8 Nonprofit Digital Marketing Trends to Try in 2021

In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, you need to plan in advance when it comes to creating a foolproof marketing strategy for your nonprofit organization. 

However, with the cut-throat competition among numerous industries and a highly volatile environment, especially after COVID 19, that’s easier said than done. Add to this the rapidly changing online marketing technologies and you’ll realize that making your mark in 2021 is more complex and challenging than ever before. 

Well, the fact is that you must change with the times if you want to stay relevant. This means you’ll need to keep adjusting and readjusting your strategies to the changing landscape. With that in mind, read on for the top 10 predictions and digital marketing trends for your nonprofit in 2021. 

Let’s dive right in.

1. Gen-Z is the future. 

Gen Z is smart, fluent with technology, and the future of consumerism. They can navigate the internet better than any other generation, and they’re looking for unique, authentic, and responsible brands. Because of their technical prowess, your organization must be up to snuff when it comes to your marketing strategies.

What does that mean? Maybe it’s time to look beyond your website and Facebook for promotional strategies. 

So, what are the new platforms available to you to better address Gen Z? Let’s take a look.

• TikTok – Tiktok is one of the fastest-growing channels with over 100 million active users in the United States.
• Instagram – With 1 billion active users, Instagram has become the most sought-after platform for marketers. 
• Text marketing – According to a recent study, over 75 percent of consumers have admitted that they don’t mind receiving text messages from a trusted brand, as long as they opt-in.

2. AI isn’t going away.

In 2021, you can ask Siri to do pretty much anything, which is a testament to the popularity and usefulness of artificial intelligence. 

According to a study by Accenture’s Technology Vision, 81% of the participants believed that artificial intelligence will work in harmony with humans in organizations. 

The simplest way to utilize artificial intelligence to make your nonprofit website more interactive is to use a chatbot. These cutting-edge AI’s can communicate directly with the site visitors and can help you collect more and meaningful data from your valuable donors. 

3. A conversion-friendly website is essential.

While most nonprofits are focused on getting more visitors to their websites, the true value of a website comes with converting your visitors into donors and volunteers. In 2021, make sure your website is optimized to make those conversions. Luckily, this doesn’t have to be too difficult. In fact, there are a couple things you can do right off the bat to ensure your website is optimized. 

1. Make sure your website is free of technical errors. Nothing drives visitors away more than a broken link or a page that loads too slowly.  Take the time to do a full audit of your website to ensure everything is working quickly and properly. 
2. Make sure your website is mobile friendly. If you’re trying to drive traffic to your site, it’s essential that your site operates well on mobile devices. A huge percentage of people browse the internet on their phones, and if your website isn’t compatible with mobile, you’ll lose conversions.

4. Create compelling content.

Want users to donate? Then make sure you have some digital content that will motivate them to do so. According to Google, nearly 57 percent of individuals make a donation after watching a nonprofit organization’s video. This implies that if you have not included videos in your content marketing strategies, you’ll miss out on valuable donations. 

If this sounds overwhelming, don’t worry. In an age when people carry around phones with high quality cameras in their pockets at all times, shooting photos and video isn’t as daunting or expensive as it once was, and there is likely a video editing program that came with your computer. Edit together some impactful footage of your nonprofit doing work, or create a video testimonial of someone who has benefited from your mission. 

High-quality content – be it blogs, long-form articles, or videos, is without a doubt the key to successful nonprofit campaigns. 

5. Increase the ease of making donations

How easy and quick is it to make donations for your nonprofit organization? The most recent technological advancements that can make dramatic improvements to your donation process include:

• Social media campaigns that allow donors to make donations without having to leave the channel. Facebook and Instagram both have this capability. 
• Making donations via a text message from your mobile phone. 
• Leveraging the one-click buy/donate functionality similar to Apple Pay or PayPal.

6. Get creative with fundraising. 

Fortunately, the COVID-19 Pandemic has not impacted the willingness of people who want to donate. However, the way they donate has changed dramatically, which is why online donations are more important than ever.  According to Women’s Philanthropic Institute  charitable giving held steady in 2020, despite the incredibly difficult year. Because in-person fundraisers aren’t possible during the pandemic, in 2021, continue to think up creative fundraisers that will still motivate people to give online.

7. Get personal. 

This year, you need to speak directly to your community members, making the experience as close to a one-on-one conversation as possible. Today’s consumers expect more personalization mainly because of the lack of personal touch in today’s virtual marketing. 

In 2021, familiarize yourself with personalized marketing and how you can use it for your nonprofit’s benefit.

8. Transparency is important.  

In the past few years, the internet has seen its fair share of exposées and scandals. It’s because of this that transparency has become more important than ever. It’s hard to know who can be trusted these days, and when you’re asking followers to donate money, trust is everything. This means, your nonprofit needs to showcase strong integrity to your community members and new donors.  

There are a few things you can do to make your nonprofit more trustworthy and transparent. Being active on social media is one way to keep your followers apprised of what you’re doing. Post frequent updates, livestream so users can see what’s going on behind the scenes, and post video testimonials from people who have been positively impacted by your nonprofit. Using photo and video on social media is a quick, easy way for users to see the friendly faces behind your organization, and this authenticity will garner trust. 

In 2021, you can grow and make your nonprofit more successful by incorporating the above digital marketing tips in your promotional strategies. Get in touch with us if you have any questions on how to implement or execute any of these marketing tactics.