There are a lot of people online who want to donate to your organization, especially during the holidays. So no matter how busy you get this time of year, it's important to keep your nonprofit visible. Here's what I had to learn the hard way.
Big Mistake. Huge.
Before joining the AWeber team in September, I used AWeber's services as Office Supervisor of CONCERN, a nonprofit foster care agency. I was right where you are. Busy trying to raise money and awareness. Busy trying to recruit volunteers and supporters. And busy doing it all with very little of everything, especially time.
And there was no busier time than the holiday season. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year. It's when the spirit of giving's in full force. More donations and more awareness meant we could do great things for our foster kids. But it also meant more work and a lot less time to do it all.
Unfortunately, it also meant my time online - email marketing, social media, our blog - greatly suffered. Those were the first things I'd neglect when other priorities popped up.
But online giving is on the rise, with email fundraising bringing in 33% of online gifts. Plus, a third of all online donations are given during the month of December (with more on December 31 than any other day of the year). And they're 80% larger donations, too. Since I wasn't online during the holiday season, CONCERN was missing out.
What You Can Do
Time is limited during the holidays. You don't have to do it all. But here are some things I recommend so you don't miss out, like I did:
Link Everything Together
Save time by posting your emails right onto Facebook and Twitter from your AWeber account. Got a blog? Create a blog broadcast, and it'll pull your RSS feed and send out an email.
Plan Your Emails Now
Pretty soon you'll be too busy. So do it now - write out your emails, then set them to send out during the holidays. Struggling with content? We've got a guide that can help.
Create A Donate Button They Can't Refuse
Make sure you've got a great looking, well-placed call-to-action in your email. Keep your donation button above the scroll, and make sure it stands out with clear wording and design.
Keep Important Dates In Mind
Download our holiday email marketing calendar to plan out your holiday content. Add nonprofit-specific dates like Giving Tuesday and December 31 (remember, it's the biggest online donation day of the year) to your schedule.
The Holiday Giving Season At A Glance
We've created this cheat sheet of stats and tips for easy reference. Share it with friends so their nonprofit will be ready for the holidays, too.
Got A Nonprofit But No AWeber Account?
Shame on you (just kidding, of course). But seriously, we'd love to have you sign up for one right now - we'll give you a discounted rate and even a few months free to try us out. And when you do, there's a guide to help you get started and live support 7 days a week.
The post Holiday Marketing For A Nonprofit? Don’t Neglect Your Online Presence appeared first on Email Marketing Tips.