Regarded as a set of online strategies, digital marketing in the third sector aims to strengthen a brand and attract people with the same social goal. Therefore, it is essential that the actions developed add credibility to the organization in order to influence the public to contribute to the cause.
Taking into account that people are increasingly connected, and that the third sector has totally different demands than companies and service providers, digital marketing must be adopted as a way to present services to the public in a captivating and charming way, so that the entity can raise the necessary resources and attract more voluntarians.
Follow us and discover, on the Codeblog, 5 steps to apply digital marketing in the third sector.
1. Have a defined identity
The identity of a brand has the mission of representing its history and its concepts of vision, mission, and values.
For this reason, as much as third sector institutions operate on a non-profit basis, the only way to attract recurring donors is to make people believe, identify with your cause, and buy into your idea. For this, it is necessary to present services and report on how resources are allocated to build a good reputation in the market.
2. Define the goals for your strategy
First of all, it is necessary to define what the expectations of your NGO are, what difficulties are faced, and what the development goals are.
After mapping out the points and gathering the data to understand the limitations and what actions are needed to overcome adversities, it is time to think about future actions and focus efforts on delighting the audience and motivating people to embrace your purpose. This way, it is much easier to manage results and measure the effectiveness of strategies.
3. Segment your audience
The most important point for an assertive digital marketing strategy in the third sector is to communicate reality in an inviting way, to encourage people to contribute to the projects.
For this, audience segmentation is fundamental. After all, only by studying your target audience and their preferences, social classes, and behaviors is it possible to perceive who are the people who can be impacted by the projects and what are the best ways to reach them.
A great way to narrow down this process is by creating a persona that represents what an ideal donor or volunteer would be.
4. Bet on the power of social media
Digital media are, without a doubt, the protagonists of digital marketing actions, but, contrary to what many people think, they are not limited to just Facebook and Instagram. Check out below the main tools to create interaction with people interested in your cause.
- Website/blog
While a website acts in the institutional presentation of the entity in a practical way, a blog is a strong strategy for generating traffic, since it enables users to follow the projects and campaigns generated.
- Social networks
Social networks are essential tools to reach potential donors, volunteers, and even business owners who are interested in your cause.
Furthermore, users like to interact on social networks, so every post is a new chance to impact potential donors, volunteers, and partners.
However, to ensure an assertive strategy, it is necessary to think of targeted content and calls to action. It is also necessary to invest in an informative Bio for Instagram and strategic information for Facebook, through the use of buttons that redirect to the website, for example.
- Email Marketing
The email marketing is a great way to nurture people who are interested in contributing to a cause with information. To do this, present valuable content, success stories, and encourage donor participation in accountability reports.
5. Capture your audience's attention
Finally, after defining all communication channels and the strategies applied in each one of them, it is time to think of ways to attract the attention of people who sympathize with the cause and want to take a stand on it.
It is worth remembering that, in the philanthropic scenario, Digital Marketing may suffer some limitations, so be careful with Ads and mass advertising, which can cause a negative experience for the public. However, there are several other actions that can be interesting, such as:
- Product store:
Commercialization of items with profits reverted to the NGO.
- Volunteering actions
Ideal for attracting people who want to get involved with the cause in a closer way.
- Loyalty programs
Gifts and discounts offered by partner and volunteer companies create a positive experience and encourage the public to associate your entity with a brand.
Anyway, did you enjoy discovering the 5 steps to apply digital marketing in the third sector? If you want to digitize your NGO's processes, optimize your team's tasks, and ensure greater reach of the developed projects, get in touch with the specialist team at Codebit and check out all the custom solutions to meet your demand.
Furthermore, keep an eye on the Codeblog. Soon, we will have plenty of news here.
A big hug!




