The voluntary sector has been evolving, digitizing and diversifying for many years. This evolution has created a growing need for visibility and recognition by organizations to promote their causes and projects. Whether it is a company, an NGO or an organization, some objectives remain the same: in particular, the need for visibility to generate demand, real-time feedback in the market and expand one’s recognition.
To achieve this, organizations can rely on several benefits of non-profit marketing and gamification to stand out from the competition, increasing communication, creating engagement in their networks and continuing to grow.
What is non-profit marketing?
Also known as “charity marketing,” non-profit marketing includes the use of marketing, communication and web marketing techniques in the charity sector, just as a marketing company or agency would do. Regardless of what name we give it, the concept of non-profit marketing complies with the Freedom of Association Act of 1901, NGOs or even non-profits.
By helping to promote your cause and values, non-profit marketing greatly helps sustain your credibility and highlight your goals for your audience and target audience. Many organizations, therefore, adopt the use of gamification as a marketing strategy to increase awareness, and communication or even to stimulate participation in events. Game mechanics, with their ability to convey messages attractively and entertainingly, are powerful communication tools in the context of charitable and non-profit organizations.
Why are marketing and gamification important for an organization?
In short, marketing represents all the strategies your organization can put in place to extend your membership network, attract volunteers or donors, and grow your market or your influence/capacity. Non-profit marketing with gamification allows you not only to highlight your organization, its role and its cause, but it is also the key to the success of your mission.
Gamification will help you get more visibility and engagement. Visibility is often strongly intertwined with recognition, especially thanks to the more fun and modern character that will be associated with your property. These factors will also help you understand and analyse where you are in terms of development, what your goals are and how to achieve them:
- Non-profit marketing to grow your organization
Building your circle of supporters is an important step in your growth. Thanks to the brand image and reputation you will develop through gaming and non-profit marketing, you have great opportunities to attract more volunteers.
- Create a fun experience to ease the hiring process
Through the playful promotion of your cause and your projects, you will introduce your organization to a new audience interested in the voluntary sector. This means you’ll be able to play your cards better as a talent recruiter, plus your volunteer base will mobilize more easily. As a result, you will have more people ready to help you with events or activities.
- Contest to bring more donations during the year
Regular and long-term use of instant-win marketing contests or games stimulates new donations and raises potential funds for your organization. These solutions will allow you to achieve your online fundraising goals with companies and also to implement donation appeal campaigns.
How to bring your organization to life thanks to gamification?
Organizations can operate in different and varied fields of voluntary work, such as humanitarian, health and even social assistance. In most cases, organizations act in the public interest and therefore the information they share can easily arouse public curiosity and emotional involvement about their actions and missions.
After analysing the market and the competition, the marketing strategy must be based on the overall development strategy. An effective and successful marketing strategy will focus on your audience, as well as your members, donors, and volunteers, to meet their needs.
Power your website and social networks
Regardless of the size of your organization, the crucial first step is to have a website with updated and informative content about your business, services and actions. A regularly updated website will allow you to increase visibility thanks to references on pages or articles in search engines.
Promoting your organization on social media is another important phase of non-profit marketing to generate interest and engagement in the public on your issues. Today, social media is an accessible, immediate and effective way to reach a large audience and boost your business.
Having a well-referenced website, active social media profiles and relevant content to stimulate awareness campaigns and marketing games for your supporters are all factors that can help your organization strengthen its online presence.
Organize original and unforgettable non-profit events
Gamification is also effective for increasing engagement in events, meetings and activities, allowing participants to learn through fun experiences and to understand the value of their membership. Each event represents an opportunity to strengthen the organization’s value proposition, fortify the loyalty of current members, and develop a base of supporters that ensures long-term profitability.
A piece of advice!
- Another method of using the game mechanics is by rewarding members who participate in the various events of the organization, such as a Dynamic Journey ™ on the history of the organization and its goals for the future. For example, you could offer badges to supporters and volunteers who take part in the gamified experience and reach a new level, demonstrating their involvement in the organization.
The goal of your event is to capture the interest of the public and your target audience for your project and inspire them to participate: it is then about convincing volunteers, charities or government authorities through educational games and promotions to raise awareness. Non-profit events are therefore a great way to get in touch with possible supporters of your organization, exhibitors and sponsors to animate and feed your network.
