Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

Marketing On-line For A Small Ngo

Posted by Anonymous on 10/6/2009 at 5:38 AM ET 125 Points
Hi! I am working for a small NGO www.deccoi.org and am in charge of all the publicity with the goal of collecting members (a yearly contribution of 50 euros). The main problems are that we do not have any money to invest in publicity and that I am the only working on this. I started by applying for the google adwords grant but this may take six months so now I am putting accounts on social networking sites (Facebook, Myspace), video websites (youtube, tubemogul), and photo hosting sites (flickr, photobucket) but now my problems are 1) HOW DO I GET PEOPLE INTERESTED? 2) HOW DO I MAKE MY NGO STAND OUT? 3)HOW DO I GET THESE PEOPLE TO BECOME MEMBERS?
Please any help/advice would be greatly appreciated, I am new to this and am not really sure what I am doing!
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by CarolBlaha on 10/6/2009 at 7:32 AM Accepted
    Online social networking alone is too passive for what you are doing. You will have to get in front of as many people as you can and sell the org.

    I couldn't read the website, but I kind of saw it was about education and children. People need to know why should they choose to support your org vs others. I would approach this as how nonprofits look for sponsors and members. I'd also look to larger corporate members and sponsors.

    Are there local TV, radio, news shows you can get involved with? When I first got involved with nonprofit leadership, it was drilled into us the importance of media sponsors.
  • Posted by Peter (henna gaijin) on 10/6/2009 at 12:31 PM Accepted
    The NGO should have a second side you didn't mention - some "benefiting customer" who you are serving, whether it is the poor or the environment or whatever. You should use any advances you do to help these benefiting customers as publicity with the goal of getting additional donating customers (the people you are targeting).

    The people who you are targeting as members are only going to put money up if they feel the NGO is supporting a cause you believe in.
  • Posted by matthewmnex on 10/7/2009 at 9:24 PM Accepted
    Dear contactoc,

    Congratulations for what you are trying to do.

    Here is the sad truth.

    Right now it costs $50.00 to aquire a client online (payimng member is the same thing).

    Next year we project $60 and in 2011 probably $70.

    Therefore, if you are asking for only $50 per year. You cannot make any money for your NGO.

    You need 2 things.

    1. Explain to your NGO that they need to invest some money in ad words - face book etc. to bring traffic and donors to your site.

    2. Change your membership strategy to $9.00 per month subscription billed automatically monthly on the credit card or paypal account. ($108 per year).

    You will burn the first $50.00 on the ad cost but you will gain loyal members who are contributing monthly to your cause.

    I am sorry to say that there is simply NO OTHER WAY that you will be able to make it work as a pure online play unless you change your model.

    NOW - How you spend you $50.00 advertising budget wisely is another matter :))) You can open a new question on that or study the previuos posts here on optimising your Adwords spend to reach ROI.

    Dopn't hesitate to get in touch if you would like more help.

    Good luck,

    Matthew Edmunds
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