It was estimated that, despite the economic downturn in 2008, Canadians were still able to donate approximately $8.9 billion to charity. Though this was a 5% drop from the previous year, it’s certainly no miniscule amount, not to mention the thousands of hours of volunteer work we worked for non-profits. It seems we are more aware of the importance of giving of our resources and our time, much more that we were a decade ago. The techniques of today certainly differ from those in the 80s and early 90s, when only those large organizations who can afford TV, print and radio advertising (plus a celebrity endorser or two) could get the word out.
The Internet has become the great equalizer, where everyone with a cause can spread their message, and now so more than ever with Facebook, Twitter, YouTube etc. Social media and non-profits seem to the perfect match – both relying on people’s participation and beginning from the grassroots. In the past 5 years or so, many organizations, big and small, have used social media for their own causes. It is inexpensive and cost-effective, allowing them to directly contact with their target audience. But whether you’re a seasoned campaigner, or just getting your feet wet, it’s not as simple as just building a website and expecting the dollars to start rolling in. There are a few key tips you should keep in mind, if you want to start your own cause marketing campaign, which will keep you on track to get that hole-in-one. (more…)
First came emails, followed by chat rooms, MySpace and Facebook. And when we thought there couldn’t possibly be any other way to waste time, Twitter comes along (we kid; Twitter is awesome!) In our intense, fast-past world, many of us can’t be bothered to type in more than one sentence at a time, which makes Twitter a convenient way to let people know what we are doing at any given time.
