So be transparent. (If you can’t be transparent, you will be deemed shady.)
Donors-in-the-know view a lot of charities and non-profits with unbridled skepticism. Sadly, they should.
( P.S. to copywriters. Remember: you’re also a gatekeeper of sorts. If you don’t feel great about helping a non-profit or charity because they aren’t transparent enough to help you feel great about them, that’s a red flag. I presume you want to be able to sleep at night, don’t you?)
