Prepare for #GivingTuesday in 7 Steps

Before the big day arrives, you can prepare for Giving Tuesday early. Read on for 7 steps to take now that will help you out down the road.

  1. Plan out a social media strategy, keeping in mind that hashtags and imagery can increase click-through rates, especially those that include #GivingTuesday. First create goals, asking what you want your donors to do (like your page, pledge to donate, subscribe to a newsletter). Then plan your content that will lead them to do this, maybe using a tool like Trello to map out a schedule. trello-giving-tuesday-social_media-strategy
  2. Segment your current lists, using data to understand how to message to your donors effectively. Our post, Giving Season – Leverage Your Contacts, explains how you can use the information you already have and craft content around engaging these supporters.
  3. Establish your mobile-friendly donation form now, promoting early before the big kick off. Check if it’s mobile friendly with Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test. Consider building custom forms that capture email or mobile number for future marketing use. giving-season-giving-tuesday-mobile-donations
  4. Create videos and imagery that you can use for thank you’s to your Giving Season donors. A blog YouTube for Nonprofits points out ways in which video can benefit you and how easy creation can be. Canva.com is another resource for creating images with text overlay for your social media post.
  5. Don’t forget about millennials and consider marketing directly to them. The following post explains why they are such a valuable audience and how you might reach them and get them involved: How to Market to Millennials
  6. Work with a local business or large private donor, perhaps asking them to match your other donors’ funds. Using a tool like Double the Donation can help connect your nonprofit with companies that will match others’ donations.
  7. Partner with a local organization to strengthen your brand and cross-market. According to MobileCause, 91% of users will switch to using a different brand if they find out that the brand is associated with a good cause.

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Download an infographic that walks through more interesting Giving Tuesday and Giving Season facts, tips, and ideas: GivingTuesdayInfographic. There’s also a whole site devoted to marketing for this time of year at GivingTuesday.org, including case studies and helpful tools.