Why mobile marketing is so important for nonprofits.
At the end of the year we write tax deductible checks to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Shelter Care, Link To Children, or the Jewish Federation of New Jersey. Our desire to help is important and, if you read Robert Wright (NonZero) or Michael Shermer (Mind of the Market), invested in our genes. Another way we help our favorite causes is to volunteer, serve on boards and make important recommendations.
Important Recommendation: Nonprofits Should Go Mobile Now
Before making a factual case for why adding mobile marketing should top every nonprofit’s 2012 To Do List, we need to tell a story. Nonprofits know emotions are the triggers that win our checkbooks. A nonprofits ability to share its story (or stories) impacts the size of their following, advocacy and donations. The need to share emotions via stories is why some of the best storytellers on earth are nonprofits.
The American Red Cross, Boys and Girls Clubs and the World Wildlife told great stories in direct mail letters, publications and on television. Then the web broke lyrical stories into keywords, search engines and social networks. Nonprofits have a hard time transferring a story’s magic to the new gatekeepers of keywords and search engines (Google). The American Red Cross, a great and well run nonprofit with a 4 star Charity Navigator rating, has 53,000 pages in Google. 53,000 pages in Google is excellent for a nonprofit but pales next to Amazon’s 600 million pages. The difference in search engine marketing sophistication is why RedCross.org comes up #5 on the search term “Red Cross Book” with Amazon in the #2 position.
Mobile Is A New Game, A Game Built For Nonprofit’s Storytelling Strengths
The great thing about Internet marketing is it always happens NOW and change is the only sure thing. There are already more intelligent mobile devices than desktop computers and within two years there will be MANY more mobile connections. Even more important than numbers is the answer to a single question.
What is on your phone? (take our what is on your cell phone poll)
If you are like most the answer to the question of what is on your phone includes friends, contacts, and baby pictures. Even a large group of bachelors and bachelorettes have baby and family pictures from sisters, brothers and friends. A little bit more each day your phone tells the story of YOU and what you love (and who loves you). Doesn’t get much more emotional than that.
If you are a nonprofit where should you concentrate your marketing efforts?
a. Ubiquitous social networks
b. Mobile
c. a plus b
Adding mobile marketing’s intimacy, your message is the same place as baby pictures, makes other nonprofit marketing better while readying nonprofits for the coming “phone as wallet” era. Here are a few numbers that define mobile as the most important nonprofit marketing need:
- Mobile payments “ubiquitous” by 2020 – Pew Research
- Consumer Loyalty 54% more likely during holiday 2011 for brands with effective mobile sites – Simply Zesty
- 27% all emails opened on mobile (April 2012) expected to surpass desktop by end of ’12 –Internet Marketing Grind
- People use mobile to research, review and share what gets into their desktops and laptops – Bit.ly research
Ever stood over your trashcan emptying junk mail as fast as you could shuffle? Mobile devices are becoming our gatekeepers. If your messages don’t make it past a cursory phone review they don’t make it any further. Nonprofits need to include mobile in their marketing NOW!
Enter Atlantic BT’s Gives Back Mobile Grant Contest
Raleigh, North Carolina web developers and Internet marketers Atlantic BT created a $25,000 contest to help a nonprofit develop a winning mobile strategy, mobile marketing campaigns or creative use of mobile technology. If you manage a 501(c)3 nonprofit be sure to apply for Atlantic BT’s Mobile Grant (the deadlines is in a few days). If you are loyal to and love a nonprofit, make sure they know how important mobile marketing is and tell them to apply for our Gives Back Mobile Grant.
Learn More About Atlantic BT’s Mobile Grant Contest
