Maximize Holidays to Expand Your Nonprofit Audience

Holidays evoke emotion. They’re rooted in tradition. 

Marketing and communications efforts attempt to evoke emotion to drive action. Holidays provide a scheduled opportunity to be an active participant in a discussion around tradition and emotion. They provide an opportunity to “hack the funnel” — something that all nonprofits should try to do more. 

Creating a digital-first communications plan rooted in shared values that uses holidays as a catalyst and reason can engage and pull people down the supporter funnel. 

A Full-Funnel Approach

Every day people are hit with hundreds of marketing messages. This noise makes it hard to break through. While it is hard, it is not impossible. Nonprofits have a message that connects with people’s being, one that’s packed full of emotion. By embracing the funnel — meaning creating marketing that answers questions people have at every step in their supporter journey — nonprofits can rise above the noise. 

How many times have you seen a piece of content from an organization you didn’t know and immediately completed its call to action? Personally, I can count how many times this has happened to me on one hand. 

It takes time for people to move from top of funnel (awareness) to mid-funnel (consideration) to low funnel (conversion). One of the challenges that nonprofit marketers face is that budgets focus almost exclusively on mid- to low-funnel supporters. This often leaves top-of-funnel needs to organic efforts and other low-dollar tactics.

Traditions and Emotions

The corporate world spends a lot of money asking people to do things. This fosters a connection between consumers and brands. Corporations see the power of holidays and often prominently use them throughout their marketing. 

You expect to see furniture and appliance deals during Presidents Day, car commercials for Memorial Day (just in time for your summer road trip), and big box retailers during the end of year holidays — the list can go on and on. 

Every year, I look forward to the Mercedes Benz holiday commercial with the luxury car in a snowy environment and the big red bow when the person opens their front door. For me, this is as synonymous to Christmas as the clydesdales are to the Super Bowl. 

Ads and commercials make audiences feel a certain way. Over time they become part of the fabric of holidays. The question for nonprofits that usually have smaller budgets than companies is how can your story evoke an emotion in someone who doesn’t already know you? How can your ask stand out among all of the other asks that people are hit with everyday?

Stand Out With Authentic Multichannel Efforts

All audience segments have unique journeys that need to be nurtured. In other words, all personas have different needs to take the next step in their supporter journey. 

While creating a plan around holidays makes sense, it’s important to do this in a way that provides plenty of touches to people in a short period of time. After all, holidays are typically a day or two. 

This requires a multichannel (or omnichannel) approach. Holidays frame a discussion allowing you to make assumptions about your audience and their point of view at that specific time. This means that you can plan and tailor your message in a way that connects with them and allows them to draw conclusions about how your mission fits in their life. 

Instead of a “Happy Diwali” post you can run a campaign during this time that uses stories of new beginnings and language that evokes happiness and prosperity. If you’re running a campaign around Yom Kippur, be mindful that your audience may be thinking about atonement and reconciliation, so messages of happiness and prosperity will likely not connect. 

Memorial Day is widely accepted as the kickoff to summer. If you take this time to share stories about community through smiling faces and celebrating the outcomes of your work you’ll likely connect more than you would by emphasizing the harsh realities that many people in communities around the world face. 

These subtle nods to the mindset of your audience can go a long way in building a rapport.

5 Keys to Consider When Creating Your Next Multichannel Campaign

There’s a lot to think about when you’re creating a campaign, but here is my list of the top five things to keep in mind.

1. Authenticity Is Key

Holidays can be a catalyst for connection, but real, lasting connection is based in authenticity.

2. Connect the Digital and Physical 

People connect with spaces and shared experiences. From ads to events (large and small) to direct mail to everything in between, look for ways to connect your digital ecosystem and your physical one. When people see you in real life and online, they see themselves and a stronger bond can be formed. 

3. Don’t Just Ask for Donations 

People get hit with hundreds of asks a day. Stand out by sharing something and inviting them to be a part of your community before you ask them to donate. After all, data shows that younger generations give to be a part of something bigger than themselves.

4. Entertain People 

People remember stories over stats. They spend countless time and discretionary dollars on entertainment. Make sure that your messages entertain and connect with at least one emotion.

5. Continue the Narrative 

Don’t just share the same story over and over again. People want to connect more and more with you. Just like a friendship, the closer they get, the more layers they want to see you peel back. It takes time for them to support your mission, so continue the narrative with them to provide a unifying thread to pull them down your supporter funnel. 

Holidays are a powerful catalyst for a strong emotional connection between people and your nonprofit. Using multichannel efforts to connect with potential supporters throughout your funnel will help you not only expand your audience, but increase your donations. 

The preceding post was provided by an individual unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of NonProfit PRO.