Digital Marketing Tips for Nonprofits
Social media. Email. Interactive graphics and video. The explosion of digital media has much to offer nonprofits, but if you feel overwhelmed by all the available options, you're not alone; a 2017 survey revealed that 32 percent of nonprofits have a basic digital strategy and 6 percent have an advanced strategy, leaving more than 60 percent of organizations without any digital program at all.
The good news: It's never too late to put a digital inbound marketing plan in place. Here's how to get started with digital media that will transform how you interact with your clients, your staff and your supporters.
Email 2.0: This Time it's Personal
For many years, it seemed like email was losing ground to social media platforms, as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram reigned supreme. While social media still remains a powerful marketing tool, email has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity in recent years. The trick lies in creating email content that your audience will find useful, valuable and relevant... and that means personalization and segmentation. On a small (read: nonprofit) budget, hyper-personalized emails might be difficult to achieve, but you can segment your mailing list into smaller groups. Think of personalizing emails to people who attended an event, who gave money to a certain campaign, who made an in-kind gift, who volunteered... you get the picture.
Email on the Go
As digital devices like smart phones and tablets increase in popularity, more of your audience will read emails from you on their mobile devices. For nonprofits, this means paying attention to how your emails look when opened on devices (such as font size and choice, colors, images, etc.), effectiveness of subject lines and links to your landing pages. It's all about the user experience, and optimizing for mobile is essential.
Save Time: Automate
We know, we just told you to personalize emails... but automation can still save time and effort. Automating key processes — such as e-newsletter sign-ups, thank you and welcome letters — makes sense, as long as you're keeping the content up-to-date. Review any automated content at least quarterly to ensure relevance and accuracy.
Interactive Content is Key
People love videos and infographics; studies indicate that four times as many consumers would prefer to watch a video about a product rather than read about it, and using the word "video" in a subject line increases open rates by almost 20 percent. Replacing text with graphics and video makes your content more attractive.
Social Media: Problematic, But Still Lovable
Though social media reach and engagement has declined in recent years, it's still a valuable marketing tool. The key lies in integrating your social media presence with other marketing tools, such as email campaigns. Think of social media as a way to get your message across while building community, rather as simply an advertising tool.
Want more digital marketing tips for nonprofits? Visit TechImpact to learn more about incorporating today's technology into your nonprofit's outreach and marketing plans.
