For a nonprofit, awareness and engagement are everything. The community needs to be actively supporting them for them to fulfill their goals and help others. However, this can be a difficult task, especially if they are starting. For them to increase their awareness, then certain steps need to be taken.
Use marketing strategies
Even though profit is not the main goal of an organization, employing marketing strategies similar to those used by businesses is one way to increase awareness. The best way to increase followers and get our message across is by using digital marketing strategies. This utilizes social media and online content to bring people to the nonprofit’s website. It will be an essential part of their work because it will show people what their goals are.
The first thing that needs to be done is to ensure that the website is optimized and fully responsive. Responsive in this sense means that it can adapt and adjust its appearance to different gadgets and screen sizes. Employing the help of SEO services is also vital. This is when people optimize the content of their website to make it appear higher on search engines. It is important because studies found that 9 percent of people only check the first page of their Google search. That means if a link does not appear there, it will not be seen by the majority of people.
Having a dedicated online marketing team will be extremely useful because almost everyone today uses social media. The good thing about this is that it can be relatively low-cost. To get a team that best suits the organization’s needs, look for social media marketing services for small businesses because they are especially skilled in growing engagement for less-known organizations.
Host activities and events
Another effective way to gain more support is to host events that show the nonprofit’s contribution to the community. Simply stating what is being done is not enough, but visible steps need to be taken. Someone already working in the nonprofit would know what assistance is being provided, but an outsider does not. Creating charity or donation events will resolve this.
These events have a dual purpose of being both an awareness activity and a fundraising one. A nonprofit can use this as an opportunity to raise for projects through donations. Similarly, this also increases possible sponsorships. A brand can sponsor a portion of the event in exchange for a special mention or product booths in the event.
Since we are currently undergoing a pandemic, what nonprofits can do is host virtual seminars or webinars. This can be open to anyone, and it is more accessible to the common person. Ensure that all events are properly documented because this can be used in the organization’s websites and marketing promotion.
Work with influencers
The number of Americans using social media went up to 8 percent last year, and it will likely continue to rise because of the pandemic. For this reason, the internet has proven a huge advantage for nonprofits and charities. Aside from the usual social media promotion, partnering with a local celebrity or an influencer can further expand the organization’s reach.
Influencers already have a big following, so whatever item or group they mention will surely be noticed. More than that, simply mentioning that the organization is working with them can already boost attention towards their advocacy. Reaching out to these people is similar to reaching out to a celebrity. It might take a bit of time, and managers will be handling communications as well.
When getting the influencer’s help, it is also best to look at their online personality and personal advocacies. If their advocacies align with the nonprofit’s goals, it will be easier to get partnerships. Aside from that, more people will support the organization if the influencers themselves have the same mindset.
There will be some influencers with problematic backgrounds, such as a history of discriminatory or hostile behavior. These kinds of influencers may end up being more disastrous for the organization. People will question whether due diligence was done or the authenticity of the nonprofit’s goals.
Awareness is not just about getting additional funding, but it also raises attention to the issues that the organization aims to highlight. The more people are informed and educated about community problems, the more they can influence government bodies to make policy changes. In the end, the important thing is the result of the advocacies.
