Session: Audience-First Mobilisation & Lead Generation in the Changing Digital Landscape

Joshua Leigh & Sarah Crowhurst

Mobilisation and lead generation for building fundraising programmes that are audience-first, sustainable and will withstand the huge, critical shifts in the digital advertising landscape (things like the Digital Services Act restricting targeted advertising; Chrome killing the cookie in 2024; Meta weaker performance in the wake of iOS14).

In this changing digital advertising landscape, we’re seeing the declining performance of direct-to-donation asks, and a huge opportunity for 2-step and lead generation to build cash file by email and to build RG by telemarketing.

With our clients, we have developed and tested several exciting new lead magnets, like values-led hand-raisers as well as audience-led digital Val-ex items that excite, delight and connect audiences with the cause they care about in new ways. The goal is to create something that serves an audience need and create a shared vision for the world – a collaborative, values-driven proposition, rather than a traditional need/solution story.

As the digital advertising platforms shift, and consumer expectations evolve to a place where they want a little something extra as they do good, our clients have worked to create products that address new habits, new technologies and overall create a sustainable programme for digital fundraising, in 2024 and beyond. We’ll show participants how they can get started, with an exercise template that helps them develop their own lead magnets, and a hands-on demonstration of how to get the basics right on Meta and Email to bring it to life.

Joshua Leigh

I’m a digital marketing and fundraising specialist with over a decade’s experience in the NGO and purpose-led sector, across a broad range of channels but with a clear focus on digital.

I have experience in fundraising, campaigning and activism, with a specific skill set in supporter acquisition, lead generation and user generation.

I’ve worked client-side with brands like The Fred Hollows Foundation, Amnesty International, Ecosia (the green search engine that plants trees), and as an agency partner with a number of domestic and international NGOs across Europe.

I support the tech, tools and integration of automated, personalised journeys to help turn your new leads into active, committed members of your movement.

I help you build your Meta programme, and then from there explore digital channels that help manage risk, seize growth opportunities and expand your media mix in a sustainable and innovative way.

I have worked with several NGOs from Australia, the UK and now across Europe,

supporting strategy, lead generation, tech and set-up, channel diversification, digital video advertising and much more. Recent clients have included Plan International UK, Amnesty International UK, UNICEF UK, CALM, St Mungo’s, Ecosia DE, Starlight Children’s Foundation and Greenpeace UK.