We’ve all been at home, watching TV when suddenly an advertisement begins to play for a special charity or non-profit initiative aiming to make the world a better place. These often heart-wrenching advertisements do what any marketer in the world of business strives to do each and every day: they elicit emotion and motivate us to do something about the situation. Non-profits and charities have a certain emotional wavelength on which they can operate that many businesses simply can’t embrace, but that doesn’t mean that some of their tactics cannot be adopted. In the following article, we’ll discuss how your online brand or business can use some of these tactics to boost engagement, commerce and awareness.

A Sense of Community Responsibility

More so than anything else, this is the angle that charities and non-profits are able to utilize to their advantage. Whenever you can convince a user, volunteer, donor or customer that they not only need your services and products, but the mere acquisition of them is socially responsible, then you have helped build a bond of trust between that person and your brand. It also associates your brand with good works, which is something that can garner ample attention in the world of social media these days. While pinging for SEO is a great way to gain the attention of search engines, pinging for social responsibility can be an even better way to convince people of your intentions and bolster your presence in a given market.

Stay Focused

The most successful charities in the world are known on a first-name basis, and they are known this way because they stay focused on a message. Some business and corporate megaliths have tried to attach themselves to the latest and greatest social causes in order to take advantage of them. Not only can this easily be interpreted as phony by many customers and readers, but you will never develop an association between your business and a particular cause. While Pepsi may support breast cancer research by donating a small portion of its proceeds obtained over a month or two, the Susan G. Komen Foundation will forever be associated with the same concept and is known for its activism in this field.

Enlist Support

It takes a village to raise a child, and your business should be viewed in the same regard. Nobody can expect a social media strategy to succeed if there is not a developed fan base, nor can your business thrive in search results if nobody frequents your website. A core group of supporters can make all the difference in the world when it comes to spreading a message and ensuring that positive impressions are made upon others as a result. These actions can be instrumental in pinging for SEO benefits, and will help further increase your business’ branding value with consumers.

Conclusion

Businesses that want to improve their branding potential need look no further than charities and non-profits for advice. By enlisting the support of your loyal followers, staying focused on one mission and promoting a sense of community responsibility, you can quickly begin associating your brand with these characteristics and make positive impressions as a result.