Interactive Marketing: How Nonprofits Can Captivate in a Noisy World

Hey, you! Yes, you with the phone in your hand, scrolling through your social media feeds. I have a quick question. Have you ever seen something as you scroll that made you stop and say, "Wow, that's cool"? Well, that's interactive marketing in action, and your nonprofit can start using it to engage donors and volunteers. 

Interactive marketing is a type of marketing that aims to engage customers and involve them in the brand experience. It's all about creating a two-way conversation that captures their emotion rather than bombarding them with one-way advertisements. Interactive marketing can take many forms, including games, interactive videos, chatbots and AI-assisted content.

Why Is Interactive Marketing the Future of Marketing?

Your nonprofit donors are increasingly immune to traditional marketing and advertising. Think about it for a second. Wherever we go, from billboards on the highway to pop-up ads on our favorite websites, countless brands vie for attention. As a result, we’ve learned to tune them out or avoid them. That's why interactive marketing is so effective. It's a breath of fresh air.

Interactive marketing allows brands to connect emotionally with their audience. Involving nonprofit donors in the brand experience makes them feel part of something bigger. This emotional connection leads to increased loyalty and even advocacy. When supporters feel like they're part of a community, they're more likely to share their positive experiences with others.

How to Use Interactive Marketing to Capture Donor Attention

First up, we have AI-assisted content. By now, you’re familiar with how you can leverage the power of artificial intelligence to generate compelling copy for email campaigns and social media posts under the oversight of your fundraising marketers.

Next, you can gamify your ads and social media campaigns. Gamification can take the form of leaderboards, where supporters compete against each other for prizes (e.g., a 10K, events). You can also do countdown boards, where donors unlock exclusive content as the timer ticks down. These gamified campaigns create a fun experience for supporters that engages them.

Another approach is interactive videos. Platforms like Eko and Vimeo allow for interactive video ads and experiences. As we know, video engages viewers like nothing else. And if you can allow donors and supporters to make choices by clicking on videos, for instance, or signing up to watch premium content, it feels unique to your supporters. It creates a positive association. 

Finally, we have chatbots and voice assistants. Platforms like Tidio and WordPress’s AI Chatbot allow you to answer common questions from site visitors quickly. Also, your nonprofit can create voice-activated content. For example, you could use Google’s voice technology to create a program of resources for nonprofit services and programs aligned with your organization.

Creating a Two-Way Conversation

So, there you have it. Interactive marketing is the future of nonprofit marketing and advertising — and for good reason. It creates a two-way conversation between your nonprofit and each donor. Most importantly, it allows you to create an emotional connection with your audience, and that provides a more engaging and memorable experience for your supporters. 

The next time you encounter an interactive ad, take a moment to engage with it and see what happens. Doing so and thinking about it as you consider the experience you could deliver to your nonprofit audience places you a step ahead of other nonprofits. Who knows, you might just discover something new and exciting, and with a little research, you can recreate it for your nonprofit supporters.

Interactive marketing is the key to unlocking the hearts and minds of your target audience. Inevitably, that will allow you to increase your fundraising revenue. By engaging donors in a conversation, creating emotional connections, and providing unique and memorable experiences, you stand out in a crowded nonprofit industry and build long-term loyalty. 

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