Today there are two things people look at when they see a company. The first, their products or services and the second, their voice. With social media becoming a staple for most businesses, your company’s voice is even more important than ever before. Personally, when I see a company supporting a non-profit, they are instantly more relatable to me as a consumer. That is where cause marketing comes into play.
What is cause marketing?
Cause Marketing is when a for-profit business pairs up with a non-profit organization. The focus of this marketing tactic is to create an overall campaign for mutual benefits. This marketing tactic is not considered philanthropic giving. The for-profit may be donating their time and money, however; it is purposely to establish promotion to their company. That is why Cause Marketing is often referred to as "selfish giving". Both parties are receiving publicity from the campaign.
How can you integrate cause marketing into your business?
Build your audience:
Your first step is to start researching non-profits that you feel your target audience will support. For instance, if your target audience is men and women ages 18-24, then you should think about picking a more youthful non-profit. If your target audience is a broad range of individuals, partnering with a cause that affects an immense portion of society may be the best bet.
Educate others and form a strong relationship with your non-profit:
Once you identify and reach out to the non-profit of your choice, it is crucial to understand the foundation and its cause. Your campaign will be a lot more favorable if you can create that connection with the cause even if it does not relate to you in your personal life. It is significant to motivate your audience. The audience will feel more connected to your campaign if they can see the passion and effect the cause has toward society as a whole.
Be communicative and get creative:
To establish a successful campaign, it is first important to build a theme that will relate to the non-profit as well as the for-profit company and draw the viewer. Also, it is imperative to be creative and make sure your content is out there. Making a connection through social media is crucial. Distributing content of your cause and creating the emotional connection through Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. will help to spread the awareness of your campaign and its importance.
Follow up and learn from your campaign:
Lastly, it is relevant to remember the efforts of the campaign and to learn from it. Once a campaign is over does not mean that it is left forgotten. Developing content and keeping the conversation open based on the campaign will only continue to spread awareness and effect the audience.
Cause marketing is not a short term solution for easy publicity. It is a long-term commitment that will benefit your company and the world. Cause marketing is an effective way to engage the community and spread the awareness of a cause while still establishing benefits for your business in the long run.
