Giving Tuesday Marketing Tips for Small Organizations
Autumn has always been a season of gratitude, as the leaves fall we usher in the official holiday season with celebrations like Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving. Beyond passing the turkey down the table, thanks to social movements like #GivingTuesday, we're more aware than ever of all of the opportunities to give, share, and donate what we can.
By now we've all become accustomed to seeing Black Friday ads well before the Halloween candy is gone. #GivingTuesday gives us all the opportunity to support some of the causes we love the most during the rush for holiday spending. Smaller organizations and nonprofits with meager marketing budgets may have trouble competing with well-established "household names," you know, the ones you think of immediately when you think of charities.
Fear not, grassroots friends! We've gathered a few of our favorite tips to help ensure your Giving Tuesday campaign goes off without a hitch. Use these creative marketing tips to spread the word about the wonderful work that you are doing:
1. Start Early
You work hard all year long - don't wait until the last minute to start your plan for Giving Tuesday. Putting signage out at your brick and mortar location, posts on social media, and sharing the news through your ambassadors is the best way to inform those who support your business the most that you've got something special happening this November... which brings us to...
2. Plan Something Special for Giving Tuesday
Use the season of giving to inspire a special campaign. Simply slapping a #GivingTuesday hashtag at the end of your social content on November 27th isn't going to have donors clamoring to get involved. Consider hosting a special event like an open house, a volunteer day, baking competition, or charity drive. The options are endless - and if the end goal is to spread awareness about your organization's mission - the more the merrier!
3. Spread the Word
Again, adding a hashtag just isn't enough. (If it was, we probably wouldn't be in business.) Be sure you're considering who your most philanthropic audience is and where they're spending their time - both online and IRL. (That's in real life for anyone who didn't visit a chatroom in the mid-nineties.) For example: If your organization is animal related - consider reaching out to your community's largest (and smallest!) pet centers. Sharing posters and educating the employees there can increase awareness about your Giving Tuesday campaign.
4. Don't Stop after November 27th
#GivingTuesday is an awesome example of a positive social movement. It started in 2012 and since then has grown into something, well, special. Sharing about your mission year-round is essential. Be sure to thank those who got involved in your Giving Tuesday 2018 campaign and save their info (securely) for next year. Use photos and testimonies from past years to build up anticipation for next year's campaign!
Ready to get started on your next campaign? Not sure where to start? Let's chat strategy, graphics, photography, and more!
