The state of charity marketing 2023

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Economic uncertainty and the cost-of-living crisis has brought  innumerable roadblocks to marketers, including strained supply chains, budgetary constraints due to the cost-of-giving crisis, and insufficient spend on vital areas such as HR. 

 

But, despite all of that, we are noticing a resounding optimism and an impressive resilience among marketers in the non-profit sector, with leaders making increased investments in how marketing teams collaborate, recognising that remote work is here to stay.

 

As shown in The State of Marketing for Nonprofits report, from Salesforce, the optimism stems from an increasing belief in tech innovation, a redefinition of supporter engagement, and an acceptance of experimentation, among other factors. 

 

Indeed, the biggest risk to charities appears to be not taking any risks when it comes to charity marketing - the best performing teams are exploring new channels and tactics to redefine supporters’ engagement.

 

In this article, we take a close look at much of the above and explore the main reasons for the optimism sweeping non-profit marketers. 

 

 

Finding optimism in the non-profit sector

 

Over the past few years, charities have faced a series of ongoing and ostensibly never-ending challenges, starting with the pandemic, followed by geopolitical uncertainty, followed by economic decline, compounded by inflation and the cost-of-giving crisis. But, despite many of these problems persisting, charity marketers are optimistic.

 

Technology is a key driver of that optimism. Marketers are striving to modernise and improve their technologies, citing it in the Salesforce report as both a key challenge and a key priority. There seems to be an increasing belief across the non-profit sector, despite many years of scepticism towards digital innovation, that tech has the power to unlock huge opportunities, especially in the field of marketing.

 

New technology and strategies have already proved transformative for many charities. In recent years, it has changed the ways in which marketers work. Marketers are no longer constricted by geographical limitations, or indeed time zones.

 

That has proved liberating, allowing marketers to find success by unlocking new supporter segments, reaching new demographics, investing in digital-first experiences, and hosting virtual and hybrid events. Collaboration technology has proved particularly important in recent years, according to the Salesforce report, with 80% of such investments viewed as permanent.

 

The move to tech started as necessity. Digital transformation allowed charities to meet the problems of the past, most notably lockdowns amid the pandemic. But the world of technology is fast moving and the same technology that saw us through 2020 is providing problems that newer solutions aim to solve. Marketers are confident that technology will ensure they meet the challenges of the future, providing them with plenty of reasons to remain optimistic. 

 

 

Redefining supporter engagement

 

Charity marketers are investing in a combination of channels and technologies to reach their audiences. And that is particularly true when it comes to finding new digital channels to reach supporters. The State of Marketing for Non-profits report shows, for example, that marketers are increasingly turning to video to engage with supporters.

 

Marketers are also championing interactive and user-generated content, often with a video component. There is a general acceptance of experimentation, one that has been absent in the past in a sector often prone to practicing caution. 

 

Perhaps surprisingly, as the report also demonstrates, email remains the most popular marketing option. Indeed, as demonstrated by the trillions of messages sent via the Salesforce Marketing Cloud, email use has increased year-on-year, accounting for 80% of all outbound messaging. And, on top of that, outbound emails increased 15% in the past year alone.

 

Marketers are experimenting with the ways they use email, further redefining the ways in which they engage with supporters. There is an increased emphasis on hyper-personal understanding, meeting the precise needs and expectations of non-profit supporters. 

 

Recent research from Salesforce shows that 73% of customers expect organisations to understand their unique needs, desires, and expectations, which has led to experiments to find the best ways to meet those needs. 

 

In short, marketers are going above and beyond to find new ways to deliver personal experiences, often utilising tech to achieve that goal. Indeed, as the Salesforce marketing report shows, 82% of high-performing marketers claim that customer experience is the key competitive differentiator. which is a huge incentive for charities not already making customer experience a priority. 

 

The report listed the top five priorities of non-profit marketers as:

• Improving the use of tools and technologies

• Modernising tools and technologies

• Increasing budgets

• Experimenting with new marketing strategies/tactics

• Complying with privacy regulations

So it is clear that non-profit marketers are looking to new routes to find success. They are finding new ways to make their technology work for them, while exploring new tech innovations and optimisations, experimenting with various digital channels, and prioritising the supporter experience. And, despite economic challenges, all of the above seems to have instilled a sense of resilience and optimism among non-profit marketers.