Did you know that there are estimated 170, 000 nonprofits and charities in Canada? Also, Canada`s charitable and nonprofit sector is the 2nd largest in the world.
Having this in mind, you are probably wondering what can make your organization different from thousands of others? How can you be shoulder to shoulder to top ranked nonprofits in the country? Is there a way for your charity to reach more people than it already does? There are two words that can answer all you question and doubts – Digital Marketing.
Digital marketing is the most cost-effective way to reach the largest audience possible. When done well, digital techniques and marketing strategies, such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Content Marketing, Social Media and Email Marketing, can enable charities to speak to numbers of people at the same time.
The first step any charity should be taking, is to get a SMART website
You want your work to be seen, heard and acknowledged. You have a great goal to help the ones in need and there are millions of people out there who can easily help and they are just a click away. Having a web page is like working 24/7, or at least having information phone line working non-stop, only you don’t have to pay anyone to answer the phone and give information day and night. Your options for donations, fundraising activities, volunteer recruitment, goals that you stream towards to, goals that you already achieved, you want all of that to be out there transparent and shouting from your page.
You already have a website, but you are still not satisfied with the result? Maybe it`s time to modernize it? Having a web site is not just putting bunch of information randomly out there, it`s about using all above mentioned techniques and strategies together and on a reliable platform. This way you can get perfect design, right tone, useful information and proper content when presenting your goals.
What are your goals? Who do you want to reach?
It`s not new or strange that people will research your business online prior to becoming your customer. If you don’t grab your clients today, your competition will. It’s only a matter of time before nonprofits that are too slow to change and embrace the digital world, will become forgotten.
People spent most of their time online. Either it is browsing through social networks, or working, deciding what to buy, what to eat, where to go. Easiest way to find what you need is to just “google it”. So, your potential donors and customers are already online, searching for ways to make a difference and donate. By creating responsive website, you can make this easier for them, with one click from their chair.
If someone wants to give money to a good cause, its most likely he/she will do it right away, when reading about the story you share with them. You are going for sympathy, emotions, you need to show real life situations.
That is why it`s important to have quality media at your website, like photographs and videos. If your website is done properly, a reader will decide right away that they want to help. Your web presentation can convince them to make a difference with your charity and not to scroll away. That`s it! That should be your main goal – creative, modern dosing and content that will capture attention and make instant reaction.
UNICEF knows how to do it. Why should`t you be in line with most successful charity organizations in the world?
Work on your digital strategy.
Don’t forget about Social Media!
This is, maybe, the most powerful way to “scream” ACTION! Your charity needs audience of all ages, someone who will share your story fast and with as much people as possible. You need volunteers for your next event? You need to post it and let others share.
Social networks like Facebook, or Instagram are a great way to present your content on more than one way. These platforms are made for announcements, photographs, videos. If you, want your charity event to be promoted, social networks are the way to go, and a smart way to bring audience back to your web page. It goes both ways, because your webpage should have social media buttons right there at your contact information. You need to act on all fields and thanks to digital marketing, there are endless ways to do that.
How much will this cost? Is this investment more than you can bargain for?
Budget is probably the most sensitive topic whatever the business is, but especially if you are a nonprofit organization. Like with any investment, you want it to be minimized, but with maximum result. Sometimes it`s hard to find balance between those two. Still you need to think about long-term results when planning your budget.
With so many digital marketing agencies offering services it`s hard to pick the right one and they offer so much. Do you really need everything they are offering? This is why you need to pick an agency of professionals who will listen to you, and not impose their opinion to you. You have limited budget and they should work with you to offer the best they can with what you can afford. Your goal should become their goal and they should celebrate your success with you.
We at Siva Creative are very excited to share more free advice with you, so feel free to contact us any time. Maybe we can help your charity to get the web presentation you dream of.
