The charity network that helps you shine.

Join 18,759 professionals and find your community in the UK charity sector.

Join CharityConnect

If your nonprofit had an unlimited marketing budget for just one week, what would you invest in first?

Marketing

John Crosland Founder at Crosland Digital Posted 6 months ago

Would you amplify your message through social media, launch a massive ad campaign, or create inspiring video content?

Share your ideas below—let’s inspire each other!

No responses yet. Be the first to reply!

8 responses

Load more responses

Jonathan Dearth Staff PANEL

Director at The Right Ethos 6 months ago

Always something direct and personal to the individual

So not social media, nor ad campaign - but could use video.

With an unlimited marketing budget, I would use email, direct mail or telephone to target individuals as personally as possible on what they are interested in and what they would be motivated to do in order to support my organisation.

Please enter your comment.

Comment image

Optional. An image can be added at the top of the comment. Images must be in PNG, GIF or JPG format. Unsplash.com is a great source for royalty free and high quality photos.

See previous comments

Arman Alan Ali Staff PANEL

Freelance Public Relations Consultant at Various 6 months ago

With an unlimited budget radio advertising is the most cost-effective with the best credible audience reach. It's under-rated as a medium - and always has been.But it is effective nevertheless. And some good deals can be had on local and regional radio stations.

Please enter your comment.

Comment image

Optional. An image can be added at the top of the comment. Images must be in PNG, GIF or JPG format. Unsplash.com is a great source for royalty free and high quality photos.

See previous comments

Craig Schoolkate Staff PANEL

Digital Fundraising & Marketing Executive at Barnardo's 5 months ago

The channel, audience, and content format that have given us the biggest ROI

Please enter your comment.

Comment image

Optional. An image can be added at the top of the comment. Images must be in PNG, GIF or JPG format. Unsplash.com is a great source for royalty free and high quality photos.

See previous comments

Hirsch Sharma Staff PANEL

CEO at Boardroom Consultants 6 months ago

Hirsch Sharma's badges

Hi John

I would go for a YouTube campaign. This is because it is the most powerful media. Imagination is King always and beats anything else. That is why films and TV programmes are so popular.

Invest in a professional film crew to produce a powerful, emotional video that highlights your organisation's mission and impact. Share this video across all social media platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.

Warm regards

Please enter your comment.

Comment image

Optional. An image can be added at the top of the comment. Images must be in PNG, GIF or JPG format. Unsplash.com is a great source for royalty free and high quality photos.

See previous comments

Victoria Ndlovu Staff PANEL

Healthcare Assistant at Rutsanana Poly Clinic 6 months ago

With an unlimited marketing budget for one week, I'd invest in a strategic, high-impact campaign to maximize visibility, engagement, and donations. Here's my top priority:

*Social Media and Influencer Campaign*

I'd allocate a significant portion of the budget to social media advertising and influencer partnerships. This would allow us to:

1. *Reach a broader audience*: Target specific demographics, interests, and behaviors to increase brand awareness and attract new supporters.
2. *Create engaging content*: Develop high-quality, emotive videos, images, and stories showcasing our mission, impact, and beneficiaries.
3. *Leverage influencers*: Partner with social media influencers, thought leaders, and content creators in our niche to amplify our message, expand our reach, and build credibility.
4. *Drive website traffic and donations*: Optimize our website for conversions, ensuring a seamless user experience, clear calls-to-action, and secure donation processing.

*Additional Investments*

With the remaining budget, I'd invest in:

1. *Email marketing*: Send targeted, personalized campaigns to our existing supporters, showcasing our impact, and encouraging donations.
2. *Content marketing*: Create informative, engaging blog posts, videos, and guides that establish our organization as a thought leader in our space.
3. *Paid advertising*: Run targeted Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and native ads to reach our target audience and drive traffic to our website.
4. *Event marketing*: Host a high-profile event, webinar, or fundraiser to showcase our mission, build relationships with supporters, and generate buzz around our organization.

*Measurement and Evaluation*

To ensure the success of our campaign, I'd track key performance indicators (KPIs), such as:

1. Website traffic and engagement metrics (e.g., time on site, bounce rate, pages per session)
2. Social media metrics (e.g., followers, engagement rate, reach)
3. Email marketing metrics (e.g., open rate, click-through rate, conversion rate)
4. Donation metrics (e.g., total donations, average donation amount, donor retention rate)

By investing in a strategic, multi-channel campaign, we can maximize our impact, build a stronger community, and drive meaningful support for our nonprofit organization.

Please enter your comment.

Comment image

Optional. An image can be added at the top of the comment. Images must be in PNG, GIF or JPG format. Unsplash.com is a great source for royalty free and high quality photos.

See previous comments

John Crosland Staff PANEL

Founder at Crosland Digital 6 months ago

Victoria Ndlovu Thank you for sharing such a detailed and and well thought out strategy! Overall, your approach is incredibly well-rounded and inspiring. If you had the unlimited budget, it would be great to see which one of the strategies you outlined performed the best. I’d love to hear if there’s a particular channel or strategy you’d prioritise first!

Please enter your comment.

Comment image

Optional. An image can be added at the top of the comment. Images must be in PNG, GIF or JPG format. Unsplash.com is a great source for royalty free and high quality photos.

Ocean King Staff PANEL

Senior Community Executive at CharityConnect 6 months ago

Very interesting question! The possibilities here feel endless, almost to the point of being overwhelming when deciding what to do first.

I think I’d start by launching several pop-up events across the country. These pop-ups could be both informational and host a range of activities and giveaways (because who doesn’t love a freebie?!). I think this would definitely generate excitement around the events. A while ago, I saw a charity pop-up space near Outernet on Tottenham Court Road - I think it was Age UK? They had a free photobooth, were giving away little treats, and their staff members were chatting with people in the queue. It drew a large crowd! Of course, your goal would be to attract people genuinely interested in supporting your cause, not just stopping by for freebies, but brand awareness is still key and I think they did a fantastic job with that.

I know I sound like a broken record, but social media is so important for engaging donors and building awareness beyond your usual reach. If the budget were truly unlimited (as you mentioned), I’d go all out! Think underground ads, big billboard moments, maybe even a charity-branded bus touring the country and document it all on social media to create a buzz and maybe even get that viral moment everyone's trying to achieve.

I could go on and on about the endless possibilities, but I’d love to hear where you would start and what you’d invest in, John!

Please enter your comment.

Comment image

Optional. An image can be added at the top of the comment. Images must be in PNG, GIF or JPG format. Unsplash.com is a great source for royalty free and high quality photos.

See previous comments

John Crosland Staff PANEL

Founder at Crosland Digital 6 months ago

Ocean King Pop-up events are such a great idea powerful, memorable and a good way to make connections in person. I like the example you gave from Age UK it's a great combination of fun and effective outreach. Taking a brand of charity bus around the country really hits home and must attract attention.

If I was just starting out, I'd also consider radio advertising in order to reinforce the buzz from events and social media. Radio ads are often overlooked nowadays, but they're a great way to reach different populations, especially in places where digital campaigns might not be as deeply felt.

Using radio for interviews or stories about your charity's work can make a really emotional connection with listeners. It's a great way to add human touch to your campaign. I also love how making these things fun can give the event excitement, especially if combined with a strong call-to-action whether that means signing up for an event, or making a donation. And as you noted, capturing everything on social media, from real-time postings at the pop-ups to behind-the-scenes footage, can spread the message far and wide; indeed, it's even possible that it may lead to a viral moment.

Please enter your comment.

Comment image

Optional. An image can be added at the top of the comment. Images must be in PNG, GIF or JPG format. Unsplash.com is a great source for royalty free and high quality photos.

See new comments

The charity network that helps you shine.

Jonathan Dearth's badges

Arman Alan Ali's badges

Craig Schoolkate's badges

Hirsch Sharma's badges

Victoria Ndlovu's badges

John Crosland's badges

Ocean King's badges

John Crosland's badges

Report an issue

Report an abusive behaviour

Likes

Likes

Sign in

Post

Likes