Why you should Focus on Gen Y. Plus 5 Nonprofit Donor Marketing Tips to actually reach them.

 

With the rise of the digital age, there are more and more marketing avenues available for NonProfit Organisations to reach new donors. With each new generation that comes through, we now know that generally, they have their own preferred methods of contact and interaction and specific platforms that they trust.

For Boomers, it’s TV advertisements. For Generation Z, email marketing and for Generation Y (AKA Millenials)… well, I’ll get to that.

You see, I’m a Gen Y’er… always have been. In this article, I’m going to cover why you should be tailoring a marketing strategy to my kind and crucial elements to consider.

 

Why Focus on Donor Marketing to Generation Y?

For quite some time now I’ve seen NGO’s focus on the cashed-up Baby Boomers. I’m here to tell you that the time it is time to switch focus. With the median income of Generation Y’ers growing steadily and the Baby Boomers now moving toward retirement, now is the right time to start perfecting your NGO’s strategy to engage this generation. But there’s just one catch.

Gen Y’ers are often seen as confusing. We tend to reject most forms of traditional advertising and having grown up on the frontlines of technology, have grown accustomed to receiving most of our news, information, and communication through our preferred platform(s). We also have a tendency to research everything to the nth degree. Plus we have shorter attention spans 😊 Simple.

 

Did you know: Those aged 25-34 are the most likely to have made a donation in the past 12 months and are more likely to volunteer than their older counterparts (mccrindle.com.au)

 

 

The trick is, if you can figure out how to reach us, it’ll pay off. On average we have money to spare and more than anything, greatly value happiness, connection, diversity, social responsibility, and trust – all values that align with NGO’s.

 

How to crack through our hard-outer shell and get to our soft and fuzzy innards.

Here I have supplied to you 5 NonProfit Donor Marketing Tips tailored to us younger folk. These tips will help you to create a strategy to not only reach us but also keep us engaged long enough to get on-board. Best yet, if done right, we will be your advocates.

 

1. Word of Mouth is Everything

We grew up in a world of spam, scams, and telemarketers. Because of this, we have been gifted with a heightened sense for anything that is inauthentic. If we catch a whiff of anything that intrudes on our privacy (like unsolicited calls or emails) there is no coming back from that. The trust is gone forever.

Instead, focus heavily on what will get word of mouth happening for your organisation. We are far more likely to get involved if we have heard about it from a friend.

 

2. Get Creative

Spend time to create something unique that will set you apart from the crowd. We are constantly bombarded with advertisements and information and have the ability to block it out very easily. Tell stories, use humor and for the love of all that is holy please use video.

Focus on having a clear message with clear expectations on what you want them to do.

 

3. Optimise all the things

It is essential that you ensure your website is up to scratch. A fast and mobile optimised website is crucial. We have the attention span of a goldfish (or so I’ve been told) so anything that is clunky and slow needs to be fixed. Be it a website or landing page, ensure your platform looks good, performs well and has a clear direction to keep us right where you want us. If you need a stunningly beautiful website that performs well and is SEO optimised, call us or fill in our contact form and we will sort you out. If you need a full proposal to present to a third-party, we can do this for you.

 

4. Make it Easy

Your payment gateway, sign up form, newsletter form or whatever you are using to gather information or donations needs to be very user-friendly. An AMAZING example of this is GoFundMe. Their payment system is flawless and the ability to share the cause is perfect for us Gen Y folk. Take a leaf from their book and structure something similar.

 

5. Segment your Communication

If you’re sending out the same communication to everyone (be it any generation) please stop right now. I advise all my clients to segment their markets to generations (Boomers, Generation Z, Generation Y, Generation X) and then segment further, usually into 3 or 4 categories based on what their goal is.

Us Gen Y’ers appreciate it when you connect with us on our level. In a world where everyone is being bombarded with endless communication, if we don’t connect with it, we don’t care.

Try creating a donor avatar (or 3). Break down all of the characteristics of who you think your ideal donor would be and then customise your material accordingly. We need to connect to care.

 

Always Remember

Although we are all grouped by generation, be aware that your industry relies on connecting with people on an individual basis. You need to know what tugs their heart string in order to get their attention and keep it. Be ever vigilant with your strategies and don’t forget to test and measure everything you put out into the world on behalf of your organisation. I hope you enjoyed this article and our 5 NonProfit Donor Marketing Tips. Let me know if you think there are any other crucial elements I’ve missed.

If you have an NGO and you’re looking for advice or even a chat to discuss your marketing strategy, shoot me an email and let’s set up a call sarah@bigfootcreative.com.au