When it comes to our oceans, community relations are one of the key components to protecting them. Saving the planet is about building strong relationships and working together, but do you ever feel as though it’s easier said than done? You’re not alone. Many nonprofits find it challenging to influence the communities around them, but with the right public relations team, it’s achievable.
Reach
The most difficult phase of this process is gaining media coverage. Two of the most important partnerships necessary for a nonprofit to thrive are those with the media and its viewers. It’s a journalist’s job to publish stories that are relevant to the public; but they need to know why your story is relevant before you pitch it. We establish relationships with specialist news outlets and are able to tell them about your goals and get them just as excited as you are. Once you have a handful of journalists on board with your mission, it will become much easier to gain coverage of your content.
Inform
Once you’ve secured a strong personal relationship with a few local news stations, your next step is to establish yourself in the digital world. After your press release is published, you may have more traffic to your website and social media sites, so they need to look professional and fresh. This is the perfect time to educate your audience about your mission by posting images, video content, blogs and downloadable brochures. The more activity that your website and social media outlets have, the more interest you’ll gain from followers and all the more likely that they’ll return to your site. Hop on the latest social media trends and generate discussion among subscribers to your site. If it seems like a lot to tackle, consider partnering with a social media expert to lead the way.
Convert
After you’ve started to raise awareness about your organization, you may start seeing the donations come in. From your website, you can add a monthly giving button. Rather than a donor feeling overwhelmed in giving a large chunk of money all at once, they can choose to donate in smaller increments each month. By doing so, not only do you gain more long-term donors, you also give them the chance to see the impact each month through a newsletter. Other forms of member engagement can be done in person, through community events. Consider collaborating with other local or national, like minded organizations. The more people you educate about your mission, the more volunteers and donors you’ll secure.
Orange Orchard is dedicated to promoting your nonprofit organization to the right audiences with intentional messaging to reach your clients. For more information about how our environmental public relations experts can help your company, reach out to us at 865.977.1973.