Looking to reduce your charity’s marketing spend in 2023? You are not alone. As costs continue to rise across the UK, charities, businesses and individuals alike are looking for ways to cut costs and make budgets go further. And more often than not, for charities, this means a decrease in marketing budget.
So, what can your charity do to reduce its marketing spend without compromising on performance? We’ve put together 5 top tips to help your charity keep costs low and results high.
#1 Cut your charity’s ad spend and up your SEO game
As Janet Jackson and Luther Vandross once said: “The best things in life are free”. Whilst paid advertising has many benefits and is more than necessary in some circumstances, for the most part, free marketing channels are just as effective.
Focusing on SEO (search engine optimisation) will help put your charity in the right place at the right time. A strong SEO strategy will put you at the top of the search engine rankings for relevant target terms, ensuring your nonprofit is visible to those searching with intent. Whilst SEO is not a quick fix, if you stick at it, in the long run, it will all pay off, helping your charity to compete with bigger names without spending a fortune.
Some of the most notable benefits of SEO for charities include:
- It’s completely free, so you can achieve great results within your budget
- It will extend your reach and build trust for your brand
- It will allow those searching to find you with ease
- It will help you to attract local attention
- It will drive donations and awareness
Now you know why SEO is important if you’re looking to succeed with a reduced marketing budget in 2023, check out our free ultimate guide to SEO for charities to unlock helpful tips and guidance to put you on the path to the top of the search results.
#2 Embrace email marketing
Whilst for the most part digital marketing is thought to be modern and innovative, this channel has been around since the 70s and hasn’t evolved much since. We’re of course talking about the ‘godfather’ of digital marketing: email. This simple yet highly effective channel has the highest average ROI, currently sitting at 3,600%.
An effective email marketing strategy can help your charity to do everything from promoting fundraising events and driving donations to attracting new volunteers and building relationships with existing supporters.
There are several free/ low-cost, easy-to-use platforms designed to help your charity build and manage your email campaigns, including MailChimp, ConvertKit and Constant Contact. Each platform offers different benefits, so it’s worth making the most of the free trials on offer and exploring which best suits your needs and audience size. Once you’ve made your decision, be sure to check whether they offer any discounts for charitable organisations – a lot do! Again, if you’re looking for help getting going, our ultimate guide to email marketing is a great place to start.
#3 Get social media savvy
If your charity’s marketing budget is likely to decrease in 2023, finding channels that are both cost-effective and able to reach your target audience is key. And whilst every charity will target a different demographic, it’s more than likely that your target audience will have a presence on at least one social media platform.
Like email marketing, thanks to its personal nature, social media is a great way to build relationships with your audience and drive them to take action when the time is right. From keeping donors engaged to raising awareness and driving donations, social media will provide your charity with a platform to connect with the people that matter most when you need them.
#4 The tools of the trade
One of the many benefits of the online world is the ability to access a range of tools and resources for free. We’re talking about everything from image and video editing software to in-depth tutorials and design tools. The internet is a magical place when you know how to use it. And the key to succeeding is to know exactly what you need. Some free marketing tools and resources that will help your charity to reduce costs without heavily impacting your performance include:
#5 Work smarter to reduce your marketing spend
The power of repurposing is commonly overlooked. It’s a great way to ensure you get the most out of every resource, saving you time and money in the long run. Some simple ideas include:
- Create infographics from blog posts
- Take snippets from long-form videos to share via social media
- Break blog content into a series of posts for social media and email
- Reuse older content
- Pull quotes from interviews to reshare via other channels
In summary, to get the most out of your marketing budget and cut unnecessary costs for your charity, you need to understand who your target audience is and what you want to achieve and then identify relevant channels to focus on. The key is to have a watertight marketing strategy to ensure everything you do is relevant and worth your time (and money).
If you’re looking for help building a strategy to inform your marketing decisions, get in touch today to organise a free consultation. In the meantime, to see how we’ve helped charities like yours to achieve big with digital marketing, check out our case studies page.
