Editor's Note: This post is authored by David Ellis, Senior Manager, LinkedIn for Good for Nonprofits.
Welcome to Ask LMS, where LinkedIn Marketing Solutions answers your questions about marketing on LinkedIn, content marketing, and more. Our question today comes from Jessica, who submitted her question to us via AskLMS@linkedin.com. On our last episode we answered the question, ‘How Can I Use the Company Page Notification Center to Better Market My Brand on LinkedIn?’ In our latest edition in the series, we discuss how non-profits can use LinkedIn to build awareness.
Jessica asks: How do you recommend using LinkedIn Marketing for building awareness of non-profit organizations?
Thanks for your question, Jessica, we’re glad you asked! We’re happy to say that LinkedIn is an excellent platform for both cause marketing and the marketing of nonprofits. We even have LinkedIn for Nonprofits, which can help you accomplish specific objectives such as finding volunteers or board members. Read on to discover a few more tips that can give your nonprofit organization a boost in awareness among professionals who can contribute to, and champion, your cause.
Establish a Digital Identity
Developing a Company Page for your nonprofit is a great way to gain visibility on the LinkedIn platform, allowing your organization to show up in related searches, post employment and volunteer opportunities, and promote your mission to LinkedIn’s professional audience.
These tips for attracting followers to your Company Page can allow you to maximize the reach potential of each update you post. Your LinkedIn Company Page is not only an excellent avenue for gaining new supporters, but also provides existing advocates with another option for engaging with your organization and spreading the word.
Build Relationships
Using LinkedIn Groups can be a huge help in raising awareness for your nonprofit. By participating in LinkedIn Groups, or starting a LinkedIn Group of your own, you can build a stronger network, initiate and participate in discussions related to the service your organization provides, and call your supporters to be online advocates for your cause. For more tips on starting and growing your LinkedIn group, check out the LinkedIn Groups: A Moderator’s Field Guide eBook.
By establishing a place where open dialogue is encouraged, your volunteers and advocates can gain insights that allow them to maximize the effectiveness of their support. Group discussion can also shed light on new opportunities to raise funds and recruit quality people.
Develop Thought Leadership
Displaying thought leadership around certain topic can go a long way toward generating additional interest and support. Using the LinkedIn Publishing Platform, you can publish long form content that includes a call to action such as sharing, donating, volunteering, or simply following your Company Page to stay informed. By posting success stories, research, or topical news, your organization can become a leading voice for the cause you’re championing.
Thought leadership seems daunting for some organizations, because they’re not sure “who” their thoughts leader should be. If you’re among the angst-ridden, LinkedIn’s Jason Miller wrote a post explaining how organizations can develop excellent thought leadership without positioning a specific person into the role. As Jason says, “I believe we should be focused on creating a culture of content across all business lines and harnessing insights from our brightest employees to collectively achieve thought leadership as an organization.”
Extend Your Reach
Sponsored Updates campaigns are an excellent amplification tool for nonprofits on LinkedIn. You can use them to target specific audiences with personalized messages, promoting special campaigns or events. For example, you can engage the employees of brands who already support your non-profit, or for regional events, you can use location-based filtering to reach the right people at the right time.
How can we help you become more effective at marketing on LinkedIn? Submit your questions to us on twitter using #AskLMS, or click the banner below to send us an email. Who knows, maybe you’ll be featured in an upcoming post!
