Charitable Giving Ideas That Bring Exposure To Your Brand
The holidays are usually a time of great generosity (even for the Grinch!). The energy of the season makes us reflect on the past year and evaluate our accomplishments and shortcomings. Whatever our financial circumstances, whether we have big profits or no profits, we want to contribute to others.
Giving to our family and friends is easy to do. We spend a lot of time with them and we know what they own, what they like, and what they need. Giving to our community can also be as easy when you know what to consider. If your giving brings more opportunities to your brand it will encourage you to do even more, and possibly provide the means to do so, so don’t feel guilty that you’ll be receiving something fabulous in return.
With service based businesses, the challenge in charitable giving often lies in finding the right way to gift our services. It’s takes planning, because we need to accommodate our schedules while making a true service contribution as well as a brand impact. When your brand is in the spotlight it’s important to position it with the right message, the right benefits and the right actions. Here are some considerations for your charitable brand plan:
1) Find an organization that is designated as a 501c(3). When you give to a tax exempt organization they receive the benefits of your gift and you receive a tax write off. To give it brand opportunity there are a few tricks that you can use. One is by doing a press release to announce the gift and how it benefits the organization and the community that they serve. A second is by being a “sponsor” and presenting it at an event. You’ll receive special focus at the mic or in the event program. A third way is by using a “voting” or nomination process. It builds the visibility of the brand in a viral way and also achieves the end result of helping another business with your gift.
2) Decide What Your Time Is Worth, and How Much Time You Can Afford. Your clients and community will have a deep appreciation for whatever you are able to give. A few weeks ago my husband Darren came into the office with me and gave me 8 hours of free labor. I will never forget it. A little administrative help, a website, a seminar, office space or other resources that you have will be a very precious asset to not-for-profit businesses. When you’re able to write a check, it’s great, but it’s not always the best gift. Budgeting out your time can be even more lucrative for them.
3) Consider An Online Auction. Using Ebay, Facebook or your own website you could list a product or service that you’d like to donate and have your friends, family and supporters to bid and cover the expenses in support of your giving. A service worth $1,000 may receive bids for up to $3,000 or more. A product worth $50 may reach $500 in auction. Then you can give your service and your dollars! When you simply can’t afford the commitment to work for free this alternative allows you to still gift your service or product without going into debt.
4) Develop A Charitable Social Media Campaign. Here’s an innovative idea that helps your charity and boosts your brand: Run a community campaign and give $1 for every new person that joins your Facebook Business Page. For this type of offer you can place limits, such as $1 for every new “like” up to $500. Imagine the brand impact of 500 new subscribers. Be sure to select a charity that aligns well with your brand values and to chart the progress. Keep it fun by capturing screen shots, doing videos and inviting others to share their feelings about their mission. Be sure to list the details of the charity you’re supporting so that everyone can know the full details of the work that they do.
5) Partner With A Corporation. Develop a strong relationship with a powerful and visible company in your community and partner with them during the holidays. Corporations are always looking for ways to increase their footprint in their local region and they, like you, are looking for ways to gain brand exposure and spread good cheer. If you have a product or an ongoing service that you can offer you position yourself to be the hero for them and the recipient of your services. (You also get to piggy back on the media connections that they’ve already established.)
If you have any apprehension about getting exposure from what you give to charity think about the opportunities that it will bring to that charity and to your profits that will allow you, and them, to do even more. I used to think giving in a public and transparent way was selfish until I realized how it brings more opportunities to give bigger. Use this holiday season to bring value and service to others and ride the excitement of your generosity for the year ahead.
Do you need help managing your brand and positioning it for more opportunities? Brand Excitement is here to help. To get an air tight brand plan, schedule a time to talk by giving us a call at (888) YOU-BRAND.