As nonprofit leaders are charged with the not-so-simple business of changing the world, we’re constrained by tight budgets, limited resources and a finite number of hours in the day to complete a seemingly infinite number of tasks.
Faced with these considerable challenges, efficiency is the name of the game. Fortunately, resource-rich analysts in the for-profit world are always conducting and aggregating research on what works in digital marketing, and they often publish their results for free. Lucky for us, the psychology behind choosing to buy a product and making a donation is not all that different.
That’s why our company often looks to the for-profit space for clues. Here are six for-profit strategies we’ve harnessed to turn commercial marketing wisdom into nonprofit change for good:
1. Optimize your campaign pages with visual cues.
When we create campaign pages, we want as many visitors as possible to take action. That means spending time nailing down the most effective campaign targets, crafting language that resonates with them, and building functional pages that make participation easy and intuitive.
As highlighted by Kissmetrics, recent eye-tracking heat map studies suggest that visitors respond strongly to images that contain faces. But when the faces are looking toward your content, visitors actually tend to follow their gaze. Don’t let your action forms be ignored!
Bonus: Hand-drawn arrows may have an even stronger effect than faces.
2. Get more out of your media coverage.
We celebrate every time the media covers our work, but we cheer extra hard when a link to our website is included.
Backlinko explains that a link to your website from a site like NYTimes.com, for example, will have much more impact than a backlink from a no-name blogger. These backlinks are incredibly useful for search engine optimization. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the more likely your organization is to show up in Google search results.
Always provide website resources or YouTube links to journalists, and ask if they can include them in their coverage. Don’t forget to return the favor and let them know your organization will share their piece far and wide. Securing a guest blogger account on a reputable site is especially helpful since you can insert your own backlinks.
3. Invest in video assets.
It’s becoming increasingly clear that video rules the digital sphere. YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine, and Facebook’s algorithm rewards video creators.
Hubspot notes that including a video in your emails can double or even triple click-through rates and boost landing page conversions by 80%. In fact, simply using the word “video” in a subject line can boost open rates by 19%.
Don’t be daunted by filming and editing. Inexpensive tools like Adobe Creative Cloud, VideoScribe and Canva can help you quickly create professional-looking videos, and free stock footage and music are widely available online.
4. Prioritize content quality over quantity.
The pressure to constantly create content is real. But research shows that higher volume isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. According to experts like Search Engine Land and Neil Patel, longer content (think 2,000+ words) that dives deep into a topic -- instead of a short blog post -- tends to get more shares and rank higher in Google search results because it’s viewed as more valuable.
5. Create multiple opt-in opportunities.
Your email list is your No. 1 tool for empowering change. You can rely on these supporters for every campaign launch, event or appeal.
To boost your subscriber count, try creating evergreen lead magnets, where you offer something of value in exchange for an email address. For example, on one of our landing pages, supporters can sign up for a free download of our Compassionate Food Buying Guide.
Backlinko recommends adding two opt-in opportunities on your about page because those readers are most likely to want to hear more from you. Every blog post should come with an opportunity for visitors to join your email list.
6. Prevent shopping cart abandonment.
Unless your nonprofit has an online store, you probably don’t think much about e-commerce shopping carts. But as CPC Strategy notes, potential buyers abandon them about 68% of the time.
How many potential donors give up halfway through the online form? Fortunately, there’s a quick fix: Adding a progress bar helps visitors feel less overwhelmed and makes them more likely to complete their donation, knowing they are just a couple steps away.
Nonprofits have a duty to their donors and benefactors to be as efficient as possible, and having these digital marketing hacks at our disposal can make us all more effective.
With thanks to contributing authors Nina Farley and Alison Spasser.
