3 Interactive Marketing Strategies to Increase ROI

In today’s evolving online industry, companies of all types and sizes are looking to take further advantage of the Internet to reach the widest audience possible. In recent years, nonprofit organizations have vastly developed their marketing efforts on the Internet. In 1999, less than 15 percent of nonprofits had Web sites, and now almost every nonprofit has basic online marketing capabilities. Funds raised online by nonprofits have grown from $250 million in 2000 to more than $5 billion in 2006, and, it’s estimated that 30 percent of all fundraising — online and offline — this year will happen online.

The level of competition to differentiate a nonprofit organization on the Web has greatly increased, requiring a higher level of sophistication for online initiatives. Nonprofit marketers need to optimize their Web sites and implement strategic interactive marketing strategies to gain traction on the Web and increase overall ROI. Here, a few tips on doing just that.

1. Optimize your Web site

Optimizing content for your target audience is a critical factor and most likely the first natural step in the success of your online initiatives to acquire leads and generate donations. Consider your target audience when building, optimizing or enhancing the interactive component for your organization by meeting its expectations. Build the site based on personas and create a solid online component that is updated, relevant and viral. If, for example, your typical user is a mother of young children and you know this demographic would best be targeted with photographs of children and items they can connect to, be sure to incorporate these graphics on the site. Also identify whether you need a special page or special features on your site for ethnic or foreign language groups, community groups, or the elderly and, if so, implement specific design elements that would appeal to these groups.