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5 Steps to a Successful #GivingTuesday Campaign

November 24, 2020 By Charles Johnston Leave a Comment

Thanksgiving is right around the corner which means now is the time to be strategizing your #GivingTuesday campaign. You don’t need a high-level fundraising executive working for your non-profit to get your name out there among the masses. HeartWired Digital has compiled a list of 5 simple steps even the smallest non-profits can take to make #GivingTuesday2020 a successful and profitable celebration.

Step One: Make it a Celebration

Great news! Your non-profit has survived 2020! That’s reason enough to celebrate! Turn your #GivingTuesday campaign into a celebration of what you’ve accomplished so far in 2020 and what you have in the works for 2021. Shift your mindset from “how to get people to donate” to “how to show people your cause is worth donating to”.

Are you building something new? Are you starting a new project? Is there a specific need you’d like to see met through these #GivingTuesday donations? Announce your project, set a goal, and provide a progress meter that stays up-to-date throughout your campaign.

Invite your current donors, volunteers, and followers to join you in celebrating and show them specifically how they can make an impact moving forward. Is there something measurable within your project that you can anchor a price to? For example, would a $20 donation provide warm bedding for a child in need? Would a $5 donation buy rice for a hungry family? Donors want to see how their money will be put to work, so show them what it will accomplish and why that’s worth celebrating.

Step Two: Don’t Forget the Basics

With all the creativity and excitement that comes with building an effective #GivingTuesday campaign, it’s easy to overlook the basics. Here’s three things you don’t want to forget:

Join #GivingTuesday- To participate in a #GivingTuesday campaign, you’ll want to register with givingtuesday.org. It takes about 30 seconds to register for their email list. Once you do, a toolkit of ideas, graphics, logos, and Canva templates become available for you to use. They don’t collect your donations. There’s not a list of official registered participants. This just gives you permission to use the #GivingTuesday name and logo for your campaign, which adds to your credibility as a non-profit.

Make Sure Your Donation Button Works- The only thing worse than not receiving donations on #GivingTuesday would be not receiving donations on #GivingTuesday because your Donation button didn’t work. Seriously. Donate $5 to your non-profit right now. Make sure it works smoothly and that it is easy to find on your website. Don’t let inaccessibility or a technical glitch be the reason you lose donors.
Pick a Project Leader- Decide right now who is going to take this ball and run with it. Who will be responsible for implementing these strategies? Who is going to communicate with the rest of the team and keep everyone on the same page? Make sure everyone knows who your point person is on this project and encourage your team to support him or her throughout the campaign.

Step Three: Get Your “Why” Out

Why are you fundraising? Why does your organization exist? Why are you the logical, trustworthy choice for my donation? Your current donors know who you are but we want the rest of the world to know who you are, too. So, don’t just tell them, show them!

There’s a number of fun, trendy ways to get your “why” out there. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Consider adapting one of these already-successful campaign strategies:

The Unselfie- Many successful non-profits such as The Michael J. Fox Foundation have profited greatly from using the popular hashtag #Unselfie throughout the month of November. Social media users simply hold up pieces of paper in front of their faces that say, “I’m Giving to (non-profit) Because (reason)”. They snap their Unselfies and post them on social media with the #Unselfie hashtag and any other hashtags that apply to the specific non-profit. Because the #Unselfie hashtag already has a large following, this is a fun and free way to spread the word about your cause.

Create an “I Give Because” Video- Create and share a video of your current donors reading letters about why they give to your non-profit. Showcase ways people have thanked your organization for meeting the needs of people within your community.

Share Impact Stories- Don’t wait until #GivingTuesday to share how you’ve been making a difference. The week before, share positive impact stories on social media as well as with your email list. Ask your current donors to share impact stories and create fundraisers on their social media accounts, as well.

Involve Your Recipients- Do you have access to individuals your non-profit has helped? Don’t exploit them! That’s icky. But do ask them if they would like to be involved. Ask them to share their stories and to encourage others to give.

Step Four: Turn Your Celebration into an RSVP-able Event Online

It doesn’t matter how excited you are about your party if nobody shows up. Use the scheduling tools of Google and Facebook to schedule an online “Event” on #GivingTuesday. When followers RSVP, they are sent reminders about the Event and will receive notifications when you go live, share posts, and give updates throughout the day.

Ask your staff, volunteers, donors, recipients, mail carrier, hairdresser, and your mom’s second cousin to share the Event, as well. Statistically, a low percentage of social media users actually show up to the Events that they RSVP to. Even fewer will donate. So saturating the web with your invitation is crucial to spreading awareness and getting your “why” out. Just don’t be spammy. Reach your audience organically and watch the donations roll in.

Step Five: Follow-Up, Say “Thank You”, and Upsell Your Donations

Did your mother make you write Thank You notes after each birthday party? The sentiment is just as important to Jane and Joe Donor as it is to your Aunt Beatrice. Your donors want to hear from you again and not just when you need more money. Show them how their money has been put to work by sending pictures and letters of thanks from recipients of your organization. Thank them for helping you make a difference in your community. And for the love of financial stability, offer them an opportunity to continue giving on a regular basis.

It’s impossible to check-out online or at a brick and mortar store without being asked if you’d like to supersize, upgrade, or buy another for 50% off. So, make it easy for your donors to give regularly by upselling their donation. Have your web person add a monthly giving feature to your website. Need help with that? We’re happy to assist.

Bonus: Start on Monday

If Walmart can start it’s Black Friday sale a day early, your non-profit can get a jump on things, as well! Consider offering a special gift for donating on Monday, such as a sticker, magnet, ink pen, or anything else you might have a surplus of. No Merch? No worries. Enter everyone who donates on Monday into a drawing for a gift from your organization. Don’t make it something big that will make your donors question how you’re spending their money. Give away something small and personal or ask a business to donate an item that can be given away in your drawing.

Remember, this has been a difficult year but we have all pulled through it because we have pulled together. We appreciate the difference you are making in your own little corners of the world. Continue doing great things! And may your #GivingTuesday campaign be a phenomenal success.

7 E-commerce Myths Debunked – Why You Should Offer E-commerce!

October 26, 2020 By Charles Johnston Leave a Comment

e-commerce website, small business website, e-commerce, shop online, shopping online

If we have learned anything this year, it is the importance of not only that businesses have a presence online, but also the ability to sell their products or services. Virtually overnight business were shuttered, out of business or scrambling for a new way of doing business. Yet many are still unsure if their website should offer e-commerce or not.

It used to be that e-commerce was thought solely as a way for people to sell tangible or perhaps digital items online.

People that once held the belief that they would never shop for clothes, furniture, car parts, whatever are now shopping that way almost entirely. Even before the pandemic department stores have shut their doors thanks to the emergence of Amazon and other e-commerce powerhouses.

Even while online shopping became a normal way of doing business, there were and still are many thinking that brick and mortar is the ‘only’ way to do business. In fact, we have actually been laughed at ourselves when we have suggested it to business owners, because it would not fit their “model”, or “e-commerce does not work for what we do.”

What if I were to tell you whether you sell physical products, digital products, services or even take donations, e-commerce can fit into your organization. In fact, it likely can increase your sales, no matter what products or services you offer.

This simple concept applies to consumers as well as suppliers and manufacturing. Sure it may mean you won’t need as many sale people in the future, but it also means you won’t need to need them.

Of course there are pros and cons to everything and there are also many misconceptions. It is the misconceptions that I am going to hopefully debunk, and in doing so the cons really won’t amount to much.

Myth #1

You lose the personal touch with e-commerce. Well, not if you are doing it right. Sure you can use AI, chatbots and all kinds of things to simplify the process. The personal touch truly is up to the business and whether they go the extra mile no matter how people buy. E-commerce should be an extension of the way you serve your customers, not a replacement.

Myth #2

Shipping is always so expensive. So is your time, gas and patience when you travel to a store. You avoid traffic, rude customers, pushy salespeople, and can shop in the convenience of your home. All without wasting gas or having to even get dressed. Sure the cost of shipping and handling can be elusive and at times feel like a bait and switch. If you have an idea what the product or service is worth to your customers, pricing them accordingly and being transparent about pricing including shipping, the convenience is worth the extra cost.

Myth #3

Online shopping is risky. If you are shopping at shady places perhaps. Personally I am more comfortable giving my credit card online on an encrypted site than I ever was when they swiped my card and gave me the carbon copy. There are some things to make sure your e-commerce website has to ensure customer safety.

Make sure you are using a SSL to encrypt transactions.
Use a hosting company that protect you from hacking, malware, and viruses.
Provide a privacy policy on your site how you use the customers information.

Myth #4

How do I know what I am really ordering, it might be from China. This is true, actually I just fell victim to this ploy and am still waiting for the product to make it through customs. Yet, again do you research, use a credit card with a protection plan. You can buy plenty of things from China at your local Walmart too, and guess what they ordered them online!

One way to ensure the comfort of your customers is to be transparent about your products or services. If you import, outsource or do anything that may raise concerns, tell them. Being upfront about your practices garner trust and your customers likely won’t care as long as you tell them.

Myth #5

I offer services I don’t need an e-commerce website! So you only like to sell your services in person do you? I mean that means you don’t promote them online, on social media or anything right? Why not give your clients a place to not only read about your products or services, but even schedule and pay for all online, 24/7? Or does that not fit your business needs?

Imagine coming into work and already having your calendar full with new clients, or having orders to ship. All of these activities can happen while you are not at work. Creating a business model to best serve your clients where they are, when they want.

Myth #6

I must always offer a discount to sell online. People that run their business based on offering discounts continually rarely win. Competing on price alone rather than offering more value is a slippery slope for any business whether online or in person.

In a recent KPMG study, a company’s sales team and their customers were asked what they thought were the top purchase criteria. Although, 60% of the sales team put price or discount at the top of the list, only 20% of their customers did the same. It was reported that delivery, reliability, accuracy and quality of service were the most important factors when choosing a supplier, outranking price.

Myth #7

Build it and they will buy. Like any website, any e-commerce site needs a bit more than just a great design and pretty pictures. So many people create sites and then get frustrated. They then fire their web designer because they did not get the ‘traffic’ or sales they wanted. Optimizing your site, whether e-commerce or other, takes skill, time and generally a budget. SEO is just the beginning. Without a strategy you likely won’t see the sales you hope for, at least not long-term.

As shopping online becomes more and more common, and part of the new normal, customers willingness to trust will wane. Click-bait will become more rampant and their ability to decipher a real ‘deal’ will become more difficult. Rather than using short lived strategies that do little beyond burn your cash, build a e-commerce strategy that will last.

We are at the beginning of an economic shift. We will see the the need for brick and mortar locations for many businesses go away. The time is now that your website should offer e-commerce, to prepare for the new way of doing business.

How A Chance Conversation Converted To A New Nonprofit Website

September 21, 2020 By Charles Johnston Leave a Comment

When you run a small business, you are consistently advertising your business in every activity you involve yourself with. About two years ago, our owner, Charles had a chance conversation at a fundraising event convert into a new nonprofit website at such a opportunity.

September 2018, our local St. Matthew chapter of the Diocese of St. Augustine St. Vincent de Paul conference was having their annual “Friends of the Poor” fundraising and awareness walk in Riverside part of Jacksonville Florida’s north bank.

Charles walking with his wife and they were in front of a gentleman by the name of Bart. Charles’ wife slowed her pace a little to chat with the gentleman. In amidst that conversation, the gentleman, happened to comment about the back of Charles’ shirt. As many times in public, Charles was wearing a HeartWired t-shirt.

Charles slowed his pace and he and Bart engaged in conversation about St. Vincent de Paul, and Bart’s vision for the future of the organization.

“Charity is infinitely inventive.” ~ St. Vincent de Paul

Most leads that take a long time to convert, dry up. Rarely does a lead stick around over a few months much less years. Emails sent with little to no response. Having the prospect to work with such a great organization had all but been written off, yet Charles figured he would try one last time.

One more email, likely to be the last one, paid off.

Bart and Charles began discussing the web project again, about a year after the first conversation. What was thought to be a missed opportunity converted into a new website project, all of which happened by a chance conversation that converted.

The St. Augustine Diocesan Council Society of St. Vincent de Paul , nonprofit website, local nonprofit, 501c3, not for profit organization, charitable organization

Business success is dependent on marketing. Some marketers use cold calls, email campaigns, spamming their social media inboxes. Others still do it the simple tried but true way of having a conversation, developing a rapport and relationships. Allowing the seeds that were planted to flourish in their timing.

“No work of Charity is foreign to the Society”

This month, we finalized the web design for an organization that locally had zero web presence.

This website will provide a place for people in need can find access to resources they need. St. Vincent de Paul helps with financial assistance for housing, utilities, and other family needs. Food assistance, clothing, furniture, and other household goods. All these services are provided by volunteer services and donations. All donations stay within the local community in which they serve.

Every web design project we work on has its nuances. The St. Augustine Diocesan Council Society of St. Vincent de Paul website has been no exception. Now the site is live, we look forward to hearing how it changes lives for years to come. HeartWired was founded on the concepts of service and compassion, and we love working with clients like St. Vincent de Paul that mirror the same principles.

You are your brand, and your brand is you.

If you or someone you know can benefit from the services St. Vincent de Paul provides, we encourage you to contact your local council. If you or someone you know can benefit from your own chance conversation to convert into a new website design, we at HeartWired would love to discuss how we can help you and those you serve.

Book your consultation today!