Niche Marketing Plans

Marketing a Charity

There is little room for error in marketing a charity in today's economy. Fortunately, we have the information you need to stay ahead of the curve and outperform the rest of the field.

If you are a business leader who sees marketing as a path to give your charity an edge over the competition you're not alone.

Business savvy entrepreneurs usually have a solid foundation in marketing. Unfortunately, it's takes more than a basic business mindset to achieve total market visibility. You will also have to become a student of specific marketing strategies for a charity.

Make Sure You Have a Good Business Sign

Good signage is a Business 101 concept. Even though charities come in all shapes and sizes, signage can be used by any charity to communicate the company's value to their customers. Visibility, branding elements and other considerations are all factors in the design and size of your operation's business signage.

Given the fact that signage in charities has unique characteristics, avoid glossing it over as an afterthought. Talk with somebody who knows a lot about business signage advice and get their input before you create new business signs.

Social Media Monitoring

Social media has become a prominent fixture in marketing. For small businesses, an aggressive social media campaign can level the playing field by generating online buzz that competes with corporate marketing initiatives. Social media can quickly go negative, turning brand advocacy into "badvocacy", a scenario in which consumers and users create content deriding your company and your products. All charities are especially vulnerable to negative exposure through social media. To counter negative social media, you'll need to monitor your brand's online presence and enter the conversation, redirecting negative discussions toward more positive topics.

Email Campaigns

Email campaigns make use of the fact that most consumers and businesses receive information electronically. More than 50% of all email users check their inbox six or more times a day. What does that mean for your company? It means the odds are in favor of email campaigns actually connecting with customers. For charities, the hardest part of an email campaign is gathering the email addresses of likely customers. At Gaebler, we recommend buying mailing lists from professional, third-party providers. Purchased lists aren't the only source for customer contacts, but they can be used to create fast momentum for email campaigns and other initiatives.

Share this article


Additional Resources for Entrepreneurs

Lists of Venture Capital and Private Equity Firms

Franchise Opportunities

Contributors

Business Glossary