How Non-Profits Attract Corporate Donors With Digital Marketing

Nonprofit marketing teams face more challenges than ever under the global pandemic. Giving Tuesday right around the corner, and nonprofits need to find a workable marketing solution.

That’s why marketing plans for nonprofits should focus on business, especially corporate-level donors. 

The reasons are quite obvious:

• Corporate-level donors tend to make larger contributions.

• Businesses and corporate donors are natural marketing partners.

This article looks at the current landscape of nonprofit marketing, the corporate decision-maker persona, and how to bring in corporate-level donors.

Current Challenges In Nonprofit Marketing

When it comes to digital marketing for nonprofits, the problems have always been the same but never been resolved. Growing 501c(3) organizations struggle to battle the nonprofit sector’s stereotypical image while striking to catch up with technology to deploy up-to-date marketing campaigns.

Frequently, marketing campaigns for nonprofits end with scattered donations. The donors never went beyond the local communities and small businesses. In contrast, the funds required for any nonprofit organization’s systematic growth easily exceed what individual donors can contribute.

Therefore, some nonprofits put their hope in grants. Others realized something was wrong with their marketing strategies.

OUTDATED MARKETING STRATEGIES

Most donors want to hear from the nonprofits they support, and they want the message to be direct and accessible. From top to bottom, email marketing remains the most valued communication method for nonprofits, followed by:

• Social media and direct social media messages

• In-person fundraisers and traditional mail

This will surprise many nonprofit marketers. Yet here is the fact:

A study found that 42% of donors would prefer receiving updates via email, and 21% states that they are more inspired to make another donation due to emails they’ve received. In the meantime, nonprofits believe the most efficient fundraising method is through events when only 4% of donors will give again after attending one event.

The traditional belief that event marketing is the way to go turns out to be a complete misunderstanding. 

INCONSISTENT MARKETING FOR NONPROFITS

Due to marketing restraints, most nonprofits cannot afford, or simply lack the expertise in maintaining consistent marketing efforts. On the other hand, digital marketing for nonprofit puts a massive emphasis on omnichannel outreach.

When it comes to marketing for nonprofit, omnichannel presence with powerful content that directly delivers a clear message is key to success. Therefore, digital marketing is the most affordable and effective way to grow a nonprofit organization in the current landscape.

However, most organizations fail to stay consistent and focus on making technology work for their growth.

Understand Corporate Decision-Makers

Many think corporate-level donors are harder to get. The reality is quite the opposite.

Most corporate decision-makers understand donating to a nonprofit is beneficial to their companies. They see social cause marketing as a critical part of their overall branding strategy.

All they are waiting for is the right organization.

THESE PEOPLE ARE BUSY

These decision-makers are overwhelmed with requests. They do not have the time or interest to read through 30 social media posts. They hear the same plead from thousands of organizations. To win their heart, your organization must stand out.

CORPORATE DECISION-MAKERS VALUE FACTS OVER SENTIMENTS

Be ready to present numbers, testimonials, and case studies if you want to win a corporate heart. We all know you can’t run a business on pure emotion. If a corporate is donating, it needs to be a good investment.

THEY WILL RESEARCH YOU

Or their assistants will. So ask yourself these questions:

1. Are your social media handles active and consistent?

2. Is your website optimized? Does it provide a good user experience?

3. Are you mentioned by other trustworthy sources?

Most importantly, how will a stranger feel about your organization once they’ve researched you?

Tailoring Your Marketing Towards Corporate-Level Donors

Now that you’ve learned about your prospect, it’s time to step into strategies.

When it comes to tailoring marketing for corporate-level donors, there are a few tactics you can implement. Such as:

• Multichannel outreach: Where are corporate decision-makers gathering information? What is the most efficient way to communicate with them?

• Strong value proposition: Get your message across in the first email. If you want to do business with a corporate, you must sound like a worthy business partner.

• Content is critical: Don’t let a corporate-level prospect fall off the wagon because it will be a lot harder to get them back. Make use of the technologies available to you and create automated followup and remarketing campaigns to keep your donors in the loop.

• Acknowledgment: Corporate benefits from supporting a social cause on a branding level. As a 501c(3), it’s your job to acknowledge your corporate-level donors and give them a piece of valuable content in return.

In conclusion, marketing for nonprofits must be straightforward, precise, and meaningful especially you are targeting corporate-level donors. Leverage email marketing and omnichannel marketing to connect with your prospect on multiple levels.

When creating marketing strategies for nonprofits, focus on the value proposition. Next, back your message up with consistent, valuable content. Take advantage of available technologies and make digital marketing work for you.