One of the biggest challenges that not-for-profit organisations face is increasing awareness about their brand. In order to stay afloat, it is essential that not-for-profit businesses take steps to make as many people aware of their operation as possible. Fortunately, there are a few excellent ways to achieve this.
Life can be tricky as the owner of a non-profit, with constant fear and concern about running programs correctly, obtaining enough donations, and making sure that you are a prominent figure in both the local community and industry. Here are a few suggestions for raising awareness about your not-for-profit organisation.
Website
Every organisation (profit or non-profit) needs a high-quality website which is attractive, easy to use, and kept up to date. This is how you present your business to the world and show your mission statement and brand identity. If your organisation sells products to consumers online, be sure to use ecommerce platforms which can make it easy for consumers to make secure payments online – this will help to develop your reputation and could help your organisation to grow.
Internet Marketing
It is important to have a high-quality website, but this will not be much good if you cannot be found online. Search engine optimisation can help you to rise through the organic listings on search engine results pages while pay per click advertising (PPC) will see you appear in the sponsored results. Using both of these internet marketing disciplines will deliver both short and long-term results and direct much more traffic to your website.
Social Media
Following on from this, it is vital that you use social media to increase brand awareness and to communicate with your target audience and the wider world. Social media is a powerful tool, and it can be quick and easy to use with regular updates about what is happening in your industry and within your organisation. Additionally, be sure to engage with the public and respond to queries in a friendly yet professional manner.
Attend Community Events
Many nonprofits rely heavily on the local community, so it is important that you are showing your face at key community events and greeting people. This could involve hosting a booth at a local event where you can raise awareness, collect donations, sell products and engage with people face-to-face.
Host Your Own Events
It is also a good idea to host your own events so that you can raise your profile and awareness in the local community. This could be a launch party, lecture, BBQ, workshop or anything else that allows you to meet with people and share your vision.
Life can be difficult and stressful when you operate a non-profit organisation. The key to survival is making sure that as many people know about your organisation as possible, so you need to know a few different ways to boost awareness. These are a few of the more effective methods which will help to establish your brand both online and offline so that you can raise awareness and find stability to keep the operation afloat.