Course
Words on a Mission
Study Guide
Lesson 10: How will you get people to engage
with what you do?
Learning Objectives
• Be able to avoid common mistakes made when moving someone from learning about you to
engaging with you
• Understand how to write good calls to action
Prep Work Checklist
(Things to do before watching the Lecture.)
Watch these videos
• City of Hope
• Save the Bros
Read Fundraising Stories That Don’t Work—and What’s Different About the Ones
That Do, Kivi Leroux Miller’s synopsis of a talk by Steve Daigneault
Watch the Science of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini and Steve Martin
Read Crafting Normative Messages to Protect the Environment by Robert B. Cialdini
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Claxon University I Words on a Mission I Lesson 10: How will you get people to engage with what you do?
Lecture Notes: How will you get people to engage with what you do?
1. Emotion and Motivation share the same Latin root
a. _____ = to move in Latin
b. _____ = ‘word’ in French
2. There is a decline in people continuing through this point of the Engagement Cycle because
they are being asked to _______________________________________.
a. It is important to get this part right so you don’t lose them.
3. For engagement, we are focusing on written Calls to Action because they are harder since
you don’t have the benefit of _____________________.
4. Example Videos
a. Consider the target audience
i. For whom are they _______________________?
ii. What is the ____________ norm?
5. Use language to persuade someone to move to the next step on the Engagement Cycle.
a. Consensus should focus on the _________________.
b. Scarcity should focus on needs in the _________________, not your organization’s
resource scarcity.
6. Acquisition is more important than __________.
a. Strong initial engagement sets the stage for a high retention rate.
Claxon University I Words on a Mission I Lesson 10: How will you get people to engage with what you do?
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Your Notes & Doodles
Different people learn in different ways. You may learn best by using the Lecture Notes with prompts
on Page 2. You may want to jot down notes as you listen to the lecture or do the Prep Work. You
may be someone who learns through doodling. This page is for you to use in a way that helps you
learn best!
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Claxon University I Words on a Mission I Lesson 10: How will you get people to engage with what you do?
Lesson 10 Assignment: How will you get people to engage
with what you do?
Remember: If you get stuck, you can always ask a question on the Private Facebook Group!
Step #1: Engagement Pathway Map
Map out the engagement behaviors you need from your target persona in order to achieve your
organization’s goals.
Work in reverse order, starting at your end point: the engagement behavior you need for the
marketing objective you identified in Lesson 5. Then, work backwards, identifying the likely
engagement steps that would lead to achieving your stated objective.
You don’t need to map out every possible pathway. Just consider the most likely pathways for your
target persona.
Some pathways may be short and very direct. Some may branch. That is ok. If the framework below
is too constraining, you can use the previous page to sketch your pathways of engagement or use a
mind mapping platform like spiderscribe.net.
Example:
Recall our example persona, Minneapolis Melissa. The Minnesota Lakes Conservancy is targeting
her for automatic, monthly donations. There are many ways she might come to donate.
Many people, Melissa included, donate to organizations with which they volunteer. This gives her a
deep feeling of connection to the organization and it is rewarding to see her donations being put to
work. This level of connection is important because Minnesota Lakes Conservancy is deliberately
trying to acquire new donors who are likely to stick around.
Since she likes being outdoors, a site clean-up is a likely way for her to be interested in volunteering.
A tour of the site is a logical step toward volunteering. In order to learn about site tours, she will need
to sign up for the newsletter (and see the tour mentioned in the subject line or preview text!).
Here is what that pathway would look like.
Step 1:
Sign up for
newsletter
Step 2:
Come to a
site tour
Step 3:
Volunteer at
site clean-up
Objective
Sign up
for recurring
donations
Claxon University I Words on a Mission I Lesson 10: How will you get people to engage with what you do?
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Your Engagement Pathway Map
Map out at least three different pathways toward the marketing objective
you defined in Lesson 5.
PATHWAY NO. 1
PATHWAY NO. 2
PATHWAY NO. 3
MARKETING OBJECTIVE
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Claxon University I Words on a Mission I Lesson 10: How will you get people to engage with what you do?
Extra Credit!
Use the Science of Persuasion
How might you use the six shortcuts from The Science of Persuasion video to motivate desired
engagement behaviors?
For each shortcut, consider what would be motivating to your target persona and list at least one
idea for how your organization could use persuasion to motivate behavior.
Reciprocity
People give back when something is given to them. Some organizations give promotional material
like tote bags. This can promote a market type relationship where they are buying a product. It is
better to give something that feels personal.
In our example above, after the site tour, a group photo could be emailed out to all the attendees,
including Minneapolis Melissa.
Your approach:
_______________________________________________________________
Scarcity
Remember, avoid asserting negative social norms. If you don’t have money, you are telling potential
donors that other people don’t give you money. Focus on the scarcity of the awesomeness you
bring to the world.
In the example, the scarcity noted could be the amount of lake shore set aside for preservation.
Your approach:
_______________________________________________________________
Authority
In the example, a scientist on the site tour would add authority to a call for volunteers to help with
site clean-up.
Your approach:
_______________________________________________________________
Claxon University I Words on a Mission I Lesson 10: How will you get people to engage with what you do?
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Consistency
In the example, once Melissa has volunteered on a clean-up day, she could be reminded of this with
a thank you note. Then a follow-up call to donate would be more powerful because donating would
be consistent with her previous actions. (Thank you notes are more powerful without accompanying
requests, so best to make them two separate communications.)
Your approach:
_______________________________________________________________
Liking
Improve liking by showing similarities, paying compliments, or cooperating. It is also highly effective
to acquire new donors through people they already like. This is why social media is such a valuable
tool for nonprofits. It works even better when done face to face, which is why you have been
working so hard to develop a concise, compelling, and repeatable Know Statement.
In the example, Melissa is well connected on social media. The initial call, asking her to sign up for
the newsletter, would be effective if shared by a friend or advertised to friends of people who already
like Minnesota Lakes Conservancy. This tactic would also be using consensus.
Your approach:
_______________________________________________________________
Consensus
Focus on why and build agreement around core motivations.
In the example, a statement about how many other volunteers also donate could accompany the
request for regular monthly giving. A testimonial from another volunteer and donor, explaining how
their support aligns with their personal values and beliefs, would be particularly powerful.
Your approach:
_______________________________________________________________
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Claxon University I Words on a Mission I Lesson 10: How will you get people to engage with what you do?
Step #2: Write Calls to Action
A Call to Action is the sentence that specifically says what you want someone to do.
Write Calls to Action for each engagement pathway on your Engagement Pathway Map (the arrows
in your pathway map). Note if they would be read or heard by your target persona.
For each engagement behavior identified in Step #1 above, create a Call to Action. There should be
a Call to Action for every step along the pathway.
Note the embedded or accompanying motivators. The six motivators from the Science of Persuasion
video are listed in the extra credit section above. You may be able to think of other ways people can
be motivated. Kivi Leroux Miller’s blog post from your Prep Work contains a different list of reason
why people give. In considering motivations, it is vital to recognize that what you find motivating
might not be motivating to your target persona.
Helpful Tip
• If you didn’t do the extra credit, you may still find it helpful to read through that section for
the examples on using motivators.
• Calls to Action work best when kept short and direct.
Calls to Action
Engagement Behavior
Motivator(s)
Site tour
Authority
Call to Action
Tour the waterfront with
Prof. Adams, the region’s
leading expert on water
toxicity! (Written)
Claxon University I Words on a Mission I Lesson 10: How will you get people to engage with what you do?
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Engagement Behavior
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Motivator(s)
Call to Action
Claxon University I Words on a Mission I Lesson 10: How will you get people to engage with what you do?
Lesson 10 Checklist
Completed Lesson 10 Prep Work
Watched Video Lecture
Completed Assignment
Discussed Assignment with colleagues (optional…yet encouraged!)
Lecture Review: How will you get people to engage with what you do?
1. Emotion and Motivation share the same Latin root
a. Mot = to move in Latin
b. Mot = ‘word’ in French
2. There is a decline in people continuing through this point of the Engagement Cycle because
they are being asked to take action.
a. It is important to get this part right so you don’t lose them.
3. For engagement, we are focusing on written Calls to Action because they are harder since
you don’t have the benefit of body language.
4. Example Videos
a. Consider the target audience
i. For whom are they optimized?
ii. What is the group norm?
5. Use language to persuade someone to move to the next step on the Engagement Cycle.
a. Consensus should focus on the why.
b. Scarcity should focus on needs in the community, not your organization’s resource
scarcity.
6. Acquisition is more important than retention.
a. Strong initial engagement sets the stage for a high retention rate.
Claxon University I Words on a Mission I Lesson 10: How will you get people to engage with what you do?
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Further Reading (Optional)
• Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
You are ready to take the Quiz for Lesson 10!
Claxon University I Words on a Mission I Lesson 10: How will you get people to engage with what you do?
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