The world of nonprofits is becoming more digital, and more people are using the web to research, learn, and fundraise. According to HubSpot Blogs research, 75% of all surveyed nonprofits use online marketing to some extent, compared to 64% of all other surveyed industries.
Nonprofits can get creative with their digital marketing strategies, using many of the same tools and platforms that for-profit businesses use, but with a different lens. This article will discuss five tips for success in online marketing for non-profits.
1. Use Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of raising your website’s search ranking on search engines, like Google. Good SEO ensures that your website shows up for relevant keywords when potential donors, volunteers, and funders search for those terms. The better your SEO, the more people will see your website and be able to find you online.
The first step to becoming an expert SEO is to learn the basics. This includes understanding what keywords are, how to find and use them, and how search engines work. As a general rule of thumb, you should aim to have five keywords in your headline, one in your description, and one in each of your blog posts’ content.
Choosing five keywords that fit with your website, products, and services, and that people are actually searching for, is not as easy as it sounds. It takes time and practice to get right.
2. Set Up Google Alerts
Google Alerts are email notifications that will let you know as soon as your website or blog is talked about online. To set up alerts, visit the Google Search Console and click the “+” sign in the upper-right corner. Look for your website in the Google search results and click on the “Create Alert” button.
This will take you to a new page where you can type in a name or email address for the alert, as well as any words you want to use to find items about your topic. Once you’re done, press the “Create Alert” button.
Google Alerts can be an extremely useful tool for nonprofits, especially as they allow you to track mentions of your organization in both traditional and digital spaces. You can use this to your advantage by setting up alert notifications for the keywords and phrases that you choose.
3. Create Social Media Accounts For Your Brand
A social media account is a digital presence on a platform like Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. A presence on these platforms can be extremely valuable for a nonprofit. Just remember that more is not always better. The more accounts you have, the more frequently you’ll have to post to keep everyone interested. Also, make sure that your content is quality and that you are being genuine and transparent.
Creating social media accounts is easy enough. Simply visit the relevant website and click on the “Sign up” button. You’ll then be brought to a page that lets you create a username and password, as well as an optional email address. Once you’re done, you can log in and choose to connect your social media accounts to your website.
You should also consider whether you should have one account for each platform or whether you should have a single account that you can use on all platforms. Having a single account allows you to consistently post content to all platforms, instead of having to post on each one individually.
4. Measure The Results Of Your Marketing Efforts
Measuring the results of your marketing efforts is a key part of any business, but it’s even more important for nonprofits. You can use several different metrics to determine the effectiveness of your digital marketing strategy, but the most important one is traffic. This is also known as engagement or activity.
There are a variety of free tools that you can use to track the results of your efforts, like Google Analytics, which can be accessed from your Google Search Console. The more you know about your own results, the better you can determine what’s working and what needs to be changed. This is especially important for nonprofits, since they often operate with limited resources and manpower.
5. Use The Right Mobile App
Mobile apps allow users to access content on the go, whether that be on their phone or tablet. It is therefore important to ensure that your mobile app is easy to use and has the best user experience possible. Good UX is key to creating an app that will be used and maintained by others, especially in today’s world of social media where people are constantly connected to their phones.
There are several different UX elements to consider when creating a mobile app for your organization. First, is the actual look and feel of the app? Does it match your brand and have a good user experience or does it look like something from Apple or Android?
Also, what are the requirements for the app itself? Will you need a specific device to use it on? Is it designed for smartphones or tablets?
Once you have those two things taken care of, the next step is to consider the functionality of the app. Does it have all the necessary features necessary for your organization to operate effectively? Does it integrate well with other platforms and software?
UX and functionality both matter a lot when it comes to creating an app that will be used and maintained by others. The more you put in to make it good, the more you get back, especially if you want the app to stand a chance of being maintained and expanded upon by others long-term.
When it comes to digital marketing for nonprofits, it’s important to keep in mind a few things. First, search engine optimization is vital for any website, including those used for fundraising. Having good SEO will allow your site to appear for relevant keywords on search engines, resulting in more people finding your site when they search for these terms.
Secondly, social media is extremely important for any brand or business, including nonprofits. Having a Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram presence is vital for anyone, especially those in a digital marketing role.
Last but not least, it’s important to measure the results of your efforts. Without a clear idea of what worked and didn’t work, you’ll never be able to improve your strategy and make it work better. To start with, you can use Google Analytics to track the results of your marketing efforts. Just remember to import the data from your Analytics account to a spreadsheet for easy analysis.