Promoting a Worthy Cause? Don’t Miss These Six Ideas for Getting Exposure for Your Nonprofit

Sometimes, all it takes is a little re-strategizing to get noticed. Here’s how.

Do you work in marketing and communications at a nonprofit organization? Are you in charge of promoting your nonprofit? Do you need new, effective ideas that will bring more attention to your worthy cause?

If you are ready to boost exposure for your work, then read on to learn six pro ideas for getting exposure for your NGO. Sometimes, all it takes is a little re-strategizing to get noticed.

Here’s how:

#1: Welcome Your Readers on Your Website

When a potential donor lands on your website, what does he or she see? Is your website updated? Is the mission apparent? Are you inviting your readers to learn more about what you do?

These are three pivotal questions that can really set the course for your website. If your readers arrive to your website and see that it is outdated or don’t understand what the point is — then you lose them quickly.

Take time to think about design — and don’t be afraid to contract with a professional designer to make sure your website is easy to read and to navigate.

#2: Add a Petition to Your Strategy

Petitions are a great way to rally support among disengaged readers and donors who may believe strongly in your cause but simply haven’t given. Do some smart planning and work with petition templates to make sure that every petition you deploy for your organization is easy to put together and get out on social media or on your website.

Often you can simply cut and paste in petition templates and then add custom language about your cause. From there, your petition will be on its way to getting the signatures of your disengaged donor base. This is a great marketing experiment that traditionally has a lot of success because it helps to build a list of support for your nonprofit, but it also has the potential to go viral and generate buzz for your organization.

All you have to do is create the petition and let it fly!

#3: We Live in a Social World — So Use It

If you’re not on social media, you need to be. You’re simply missing out by not taking advantage of the free promotion you can get on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

If you’re new to social, don’t just start three accounts at once. Like your website, you’re going to need to keep that content fresh and flowing. Instead, start with one account — such as Facebook, where you’ll find the largest social audience.

Post stories, engaging photos, and live videos that give your potential donors a sense of what you’re all about. Then, add other accounts as you have the bandwidth to post current content.

#4: Tell Stories

The stories of the people you are affecting and changing through your nonprofit are your greatest marketing asset. So it’s up to you to find them, collect them, and package them in a way that resonates with your donors.

Stories possess the power to ignite engagement with your audience, but you’ll need to use them over and over again throughout your marketing channels to grab the attention and tug at the heartstrings of your potential donors.

Remember that you can tell these stories across platforms — on your website, on your blog, in emails to your donor base and on social media. Find the stories and let the people who are impacted positively by your organization give first-hand video or written accounts. Let them take over your social media to show day-in-the-life posts.

Ask them to write an essay that is featured on your blog. Get these stories in front of the people who can provide the money to empower change and make a difference. That will motivate donors to give.

#5: Show the Breadth and Width of Diversity

Increasingly our communities are becoming more diverse, and the nonprofit world needs to make sure it is reflecting its directives on diversity, too. When potential donors see themselves in the work you are doing, they feel part of the community that is making a difference.

Given that, try to show how people of all backgrounds are working together within your nonprofit to effect change. There are a variety of easy ways to do this, including using diverse photographs on your website or having donors of different backgrounds write blog and social media posts that reflect why they give.

#6: Add in Cause Marketing Campaigns

Cause marketing campaigns are creative ways you can incentivize giving to your 501(c)(3). By purchasing a special T-shirt, bag, or trinket from your organization, the donor gets the gift and gives a donation to your organization. Another way to do this is to rally local businesses to give a certain percentage of sales to your nonprofit on a certain night.

The donor gets a great meal, the sponsoring restaurant garners free promotion, and your organization is served a slice of the profits.

Is It Time to Boost Your Nonprofit?

At the end of the day, promoting an nonprofit is similar to promoting a business. You need to deploy many of the same marketing techniques and platforms. The difference in promoting a nonprofit is that you sometimes have a bigger argument to make.

Why should someone give their extra money to your cause? That’s where storytelling really can make a different and boost the value-add of your organization.

Keep these six ideas for getting exposure for your organization as you experiment with new strategies. Incorporate them slowly over time, adding to your toolbox as you go.

Soon enough, you’ll begin to see which ideas are working for you and giving you the boost your non-profit really needs in a competitive world of worthy causes.

You might also like:

• Insider Newsletters: An Easy Way to Keep Your Board in the Loop and Engaged
• Nonprofit Rebranding Strategies: Five Steps to Achieving a Successful Nonprofit Rebrand
• 8 Easy Ways to Grab More Attention for Your Small Nonprofit
• Five Signs Your Nonprofit is Ready to Reach a Bigger Community
• Perfect Together: How to Access Community Television for Your Nonprofit

 

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