Non-profit organisations are out there doing something good for the community and the world every single day, regardless of whether or not the world knows what they’re doing. The problem comes in when resources run low and there’s a need for more helpers to be on board. Then it becomes a side mission of finding an effective yet affordable way to market the organisation, it’s charitable actions and reach out to the public for some assistance.
There are a few key elements to keep in mind when marketing as an NGO or NPO. For one, you need to focus on who your target market is and direct all efforts towards them. This way money and time can be saved. You also need to know what it is you are wanting to achieve from the marketing campaign before you start. Your message is the most important part of any and all marketing efforts.
And if you make the most of the internet’s resources, your organisation can achieve the impact, marketing results and reach it needs.
Drupal development
Calling all NPOs and NGOs – if you haven’t heard of Drupal by now, then you’re most certainly missing out. Here at Rogerwilco, the largest Drupal agency in South Africa, we know how to utilise the free content management software to help you build the best possible website to suit your cause.
But there is more to Drupal than just website software. With Drupal, it’s possible to create applications, manage marketing campaigns and easily edit content – all with the user experience in mind.
Rogerwilco developer, James Anderton, has already given you 8 reasons to consider Drupal for your next website and I’m pretty sure no one needs to tell you why you need a relevant, content-driven and user-friendly website. With your website ready to go, your marketing campaigns can bring volunteers and donors straight back to the homepage or a relevant landing page on your site that leads them to the next step and, just like that, you have a conversion.
Google Ad Grants
Pay-per-click doesn’t always have to cost you money before it can make you money. Through Google Ad Grants, money costs you nothing and, with that money you’re given, your non-profit organisation can advertise on Google search. And that’s not a bad place to have your cause and website advertised.
Unsurprisingly, there are limits to these grants, such as a $2.00 cost-per-click bid and not more than $10 000 per month, but either way, you’re still being advertised on Google and your reach extends greatly. Do your organisation a favour and start the application process with your Adwords and Google non-profit account and hope for the best.
Social media marketing
It would be smart to have a marketing budget in your monthly expenses if you can afford it as an organisation. And with that marketing budget, invest in social media marketing. Social media is the world’s best friend and by making use of everything it has to offer marketing-wise, your organisation will gain the traction and attention it needs to be relevant. It will also be easier to direct your marketing content to targeted audiences and monitor the success of those campaigns.
Through social media, you can also benefit from networking and connecting with other organisations, donors, influencers (who can seriously boost your website traffic from social media) and other potential partnerships.
Email marketing
When starting out, there are email marketing platforms that can offer you a free package with a limited number of contacts on a database to send emails out to. These should be enough to give you a feel for email marketing campaigns and track the success, unsubscribe rates and click-throughs.
As your contacts grow, you’ll need to extend your reach and target audience. That’s when you dip into the marketing budget to build and acquire success from those campaigns. Email marketing not only keeps your people informed of what you’ve been up to as an organisation, but it can appeal to their generosity and be a way for you to say thank you and show them what you’ve been able to achieve with their help. Nonprofit marketer, John Hayden talks about how you can thank your donors like you mean it, the motivation behind it and how email marketing can achieve it.
It’s a simple, quick and cost-effective way to make people part of the non-profit brand experience.
Call-to-action buttons
With your social media and email marketing, it’s important to have “call to action” buttons around that will encourage people to “Apply now” , “Donate” or “Make a difference”. Take your Facebook page, for example. If your organisation qualifies, you can have a “Donate Now” button added to your page making it easier for users to take part in the experience as opposed to having to surf around the web to find where or how to donate.
Call-to-action buttons bring users to your website. In fact, all of your marketing campaigns should bring people back to your website, where they can easily access all the information they need before committing to being a donor or volunteer.
Needless to say, it’s really important that your website is up to standard and that’s where we at Rogerwilco can help you.
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