Influencer marketing is very popular right now. It is used extensively across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and beyond to promote everything from cars to glitzy fashion trends. But does it work for fundraising? More specifically, does it work for new donor acquisition? I will answer those questions, and a few others.
What is influencer marketing anyway? For the context of this discussion, we will use influencer marketing to refer to partnering with an influencer to promote your work. This is most often a paid partnership or sponsorship, but other arrangements are possible. To keep things above board, it is usually needed for the influencer to acknowledge your relationship publicly as a sponsorship if they are being compensated in some way.
How do influencers promote your cause? Most commonly, an influencer will spend some time talking about your cause, what you do, why it is important, and how people can get involved. They will issue a call to action asking people to support the great work you do and provide multiple channels by which potential donors can respond. The more passionate the influencer is about your cause and the better the audience fit is, the more effective the ask will be.
Does it really work to generate new donors? The short answer is yes, it really can. In one test, we generated about 1,800 new donors over 60 days with an ROI of over 270%. Those are jaw-dropping results. In some tests we saw less spectacular outcomes similar to other acquisition channels. The level of success is directly connected to the fit.
Finding the right influencers who have sufficient reach and the right audience, who are also willing to do this kind of work and are passionate about your cause, is by far the greatest challenge. But it is a challenge worth taking up.
Another exciting part of this kind of outreach is the potential to reach untapped audiences. We have seen as many as 93% of the donors being brand new to the organization.
Using influencer marketing to reach new donors can be a rewarding strategy that opens new doors for your ministry.
Do you want to explore influencer options to help with your fundraising? Let us chat!
CLICK HERE or call us today at 724-733-1200.
- Does Influencer Marketing Work for Fundraising? - December 20, 2024
- How to Craft a New Donor Experience - October 4, 2024
- How to Define Fundraising Success - July 26, 2024
