If I Were to Start an NGO, This is How I Will Leverage Digital Marketing

We are surrounded by a lot of social value-creation organizations. Maybe young people realized that the easiest way to make an impact is to be interested in the well-being of their community. The challenge, according to me is that the majority of these organizations are doing almost the same thing. Most of them have the same business model and use the same marketing strategies; find an initiative in the community, get help from donors, and go and donate. So the social value creation space is filled with NGOs that create a lot of temporal solutions in their attempt to fix permanent problems.

If I'm to start a charitable organization today, my goal from the initiation will be to create lasting solutions. This sets you apart from the competition and therefore gives me the edge for marketing campaigns. My NGO will not focus on social sustainability alone but I will develop a model that embraces both social value creation and economic value creation. The reason is simple, the charity business model will soon fade out or is already fading out. If you are a small or new NGO reading this, how difficult is it raising funds for community outreaches? If you have been in the business for a long, compare the last five years and now in terms of raising funds.

The big charity foundations in the world know this, so they have moved from the charity model and have found a way to work in economic sustainability which allows them to use commercial methods to support their social programs.

Maybe I can share more about this in another article since this article is on how to leverage digital marketing for NGOs. But achieving what I've shared above will set the grounds for me to effectively use Digital Marketing efforts to create value. Because it is almost impossible to market that is facing extinction.

But the good thing is these ideas can still work if you are still operating the charity model. So strap in, let's do this.

Why Digital Marketing?
Digital Marketing has become the most reliable and cost-effective means for different businesses to reach a different audiences. Unlike traditional marketing, Digital Marketing efforts promote brand awareness, build global reach and give you the tools to easily and effectively track your marketing efforts. The best part is Digital Marketing is cheaper than traditional marketing.

The goal of a social enterprise is to spread its message to the public. Digital Marketing provides the perfect opportunity to expand your communication and communicate directly with like-minded people in a cost-effective way.

How I Will Leverage On Digital Marketing
1. Have a Solid Online Presence
Building a strong online presence is the first thing I will be thinking about. After all, that is what Digital Marketing is about; building an online presence.

Building a responsive website for my NGO is so important if I'm going to convince donors and volunteers to give me their money and time. A responsive website increases my legitimacy and professionalism and positions my organization well when soliciting funds. I'll make sure my website is simple and easy to navigate.

To take the website a step further, add a blogging platform. This is an excellent storytelling platform for almost every organization. I think it is a waste of money for NGOs to build a website without a blogging platform. And it is even worse when they have one with no content. If I'm a donor or volunteer, I'll see such an NGO as one that will potentially waste any contribution I make. So if I must have a website, I need to add a blogging platform, the blogging platform is even the reason I'm building a website in the first place.

This is where I publish compelling stories about my projects, at every stage. The blog should be viewed as a versatile content marketing tool and should serve as the core part of every content marketing strategy. If you don't have the skills to get around this, hire a Digital Marketer who understands blogging/content marketing to help your organization leverage blogging.

Apart from websites and blogs, I will also use social media to build a solid online presence. Most often than not, I see NGOs creating social media platforms but not making the best out of them. These platforms are free tools I can use to share social proof content, links, and videos related to my NGO services.

If you are worried about the skills to do all these, worry no more. As I mentioned, you can hire a Digital Marketer or even a Social Media Manager with an edge for content, someone like Joseph Yaw Mawunyo will do. You can even get some volunteers if your HR skills are good and they buy into your vision.

2. Invest in Social Proof Content
If I want donors and volunteers to have confidence in me then social proof content is a strategy I can use. Having social proof is a way to show the seriousness, safety, and veracity of the NGOs' activities. Social proof plays an important role in creating a meaningful impact in a donor's mind. They are highly influential in getting people to take action or make a donation. Testimonials and reviews are reliable sources of information about the work and impact of an NGO in the community.

I have invested hundreds of cedis in a website with a blogging platform, I'll build on this and invest in testimonials from donors, volunteers, partners, and impacted people. Even if I don't have a website, I can share my social proof content on social media platforms.

I have observed that the majority of small NGOs are too obsessed with publishing photos. I'm not saying photos are bad but they are not the only content they can create. Sharing photos on social media is a start, but it is time they take it a step further by leveraging Digital Marketing.

3. Video Campaign Optimization
I do not understand why the NGOs I come across on social media are not using videos to convey their messages but are always sharing images. Maybe it is because they haven't realized how effective Digital Marketing can be but now they do with the help of this article.

Video is ruling the digital space and knowing how to build strong video campaigns can make a world of difference. Close to 60% of people who watch videos from NGOs go on to donate. Video campaigns can serve me better on my home page and social media pages.

I'll make sure I'm creating videos that inspire emotion in viewers. The simple things about my organization and topics related to my cause are a good place to start. I highly encourage starting somewhere and then improving.

If you are an NGO working towards your next project and you are wondering how videos can serve you, let's have a chat.

4. Engage the Audience through Personalized Email
Email Marketing is another digital tool that I can use to maximize my marketing efforts. Email Marketing is a cost-effective way to attract potential donors and sponsors. Emails receive a 29% opening rate and 49% click-through rate. With this it can help can increase conversions and engagement.

Using a segmenting list can help me offer a more personalized experience to potential donors and grow retention by creating campaigns that are specific to these audiences. It is also important that I add a strong call to action to get my subscribers to engage with my message.

5. Pay-Per-Click Marketing or Social Media Ads
I can also use PPC to effectively market my organization and drive traffic to my website or create awareness for my campaigns. This is a cost-effective and efficient way to promote my initiatives and activities.

The good news for NGOs is the Google Grants that can award up to$10,000 a month in PPC advertising through its Ads services. This is a great opportunity for my organization to expose its initiatives to a larger audience without spending exorbitant amounts.

I will also leverage social media ads to promote my initiatives so I can reach a wider audience and potentially increase donor support.

Conclusion
You may be thinking these are not necessary for an NGO but you may be wrong. Especially when you stop thinking like a typical Non-profit organization and start thinking in terms of building commercial methods that support your social programs. This is the future of non-profit organizations.

Nothing should prevent NGOs from leverage on digital media to attract more donors and volunteers, engage them and track their marketing efforts. You can increase your competitive advantage by exploring the value that NGOs have in the online space.

If you are ready to take your marketing to another level using all the points I've made and more but you don't know how you should reach out to me and let's set your organization up for digital evolution. Joseph Yaw Mawunyo on all social media platforms.