It’s that time of year when charity marketing seems to pick up a momentum whether it’s a national campaign such as the ‘Race for Life’ or a humble local community fayre, so many charities are competing for their share of audience and donations.
All are worthy and need support to raise much needed funds for their good causes. However, for organisers there is the temptation to jump in first without considering a carefully thought through charity marketing campaign. They should consider how they can increase their brand presence to reach wider audiences, to generate maximum funds.
charity marketing campaign
Here’s our 10 top tips for a charity marketing campaign
1. Background – set the scene with your current position, consider what you have achieved to date in relation to what you want to achieve.
2. Overall aim – summarise ‘the ask’ succinctly, what you need to do by when, stating your ultimate charity goal.
3. Key objectives – whether it’s to raise funds, attract new donors or launch an appeal; make sure objectives are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely (SMART).
4. Set a marketing strategy – outline why you need the funds, who will benefit and what difference it will make to them and anchor this to content marketing, this could include videos, images, blogs, and stories.
5. Target audience – be clear about the audiences you’re trying to reach and what you expect them to do, this needs to be supported by the right content and tailoring messaging to get these audiences to believe in your cause.
6. Agree a budget – how much do you plan to spend in line with how much you want to raise in total, you need to determine a projected break-even point; no matter how limited your budget may be don’t let this hinder your unlimited creativity to raise funds.
7. Project plan – set out your actions and timetables, this will be critical to stay on track and on budget outlining your marketing channels, such as social media alongside mobile technology, SEO or email marketing.
8. Who does what – be clear about roles and responsibilities, who does what throughout the campaign, this may not always be easy if co-ordinating non-paid volunteers.
9. Shopping list – state how specific amounts will make a difference to your goal, e.g. £5 will pay for 50 test tubes, £500 us to etc. this all helps raise your charity’s brand awareness.
10. Outcome – monitor and evaluate your progress and share this with your donors and fundraising team, this strengthens engagement and brand loyalty.
The success of your campaign is very much dependent on creative content to inspire, educate and convince your audiences of the donations you require; more so than ever social media has enabled new simple ways to directly engage.
Remember, once the event or campaign is completed, continue to track and share your achievements to thank donors and encourage momentum for the next campaign!
If you’d like to find out more about how we could support your charity marketing campaign, email info@alexandrapatrick.co.uk.
