How to launch a successful fundraising campaign with digital marketing

Start with a game plan

As with any other strategy, you’ll want to start with planning your fundraising campaign from the ground up. This includes identifying who your audience is and choosing the right channels for reaching them. You’ll also want to use this stage to determine your budget and time frame. If you’re working to a particular deadline, then this could also influence which digital channels are going to be most effective for your campaign.

Set up a fundraising page

The key to a good digital campaign is removing any unnecessary barriers for your audience. Donating online should be as straightforward as possible. You should make sure that donations can be made in one place, typically through a fundraising page, and all your channels should point to that location. If your current website doesn’t have a way to make payments, there are many reputable donation sites that you can choose from, such as JustGiving and Virgin Money Giving. These can be used to create donation buttons that can be embedded on your website and shared via your social media channels.

Nurture your target audience using social media

Social media is a key channel for building a relationship with your audience. For this reason, it’s not a good idea to constantly feed them with content including call-to-actions to donate. Use this platform to build a sense of community around your cause and get your audience on board with what you’re saying by helping them to understand the importance of your organisation.

Motivate your existing audience using email marketing

Research has shown that it can cost as much as ten times more to acquire new donors than to retain your existing ones. Tapping into your existing database of contacts using email marketing is the best way to make use of your resources. This is also a powerful tool for keeping your supporters updated on where their donation went and the impact it’s had. This makes donating a more tangible concept and can be a highly motivating factor for your audience.

If you’re not sure how to put together an effective email marketing campaign, why not read our quick guide?

Take advantage of Google Ad Grants

If you work in the charity sector, odds are you’ll have heard whispers about Google Ad Grants for not-for-profits but may not know much about what it entails and how to apply for it. The grant provides up to £7,500 per month of search advertising for not-for-profit organisations.

To qualify for Google Ad Grants your organisation must meet the following criteria:

• Your organisation must hold valid charity status in your country
• Be approved through the Ad Grants eligibility form
• Have a high-quality website that meets the Ad Grants website policy

If you’re interested in taking advantage of this offer, our specialist digital team can support you through the application process – as well as set up and manage your Google AdWords campaign.

With the use of this grant, it’s important to keep in mind there are limits on your Google Ads settings. There are strict requirements surrounding the performance of a Google Ad Grants account that must be met and advanced tracking needs to be incorporated for eligibility purposes.

We know that times are tough for fundraisers in the current climate so you need to invest your marketing budget wisely. At Eleven we’re experts at running successful digital marketing campaigns and always happy to have a chat about your goals and ambitions for generating funds for your cause.