Why Integrated Cross-Platform Marketing for Nonprofits is a Must

Sep 29, 2020

In the digital age, your options for getting your organization’s message to donors are expansive. You can’t count the number of applicable social media platforms on one hand anymore, nor easily determine what type of content is going to work best; is it video, images, quotes? Will Instagram stories be the top performer? Or should you integrate an e-newsletter? It seems like everyone has a smartphone these days, so of course it’s important to reach your audience and donors online. But did you know that only 2% of consumers who utilize your website will convert and donate? Even when social media marketing strategies are included in your overall campaign, the reach you get only covers roughly 40% more potential conversions. What about reaching individuals who want to share in your organization’s cause in other ways? Or potential donors who may not be active online or through social media?

As we head toward the season for end-of-year donations, in the non-profit world the big push is always to get your unique message and brand across to all possible potential audiences. That’s where integrated cross-platform marketing for nonprofits comes in. As an idea with roots in the corporate and for-profit world, it’s still an essential marketing approach for brand and cause awareness.

Integrated Cross-Platform Marketing for Nonprofits – How to Reach More People

In today’s marketing climate, being active and present on social media is imperative. There are a lot of working parts. The key is making sure you’re pushing a cohesive, unified voice online. This cohesiveness translates to building awareness and a unified presence that impacts people and leaves lasting impressions. One survey found that 72% of respondents stated they prefer to engage with businesses and organizations that have an integrated marketing approach. In layman’s terms, that can mean the same thing for your non-profit: more donor engagement from your integrated marketing. To further substantiate things, another study shows that approaching your nonprofit marketing campaign via an integrated approach actually yielded higher donations.

Once upon a time, billboards, television ads, newspapers, and other print media including direct mail were an organization’s only avenue for reaching potential donors. With an online presence and digital marketing playing such a pivotal role in our daily lives now, it’s sometimes easy to forget those brick and mortar methods that we all grew up with. But make no mistake, some of those old methods are still widely relevant, and, in many cases, more profitable. In fact, as we discussed in our previous blog, donors who receive a piece of fundraising direct mail are three times more likely to donate.

Forward-thinking non-profits will ask what other types of marketing methods they can use, in particular those channels outside of social media, PPC, and online or digital offerings. Channels that encourage direct response are particularly attractive. While television ads can be effective on a certain level, they can get pricey if the spots aren’t running in localized areas. They do attract attention and get messages across in an attention-getting format. However, direct mail solutions are even more effective, can be highly personalized and targeted, have a direct call to action and typically are more cost-effective.

Direct Mail for Your Nonprofit – Microtargeting and Catered Material

By pairing your digital strategy with a direct mail strategy, you’re diving into supporting your digital presence with well-planned, personalized pieces of reading material that are delivered right to your potential audience’s mailbox. It takes 21% less cognitive function to hold, read, and process a piece of direct mail content than it does its digital counterparts. That’s huge! While many nonprofit organizations report data that reflects email marketing campaigns as one of their most highly effective means of fundraising, one of the above studies observed that email campaigns in conjunction with follow-up direct mail pieces helped obtain a greater ROI.

Photo by Patrick Perkins on Unsplash   Nonprofit cross-platform campaigns don’t have to require extra stress or a whole lot more work. By utilizing ProList, we’ll help carry some of the direct mail load for you – from layout to mail drop, even starting small. You can create resonating campaigns that get delivered right to your potential donor’s mailbox, ready to be a work horse in reinforcing a meaningful message that supports your cause.

When it comes to crafting meaningful, compelling, and informational direct mail pieces, you have a lot of options. Working with ProList to execute your campaigns can be easy, efficient and cost effective. Printed mail pieces are the ideal format to transform your cause and brand into tangible campaigns with unique, targeted messages that speak directly to your potential donors on an individual basis. By capturing data you’ve collected through your online campaigns, you can better focus on reaching people in their homes. Often times, receiving a compelling message in the comfort of their own home can be hugely impactful, and resonate with them longer. This is especially true when your brand presence supports the ongoing visibility of your organization in more than one place.

Expanding your audience can be done in small steps, but to reach the most donors and grow quality, meaningful relationships with them as supporters of your cause, the integrated marketing approach is your best avenue to success. It’s important not to rule out utilizing older tried-and-true marketing methods like print and direct mail, especially when those channels have consistently continued to provide quality results for organizations and close on donations that are absolutely necessary to carry on your foundation’s cause.

For information on how ProList’s team of experienced and engaging professionals can help bring to life the nonprofit direct mail piece your organization has been dreaming about, give us a call. Follow this link to reach us by email or phone, and we’ll help you understand the best way to capture the attention of potential donors and other individuals who believe in your message. We’ll help make the integration easy, and will guide you through the process to ensure your potential donors receive nothing short of beautiful, compelling direct mail pieces designed to garner response and propel your organization to further success.