As we gear up for year-end giving, it’s worth noting that many of the tried and true marketing strategies used by for-profits can help nonprofits as well. Below I explore one messaging tactic in particular that will transform how you do cause marketing.
The Before and After State
Good marketers try to convince people to purchase by focusing on their before and after state – not the product itself. The before state refers to some form of discomfort or pain someone is experiencing. The after state shows how their product or service can alleviate that discomfort and improve their life.
Nonprofit Takeaway
Nonprofits often mistakenly assume that their cause alone (the product) is enough to convince people to donate. However, people don’t donate strictly because of what their donation will accomplish. It’s more about how donating makes them feel about themselves. It’s critical to tap into this with your messaging.
Don’t get me wrong – describing how a donation can cure an impoverished child with a terminal disease is important — but only to the extent that it creates discomfort in a potential donor. When they see a child suffering make them feel that given certain circumstances that could very well be their own child in need of help (the before state). What would they do? Who would they turn to?
Then provide them with a solution (after state). For example, you could mention how when we come together as a community to give back, we all benefit. I particularly like this approach because it helps the donor feel connected to others.
Use Personas
To determine before and after states, marketers try to identify the different types of customers they think will be interested in their product. A lawn company for example, might develop a persona focusing on men who dread mowing the lawn each weekend. They can then pitch them on the extra leisure time they will enjoy if they hire their company.
Rather than use a one-size fits all approach, create messages that speak to different types of donors. By developing a persona for parents with young children for example, you might tap into their wanting to help those less fortunate but feeling that they don’t have enough available time.
Putting It All Together
Below is a Facebook message targeting parents of young children we drafted for a disaster relief organization. It was accompanied with a photo of a newborn.
Nothing matters more than the health of your child. Yet for many parents in the Dominican Republic, a shortage of vital medical equipment and training can mean the difference between life and death for their newborn. Join fellow parents who are stepping up by making a donation that provides incubators, ventilators and neonatal care training for nurses. It’s the perfect way for busy parents like yourself to give back to the most vulnerable among us.
Try this tactic the next time you run an email or advertising campaign and see how it compares to a one-size-fits-all approach. Hopefully you will like the results.