Clever Ways to Boost Publicity Among Key Age Demographics

Get an Edge With Clever Strategies for Marketing to Gen Z, Millennials, and Boomers

 

You want to drive more traffic to your website and you already put the best practices to work. Marketing to Gen Z, Millennials, and Boomers simultaneously requires finesse but you’re doing your best. You send out newsletters, you post regularly on social media, and you engage with your followers.

 

Ideally, your digital marketing presence will grow steadily and consistently even if it is slow. ‘Slow-and-steady-wins-the-race’ is a solid approach to digital marketing for long-term growth. However, you may be asking yourself whether there are any remaining levers or wheels you can maneuver to accelerate growth. After all, there is a world of voices out there competing for your donors’ attention.

 

Other organizations may also be using best practices, so how can you get an edge? The resources and strategy ideas shared in this article center on reliable, practical steps you can take now to boost your nonprofit’s visibility. They are divided between three key age demographics.

 

 

#1 Age Bracket: 35-60 — Resource: Help A Reporter Out (HARO)

 

HARO allows you to share your expertise (in this case around nonprofit issues), by becoming a source that journalists and bloggers can use for their stories. If the benefits of this service are not immediately clear, think of it as a quick and easy way to get publicity, position yourself as a thought leader, and build awareness around your mission. With the free membership, you receive multiple email lists full of journalist queries throughout the week. Simply specify your area of expertise on the site, scan the emails for queries relevant to your knowledge base, and then reach out to the reporters that match.

 

People in this age group frequently visit digital news sites. The younger members also hang out on user-sourced blog sites like Medium, so don’t undervalue the smaller publication venues.

 

#2 Age Bracket: 18-35 — Resource: Youtube Shorts (and TikTok)

 

If you have a YouTube channel where you post podcasts, recorded events, or informational content, you need to incorporate YouTube Shorts. Unlike the standard YouTube fair, YouTube Shorts videos are restricted to 60 seconds, and viewers interact with the content by swiping left and right between videos. This means that a significantly higher number of people (who aren’t even looking for your content) will land on your videos. If you are able to keep viewers engaged for the majority of the runtime, the algorithm will automatically show your video to more people.

 

Getting a few thousand views on a YouTube Shorts video is not uncommon. The trick is to first get audiences hooked and then to keep them engaged. A hook can be something as simple as “If you are interested in nonprofit work–you need to know this…”. Keep in mind that even if you get 100,000 views on a video, it’s likely to only translate into a handful of new subscribers. Five to 10 on a good day. But if you stay consistent, picking up a few new subscribers here and there — your growth rate will be at light speed compared to what you get with standard YouTube.

 

If you plan to upload to YouTube Shorts, you should also consider TikTok. TikTok and YouTube Shorts go hand in hand. Both exclusively host 60-second videos with a 9X16 aspect ratio, a swipe function, and similar algorithms. If you post on one, there is little reason not to share that same content on the other and get more views. Using TikTok and YouTube Shorts is excellent for marketing to Gen Z. Just keep in mind that you must also tailor your content to this age group. Speak about their concerns, interests, and entertainment sensibilities. Learn more about marketing to Gen Z.

 

 

#3 Age Bracket: 65+ — Resource: Local and Network News

 

People in this age group are the most consistent in terms of giving donations. Notably, they are also big-time consumers of network and local news. Here you have an opportunity to share your story with members of your community and establish a mutually beneficial relationship with local media. But to get your organization featured you must first identify the interesting storytelling elements in its mission. Ways to do this include:

 

Associating Your Story with Current Issues

If they impact your mission, current events can create an updraft that carries your story to greater relevance. So instead of pitching: “Local Clothing Bank Holds Drive for the Underprivileged”, you might instead find the story in: “Increasingly Unpredictable Weather Puts Pressure on Local Nonprofit to Provide Warm Clothing.”

 

Finding Relatable Stories

If you want your story shared in the community news, it needs to be community-oriented. If you run a food pantry, get to know your volunteers on a personal level. Understand what drives them. Listen for stories like: “89-year-old Community Matriarch Volunteers Every Friday Regardless of Weather Conditions”, or “Two Caretakers of Mentally Challenged Athletes Find Love at the Special Olympics”.

 

Finding relatable stories within your organization does not mean marketing your mission. Instead, it involves paying attention to the interesting residual effects of your nonprofit that are outside of your control. Because if you find something unexpected and interesting, chances are that others will too. Learn more by checking out our blog post “Six Ways to Generate More Media Coverage This Year“.

 

Conclusion

 

Hopefully, you have found these resources and strategies helpful. While maintaining a steady and consistent social media presence will always be a reliable foundation strategy, keep an eye out for clever new solutions to get a few more clicks, a few more likes, and a bit of an edge. This way, you can not only succeed but also stand out from the crowd.

 

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