by Martin 4 years ago 
Today’s competitive marketing environment has changed, especially during unprecedented times like these. If you are a business owner, you have probably realised that advertising costs on social media platforms have increased considerably due to the demand in the market as everyone competes for ad space. Some NGOs may decide to invest in strategies similar to sms messaging for non profits or they may decide to use other strategies that incorporate other elements of marketing to further promote their organization. So, how are Non-For-Profit organizations utilizing digital marketing to help them sustain themselves?
We reached out to an NGO, Pertubuhan Cahaya Hati Selangor, a nursing home which cares for elderly citizens whom the hospitals are not able to accommodate or who have no children to care for them. Their charity organization is purely funded by their founder, Ms Melvin, and from donations of the public. We asked them how they’ve been sustaining themselves through the hard times and they informed us they have the helping assistance from Kode Digital Experts Services, a young award winning Digital Agency, who have been managing their social media accounts for free as their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
We spoke to Managing Director, Ms Koh, to find out how they have been helping the NGO stand out during the difficult times we are facing. Here’s what she has to say:
Does Digital Marketing work for NGOs?
Digital Marketing is like any other marketing, it is used a lot nowadays and those who need it can visit the site of an agency and see how they can be helped step by step. The general goal is to create online awareness for the issues faced by the NGO and for Pertubuhan Cahaya Hati Selangor’s case, they are in urgent need to secure donations in order for them to pay the utility bills, buy food and ingredients for the elder, nursing equipment like medical beds and pampers. These are all crucial items needed by the generous team of nurses at PCHS in order for them to continue caring for the elderly.
What Digital Marketing platforms are you using to help?
As a grand-daughter myself, I feel incredibly saddened with the thought of one of my grandparent not being able to live comfortably let alone having to worry day by day if they have enough food to eat. Our whole team have agreed to work extra to help these kind, old souls to ensure they have a comfortable life. For us, we do so by managing their Social Media accounts, specifically Facebook and Instagram. We create awareness by sharing engaging content that is relatable in today’s social media feeds. We try our best to tug at the heart strings of their audiences to ensure they stop and think how some of the elderlies are having a hard time and if they could afford to, they could lend a helping hand.
Are Paid Advertisements essential to raising Funds?
We generally try to avoid running ads like big NGOs who spend the bulk of the donations they received on Social Media Advertisements. We did not want audiences who are viewing the ads to think that PCHS has plenty of money to run ads and hence not get donations. The method we are working on is gaining organic donations without paid ads. This is a challenge but has its rewards.
What are the other strategies that you would recommend for NGOs?
Every NGO has their own specific niche in what they do and how they help. As a digital marketing agency, we try our absolute best to understand our clients in detail. Not just NGO clients but every single client we have to offer them the correct solution for their particular needs. For PCHS’s case, we are currently planning to create awareness through Social Media platforms before expanding into other digital marketing platforms like Google Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (Google AdWords) and Google Display Network (GDN). These could help them generate more donation once people start to know more about the NGO itself.
Today’s market has changed due to the viral pandemic but it’s good to know that there are Digital Agencies like Reputation.com, out there that are helping NGOs that are in need.
If you would like to know more about Kode Digital Experts Services, check out their website at https://kodedigital.expert to see if they can help you too.