Gauging Nonprofits Mobile Marketing App-etite

“The National Breast Cancer Foundation uses in-app ads to drive awareness,”….“UN Foundation leverages mobile to drive philanthropy,”….“National Geographic drives consumer engagement, revenues via mobile.”

The above headlines represent a recent snapshot of the goings on when it comes to nonprofits and their effective use of mobile marketing. From literally all corners of the nonprofit world, it seems, charities – and their supporters – are signing in, turning on and hitting “send.” So universal has the arena of mobile campaigns become – the US cell phone penetration rate was 91 percent in 2010 – that charities, especially smaller ones, can sometimes overlook the expenses and pitfalls when launching a text or app-driven donations initiative.

When launching a mobile campaign –regardless of size— nonprofits should take some simple advice offered by DIOSA Communications, a company that specializes in social media and web technology for nonprofits. Here are some tips for text, mobile website, text-to-give, and Smartphone Apps drives:

• Start small: In order to avoid some of the financial risks Harmon highlights. A donations campaign doesn’t have to be months long. Start with a few weeks. That way, even if your mobile campaign ends in the red, your nonprofit isn’t in deep red. Add a “mobile” subscriber field to your mailing list pitch on your website. That way, organization fans can “opt-in” (a formal consent to receive messages from your organization via text) setting the groundwork for future mobile events.
• Mix Up Your Message: At first glance, that piece of advice may cause a double take. Don’t worry. It simply means not to bore your supporters. Mix up your messages and send different ones to different sub groups.
• Less is More: Keep your text messages to no more than 140-160 characters and don’t bombard people’s inboxes at odd hours, particularly at night. Be particularly aware of different time zones. It’s always 5 p.m. somewhere, but it’s always 2 a.m. somewhere else.
• Apps in Caps: If going the Smartphone route, make certain your app is featured front and center on your web page and blog, complete with engaging screen shots and a “download here” button.
• Show the Money: Few things aggravate nonprofit supporters more than if a part of the technology behind your mobile campaign doesn’t work. Make sure the “donate button” inside the mobile webpage or app actually goes through.

Of course, to some extent, size does matter. Jacelyn Harmon, in her Marketing for Nonprofits blog, rightly points out some of those issues. From setup fees to monthly maintenance costs, to the two to three-month time it takes for cell phone companies to hand over donation earnings, smaller nonprofits with fewer resources, could find themselves in difficult financial straits. But none of that should deter those efforts. Nonprofits can go from fledgling to famous in a very short amount of time.

While no doubt true to some extent, it also sounds suspiciously like a catch-22. If mobile campaigns are all about reaching and connecting with more people, why must you already be in the nonprofit Major League in order to take advantage of it? In a perfect world, size –or lack of size—shouldn’t be a determinant in launching a successful mobile campaign.

In the last year and a half, texting and mobile donations campaigns have really come into their own. Many attribute that coming of age to the Haiti earthquake where in just days after the disaster, the American Red Cross received some $22 million via text. By January 21, 2010 –nine days after the crisis – text donations had surged to $30 million, representing 14 percent of all donations made to the charity.

This March, a combined human-natural disaster shocked the world as Japan was sent reeling from a catastrophic earthquake-tsunami duo followed by a partial melt down of its Fukushima nuclear power plant. Once again mobile donations proved an effective giving medium. In just three days the Red Cross raised $1 million through text donations.

And just two months later, the residents of Joplin, Missouri, like their Japanese and Haitian counterparts, were thankful for mobile donations’ growing reach. On May 22, a powerful tornado ripped through the city. Two days later Verizon Wireless had already launched a mobile campaign. Unlike previous examples, Verizon customers were not limited to a single charity. Instead people could send their $10 donations to a number of organizations including: the Salvation Army, United Way, and Convoy of Hope, among others.

Whether your nonprofit is a burgeoning behemoth like The Red Cross, or just starting out on its own smaller campaign, mobile initiatives –in their various formats, can be the way forward.

When it comes to your organization’s mobile and texting app-etite, just don’t bite off more than you can chew.

Cause Marketing: Coming Of Age

At the still-young age of 35, cause marketing has matured into an important component of the business and nonprofit relationship. What started off as an experiment in 1976 (Cause marketing’s unofficial birth date) with a partnership between Marriott and March of Dimes has evolved over several decades to become a $1.7 billion life-support machine for nonprofits of all missions and sizes. Businesses seek out nonprofit organizations to support their CSR programs, while consumers say they increasingly care about the causes the companies they buy from support.

A win-win?

Yet of 96% of respondents in a new survey (conducted by communications company MSLGROUP) who say they identify with two or three causes, be it cancer prevention or fighting African hunger, or anything in between, only a little over one third of those individuals end up buying from companies linked to those issues.

That equation doesn’t stack up, so what’s going on?

Getting into bed with the right partner

Let’s start by looking at the relationship: It is absolutely critical for both entities to forge the right relationship, not just any relationship. In an extreme example for instance, imagine the public reaction if the American Cancer Society were found to be working alongside Big Tobacco to fight, let’s say, lung and esophageal cancer – two deadly forms of the disease strongly linked to cigarettes and other nicotine products? It would be a disaster for sure.

While a scenario like this is quite unlikely, many lower-level faux pas happen regularly –think Kentucky Fried Chicken and its partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure – leading to consumer skepticism and wariness over the legitimate altruism of profit-non-profit

partnerships. Just type the phrase “cause marketing fraud” into a Google search and you end up with 3.4 million hits. Feeling lucky? Try the phrase: “cause marketing bad decisions” and the hits jump to 27 million.

Wow, talk about a strategically bad decision.

Altruism goes beyond the marketing, it’s about “heartshare”

Beyond just doing your homework, a recent post on Selfishgiving.com offers another often-ignored tip: appeal to hearts, not heads. Statistics are great, the theory goes, but at the end of the day, trumping your emotional card may be the best way to win over consumer support. One in 10 women age 70 and over may develop cervical cancer, according to a new study, but if it’s your relative or loved one who is sick, the stats can go right out the window. Personalizing and individualizing your cause evokes empathy from a consumer.

These common sense tips can go a long way to ensure that cause marketing’s historic success will not be overshadowed by public skepticism or recent case-by-case blunders.

It’s hard enough in today’s business and giving climate without getting in to bed with the wrong partner.

Mobile Giving and The Nonprofit

By: Vanessa Horwell

2011 is the “Year of the Mobile,” and it's conceivable that 2010 was the former reigning champ. Smartphones were predicted to beat PC sales in 2011; instead, they surpassed sales in 2010. Apps are more advanced than ever, and as anyone knows who's held a smartphone, they cover all of life's little details—now including charitable giving.

Connecting with Donors and Supporters

With over 80% of people using mobile phones in the U.S., targeting mobile phone users to increase donations is a viable maneuver in the nonprofit world. Phones are nearly tethered to their owners, and according to Smart Online Inc.'s A Mobile World, smartphones users are more likely to check their emails via phone. If apps are considered too advanced or too costly for a certain NPO, continued email efforts with mobile phone optimization allows potential donors to view company updates and calls for collection. With 72% of respondents stating that they checked their email more often on their phones, it's a smart first step.

If more than 50% of smartphone users are primarily checking their emails on their phones, it's a safe bet that they're using the same mobile to access social networking sites. 63% of respondents to A Mobile World's survey said that they use their smartphone at least as frequently as their computer for social networking sites, and it's predicted that the number of individuals who prefer mobile apps over websites will only increase.

Using Mobile Marketing for Engagement

Mobile marketing for any NPO is dependent on how each plans to interact with donors. When donors' needs are addressed in app development, it becomes easier to create mobile apps and mobile-friendly communication. In the case of early-stage iPhone app Tap-n-Give, founder Tonia Zampieri revealed that audience needs were initially quite basic: donating to participating nonprofits and sharing their favorites with others. As the app evolved, Zampieri developed a branding experience for nonprofits that included downloadable wallpapers for involved users.

As will be the case with all app development, it became necessary to fine-tune the app as user feedback returned. According to the Tap-n-Give Story (May 2011) Tampieri's app sold for .99, with a significant portion going to back to nonprofits, but charging a fee still slowed adoption. The iPhone-specific availability also decreased use. Tampieri identified technical issues and also worked to keep up with developments in the field (such as QR codes), noting that marketing efforts cannot fall by the wayside despite the fast-paced nature of app development. Even though she claims Tap-n-Give “wasn't the huge success I'd hoped for in terms of the support it brought to those involved,” Tampieri added “[apps] can not only be a phenomenal branding tool, but also an entirely new way to capture engaged supporters who spend a large amount of time on their mobile device.”

Expectations for Mobile Donations

It's unsurprising that few people have donated via mobile app when so few of these apps exist. However, there is forward momentum. Few NPOs have mobile apps for the public, but individuals have used their phones to support causes by signing petitions, accessing a charity's website and donating, supporting nonprofits, and sending texts to donate. Interest is there, and with strategic app development, NPOs can make smartphone and tablet donation options work for them.

The first step? Specifying where a nonprofit stands in order to connect with donors and supporters, and targeting the public through increased mobile-friendly presence.

Where does your NPO stand when it comes to mobile giving? Do you have a mobile strategy in place? We would love to hear from you!