By Dr. Kevin Nunley
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Looking for a smart way
to promote your business? How about a tried-and-true marketing
method that makes you look good in the eyes of thousands
of new customers AND helps people in your community? Notice
how many successful businesses in your town support charities.
It costs less than you think to help out a non-profit
group and the promotional payoff can be huge.
Plus, there are lots
of worthy projects in your area that could really use
a helping hand. People give more to charities from November
to December than any other time of year.
Organizations benefitting
children and the hungry get special attention from the
public. However, in surveys the public always says they
wished fundraisers would be held at other times of year.
They are suspicious of fundraising being grouped around
Christmas.
GETTING STARTED
NOW is the time to start
talking with a good non-profit. Contact their director
and ask how your business can help. In most cases you
can dedicate a small percentage of your sales to the charity.
Non-profits will be ready
and willing to include your name in their advertising
and marketing campaigns. Have a logo, flier, short ad
copy, or web site banner for them to use. Make yourself
available to join charity representatives on radio/ tv
talk shows and Internet chats.
There are so many worthy
organizations that it is often hard to chose which one
to help. If you don't already have a favorite, pick one
that relates to your business in some way. If you sell
children's clothing, working with a charity that helps
underprivileged kids at Christmas would be a good match.
Some charities are better equipped to work with sponsors
and the media. Others are new, have inexperienced staff,
and may appreciate your business experience in showing
them how to organize people and resources.
THE BENEFITS TO YOU
Most people don't buy
the item with the lowest price. Customers highly value
service and image. By involving your business with a non-profit
doing important work, you get the notice and respect of
thousands of people who otherwise might not know about
you. Note how many major newspapers and television stations
are promoting charities this time of year. Their audience
and advertisers appreciate when media works to improve
the community. Your customers and prospects will feel
the same about you.
As an added bonus, business,
political, and community leaders are often heavily involved
with charities. The people you meet can form a valuable
network of contacts for future projects and business.
CHARITIES ON-LINE
The Internet started
as a non-profit effort and still carries a strong feeling
of people selflessly working to improve life. Web designer
Lisa Schmeckpeper recently found the Net a perfect place
to do non-profit work. "It's turned out to be very effective.
In working with Toys Not Tears, we've linked our non-profit
site to the web sites of participating merchants." Order
forms can be modified so when a customer buys, a percentage
of the sale is collected by the charity. It's easy and
everyone involved benefits from the constant flow of customers
from site to site. The group uses one site for consumers
with another to recruit merchants.
DON'T BE TOO COMMERCIAL
It's easy to get carried
away trying to promote the sponsor's interests in a non-profit
campaign. If it appears that sponsors are being promoted
more than the work of the charity, the whole thing can
backfire. Sponsors who stay discreetly in the background
receive more benefit in the end.
Focus on how you can
help make things easy for consumers. Ease of participation
is often what separates success from failure. "Try to
solve the problems a potential donor may have such as
no time to write a check and mail it in, no extra money
available, and fear their donation may not reach the right
people," Schmeckpeper points out.
PROMOTE HARD
Lots of worthy non-profits
are shouting their messages this time of year. Even though
you are a sponsoring business, you may find yourself helping
out on the publicity end. Use every available marketing
and publicity option. It takes lots of repetition to have
an impact. A well-written press release will interest
editors and producers. Many email newsletters are good
about donating no-cost ad space for charities. Radio,
TV, and newspapers will often give you free time and space
if you have a cause or event their audiences will be interested
in.
Also think how you might
be able to continue your association with a charity year
after year. Those who don't notice you this year will
be twice as aware the second time you participate. Many
of the most successful business-charity associations have
been going on for decades.
There's no question your
business helps others by providing valuable products,
services, and ideas. You'll multiply the good feeling
when you lend a hand to a non- profit charity.
