Charities have engaged in paid marketing campaigns for ages. Most influencers are active on social media and already engaging in outreach on those platforms. In addition to this, many people have found it easier to engage with, learn about, and donate to charities online. Finally, so many social media platforms have made the process of creating charitable campaigns so easy. Knowing this makes sense that more charities than ever use influencer marketing as a crucial part of their overall marketing strategy. Then there’s the influencer. Well-known people have been throwing their names behind charities of all sorts for quite a long time. Working with a not-for-profit brand online could offer some critical opportunities.
The Benefits Of Influencer Marketing In Charity and Non-Profit Sectors
Can influencers do enough for a charity to make investing in that relationship worthwhile? They absolutely can, assuming they are appropriate for the role, vetted through JustGoViral, and there’s a great campaign in place.
The truth is that influencers generate excitement. Even in your social media feeds, you may have seen posts from professional athletes, television stars, and musicians raising awareness or money for charities. You can use that to gain positive momentum and help non-profits reach their goals. If you are a brand, here are three key benefits to bringing an influencer into your marketing efforts.
Influencers Drive Awareness
Many influencers have gained a level of popularity and authority that allows them to draw attention indeed. Not only can they attract potential supporters for your organization, but they can also attract press. This could benefit you if you seek metrics such as traffic, increased name recognition, and better awareness.
An Influencer Can Create A Sense Of Legitimacy
Influencers have already earned the trust of their followers. Additionally, a recognizable face can add legitimacy to your campaign. Even though people may claim that someone’s celebrity or popularity does not influence them, the truth is that they are. Get an influencer involved in your charity campaign, and you will increase the likelihood that the audience you are targeted will be inclined (or “influenced”) to trust you.
Successful Charities Use Influencers For Conversions
For newer charities, building awareness and trust is particularly important. However, non-profits ultimately need results. They need people committing to making donations, signing up to volunteer, sharing information about events, and taking other meaningful actions. That’s something an influencer can accomplish. Remember that when an influencer makes branded content go viral, they influence people to read or watch. They’re influencing them to open their wallets or take some other dedicated action.
The bottom line is this. If you run a charity, chances are the vast majority of your marketing efforts are done online. Doesn’t it make sense to use the very people who are experts in those platforms?
How Can Charities Increase Reach with Influencer Marketing?
You want to use influencer marketing to reach a wider audience and raise awareness. To do that, you must find the right influencer. Ideally, they’ll have an audience within your target group and will bring enough authority and influence to help you reach out even beyond your current audience and theirs.
The best influencer partnerships are also based on relevance. Simply put, they should make sense. For example, a charity that worked to bring sports programs to underprivileged areas might seek out a fitness influencer to boost a bikeathon event they’re having. An influencer in the restaurant and food niche would be a valuable addition to a campaign to raise awareness about the importance of improving work conditions in agriculture.
Using Influencers to Make An Impact
Once a brand has connected with an influencer through JustGoViral, it’s time to plan and execute. What can charities do to use an influencer in a way that makes the most significant impact? At this point, content and engagement are the most critical factors. Nonprofits and influencers must work together to create a content strategy that focuses on accuracy, relevance, and call to action.
Here are some things that influencers can do to better connect with audiences and get actual results:
- Deliver content in a tone that is believable and authoritative.
- Offer statistics and other facts to add credibility.
- Share stories to create an emotional connection.
Finally, remember that the influencer has two roles. They need to get their audience to care about the cause. Influencers must also convince people the charity itself is worthy of their trust and attention. They can do this by sharing why they’ve chosen to be involved with that charity, as well as some trust indicators. For example, they can offer some information on the percentage of donations towards the charity’s mission vs. administrative costs.
Why an Influencer Would Work with Charities
It is easy to see why an influencer would work with a brand. These relationships allow them to earn direct payment, affiliate commissions, and free products and services. While charities should expect that they will have to compensate the celebrity influencers they use, they can also leverage some other motivating factors.
So, why would an influencer choose to spend time and bandwidth promoting a charity organization? In many cases, they may be paid less than they would when they work with for-profit brands. Still, it’s not difficult to find influencers using their platforms to support a variety of initiatives. Here are just a few reasons why:
- Influencers build trust and goodwill when they support charities.
- Some influencers genuinely support the charities they promote.
- Boosting a charity can help influencers increase their reach.
There may also be opportunities for additional marketing built into charity campaigns. For example, an influencer could market one of their products by offering audience members a deep discount as a reward for donating to the nonprofit they are promoting.
Brands that understand what motivates influencers will be better positioned when they approach one with an offer.
Final Thoughts
There’s a lot of potential in influencer marketing for charities. Influencers can help them reach new audiences, raise awareness, and get people to provide tangible support. A carefully selected influencer can also boost trust and help new charities establish legitimacy. As long as brands choose influencers that reach the right audiences, influencer marketing can help your brand go viral and have a great ROI.
