Last month, I’ve been learning all about charity marketing, in particular, digital marketing - that’s what we do of course!
As a result, I’ve gathered numerous top tips to ensure charities get their message across and help maximise their online presence to full potential.
#1 Define and understand your audience
But first, how do you define your audience? Ask yourself:
What do you know about your donors, volunteers and fundraisers? Do you know their demographic (gender, age, location, status etc)? Do they regularly donate, volunteer and fundraise or is it a normally a one-off?
What motivates them to work with you? Do you offer a particular service of interest? Have they heard good things about you?
How did they first get involved with you? How did they communicate with you? Did they enquire through your website, on social media or attend an event?
Are there other charities doing similar things? Are they successful in gaining engagement or do you think they should be doing something different?
Once you’ve defined your target market (as specifically as possible), it’s time to understand your audience. Dig deep by researching their hobbies, needs, wants, motivations and so on. This way, you’ll be able to transfer the information you receive to your potential donors and guide them through the charity sales funnel.
Use the information you gain as the basis for keyword research and a content strategy for your organisation.
You can guide them through the sales funnel by:
Sparking interest - create engaging content through the means of videos, infographics, webinars and newsletters.
Maximising interest - keep your readers engaged. Personalise your content and be more active in responding to enquiries and comments.
Converting interest - ensure you gain conversions (newsletter sign-ups, single or regular donations, volunteers or fundraisers) by guiding engaged supporters.
Spreading interest - continuously promote your services and what you offer. Turn new visitors into donors, volunteers and fundraisers.
#2 Power up your social media usage
Social media is one of the most important digital marketing channels. In fact, there are over 3 billion social media users right now - so it’s a must to use in your marketing strategy!
Yeah, you might not need every social channel, not everyone does. It’s best to look at your competitors and find out what they’re doing and what works for them, and you can then try it for yourself.
But the most important thing is that you create consistent, quality content to share on social media. Users visit social sites to consume content they find interesting, humorous or inspiring so start by brainstorming ideas that will make your charity stand out.
For example, share photos and videos of your service users, volunteers or survivors. Create regular social campaigns to spread your message and encourage discussion and support. A simple campaign can reach millions of people worldwide, increasing your awareness and donations for the better.
