Create a website for your organization, and update it often. Your website is often your first impression on donors, volunteers, employees, supporters, and clients. It’s an important source of information on your cause and purpose, as well as other particulars, such as statistics and stories.
Stay up-to-date with social media. Know what’s popular and important to people. Utilize YouTube; almost half of all internet users use it, and the site gets a billion unique visitors each month! Consider making Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram accounts to cover the major social media platforms; be involved in those communities.
Create a blog. Start and maintain a blog for your organization. Blogging is an effective way to share current happenings within or extending from your nonprofit, providing information for those who want to learn more about your organization before becoming involved or those who simply want to keep up with your activities. You can write on a range of topics, including tips for other nonprofits, current news, or simply share phenomenal experiences your organization has had with others. Sharing tips on a blog can demonstrate expertise, and providing free information will expand your positive impact.
Connect your blog, website, and social media into a network. Use backlinks and directories, so that people can easily view extra information or explore suggested ideas. Connecting your network to the larger conversation opens new opportunities for your website visitors. Making your website and online presence intuitive and navigable gives your visitors a good experience, which makes them more likely to visit frequently or share it with others.
Showcase your social presence. On your website, provide significant numbers or statistics to first provide evidence of your influence, and then display other important goals your organization has reached. This can also include client testimonials. Provide links to all your social media accounts on your homepage, so visitors can easily connect in various ways.
Make your copy stand out. On your website, in letters and emails, and even on merchandise, a clever or witty phrase can be extremely appealing. See what kind of engagement results from sharing impressive statistics about your organization. If you have a long sentence or idea that you want to share, reword it to be concise and clear, so that people can grasp it easily. Adding graphics to your copy will increase the visual appeal.
Use multi-channel marketing. After designing a message and schedule, organize a system of following up with and reaching people through the website, social media, email, phone, and mail. People are so busy nowadays that one method of communication is often not enough to get their attention. One email may be overlooked, so a phone call can be a helpful follow-up. With whichever media you decide to use, keep your message consistent throughout all the steps in order to remain clear in your purpose.
Go an extra step when you send messages. Offer calls to action in the messages you send. Simply stating your goals may not be enough to move people to interact with your organization’s cause, so asking them to respond in a specific way can bring about more results and progress.
Use video to appeal to emotion. If your budget allows, creating videos and using images to appeal to emotions can be great for persuasion. Even short videos or just one superb image can be extremely powerful. A video can be easily viewed, conveying meaningful information quickly, and people appreciate artful use of media.
