One of the biggest challenges in establishing your brand as a nonprofit organization is to compete with for-profit businesses that have large budgets to brand and market themselves. While for-profit companies can afford the costs of advertising and other branding activities, for a nonprofit business, this is much more challenging with a limited budget. However, there are ways to build your brand as a nonprofit with limited funds. This links closely with the social entrepreneurship model in the types of entrepreneurship available for a new founder
Importance of Brand-Building
As a nonprofit, your audience is likely initially drawn to you because of the work you’re doing toward a specific cause. However, that doesn’t mean that’s where their interest ends. You need an image people can resonate with—your brand.
A strong brand can aid in achieving goals faster. When people align with your brand story and feel connected, they are more likely to support and donate. A strong brand image helps attract board members, volunteers, donors, and talent, so be sure you’re building a positive brand image. Know that people look into your brand when deciding how reputable you are, so you want them to find a solid reputation.
Benefits of a Social Consciousness
There was a time when brands used to take a neutral stand on pressing social, political, or environmental issues. Now, the scenario has changed. Socially-conscious brands make a greater appeal to customers.
A research study shows that 63 percent of people prefer to pay for products or services with purpose-driven brands. The study further revealed that 62 percent of consumers want businesses to take a stand on social, political, or environmental issues they care about most. The research further revealed that brands with a high sense of purpose have better valuations than other brands.
Thus, brands that genuinely embrace social consciousness maintain a competitive advantage over brands that choose a trending cause to support superficially.
Getting Your Website In Shape
Irrespective of your brand’s size, it is important to have a good company website in place. Your website gives people access to various information about you and your business, such as the mission, team, products/services, and other customers’ perspectives. Your website is not just an information hub for your business; it is also the central portal for donations.
Search engines favour websites that people visit frequently. The websites with the most traffic that rank highest on Google search are easy to navigate, have an informative “about us” page, and fresh content, and load seamlessly on a phone or computer. If you have not paid enough attention to your website, it is time to fix it and make it search engine-friendly. You should also consider revamping your product images with a photo background removal service, as well as optimizing your descriptions to ensure visitors are getting a feel for what your non-profit is about.
Rather than dumping thousands into a web developer, utilize a tool like WordPress or Squarespace instead. These tools are user-friendly and require zero coding knowledge, plus offer paid and free versions. Anyone can make a decent-looking, informative website.
Harnessing Social Media
One of the most effective ways to build your brand presence without burning all your budget is by harnessing the power of social media. It takes time and effort, but by building a robust social media presence, you’ll have the opportunity to present your organization in front of thousands. Apart from sharing your organization, you can also leverage different social media platforms to spread informative resources and fundraising campaigns to help people financially support your initiatives via donation.
Here are some quick tips for building your social media presence effectively:
- Add donation buttons
- Take advantage of free resources
- Have social media policies and guidelines in place
- Create a content calendar
Grassroots Promotion
Positive sentiment and word about your organization will spread naturally depending on the scope of your work (in your community or on a larger scale) through people recommending your services/initiatives. As a nonprofit, you don’t necessarily have “customers” to appeal to, but you do have clients and people who are involved with your organization in some capacity.
Partaking in the grassroots promotion can be a great way to engage with these people. You can create promotional materials for your organization that people will be proud to carry. Sustainable products, like branded cloth tote bags or personalized water bottles, are excellent promotional materials to give away.
Building a Brand as a Nonprofit is Not Pricy
While you need to compete with for-profit brands to establish your nonprofit brand, do not let budget be a hindrance. You can still build a great brand with whatever limited funds you have. From building a search-friendly, interactive website to leveraging social media, there are several ways to establish your brand as trustworthy without burning a hole in your pocket.