Branding is an important aspect of every nonprofit’s marketing campaign and donor engagement strategy. If there is a lack of reliable nonprofit brand awareness, contributors will look to other, less ambiguous giving opportunities. Here are several key moves that a charity can make to ensure their nonprofit brand awareness is as strong as possible:
1. Find the voice
Firespring noted that on every page of a nonprofit’s website, its mission should come across loud and clear. If a potential donor stumbles upon a random landing page during a search, they should be able to tell exactly what the organization is all about from that single visit.
Voice is also important because language largely dictates the way people communicate. This may sound obvious, but more than ever before people are relying on written communication – emails, text messages, online comments – to share their opinions and update friends and family on goings on. This online verbalization has to be engaging, warm and inviting. Write copy that addresses one donor, not an entire group.
2. Find the face
It’s hard for contributors to connect to an organization without a real person behind it. Whether this means posting images of staff hard at work, volunteers at a recent event or funding recipients showing their gratitude, charities must put a face with their name. Like a voice, a face personalizes a website and engages donors. Constant Contact noted that nonprofits like CoachArt and Love146 post active photographs on their sites depicting real life scenarios in which volunteers and staff were helping others. The impact on a viewer is lasting.
3. Find the colors
A unique color combination that reflects the nonprofit’s mission can help donors immediately identify it online, in social media conversations and elsewhere. Personalizing social media profiles with these colors and the organization’s logo is a smart way to add consistency to a nonprofit’s brand. These colors can also show up in newsletters, emails and on decorations or signage used during fundraising events.
4. Find the difference
There may be multiple nonprofits with a similar focus in a single area. It’s important that each one distinguishes itself from the others. GuideStar noted that the mission should absolutely have a unique twist to it that peaks donor interest. It shouldn’t be easy for donors to confuse a well-branded organization from the rest of the pack.
Association management software can help nonprofits find and promote their brand identities.
