So you’ve got the perfect fundraiser idea. Maybe it’s something complex in terms of logistics, like a golf tournament, or maybe it’s as easy to plan as a raffle. (Hey, there are a lot of inexpensive and easy fundraising ideas out there if you know where to look.) You pitched the idea at a meeting, and everyone is on board. Now what? What can you do to increase the chances that your fundraiser will be successful?
It’s probably not a big surprise that the internet is going to be integral to your efforts. Sure, you can ask people in person for money, but nowadays, real fundraising is online. You probably can’t survive on unsolicited donations and the basic types of funding most businesses use. So how do you use the internet to your advantage? Let’s look at four techniques to help.
Optimize Your Sites for Search Engines
One of the most impactful things you can do to promote anything these days is to utilize search engine optimization (SEO). SEO is one of the most misunderstood and dynamic parts of the internet. It is the combination of tactics and techniques to push specific sites and pages to the top of search engines.
With keywords, metadata, hyperlinks, word count, and more, you can optimize your website, blogs, and other pages to get more clicks. It’s also imperative to write engaging, concise, and eye-grabbing copy. The more clicks you get, the higher it will move to the top of Google, Bing, and others.
Using SEO will make a huge difference when you are trying to promote crowdfunding, a kickstarter, or a charity fund. You can even coordinate your SEO and social media strategies. It goes into a lot of the other tactics that will help you raise money.
Focus on Design
In addition to producing engaging and optimized copy on your sites, social media, and crowdfunding platform, you should also focus on the design of these pages. When you make sure that the pages are eye-grabbing and memorable, the odds that people will donate to the cause will go way up.
It’s necessary to communicate what you are trying to get done with the web copy, design, and the photos you include. This is particularly important when you are trying to raise money for a family that is down on their luck or a person who needs medical attention. You want to appeal to emotions without guilt-tripping. All of this goes into the focus you put on the design of the pages that you use to promote the crowdfunding and the cause.
Promote Events
When it comes to charity and nonprofit funding, events are a huge part of raising money and awareness. However, you can’t expect people to show up or donate if they don’t know about it. People spend a huge amount of time on the internet. That’s why you should be sure to widely promote the event online.
Use social media, email newsletters, and personal outreach to get people to come to the event or donate instead. Even if the person can’t come to the event, you could ask them to make a small donation. So much event promotion is done online these days. You shouldn’t overlook the opportunity to spread the word about the charity and nonprofit events on the internet.
Social Media Contests
In the modern world, social media has become a central part of human existence. It’s how we communicate. It’s how a lot of people relate. It has become a way to promote ourselves, what we do, and what we care about. Whether you are trying to kick-start a business or raise money for a charity, a contest on social media can spread the word. If you promote a prize for the best video, photo, design, or advertisement, the contest could spread and become viral. There are plenty of examples of this. Think of the “ice bucket challenge.”
Crowdfunding, kickstarter,s and raising money for nonprofits and charities have become a huge part of modern society. The amount of money raised for causes like these is significant. Whether you are trying to do something selfless or want to start a business, you can use all the online tactics to raise money and spread the word. When you believe in what you are doing, there’s no reason you shouldn’t use all these efforts in tandem to get the job done and create something special.
