When you need to raise money for your nonprofit, it’s not enough to embody Cuba Gooding, Jr., from the famous Jerry Maguire scene. Nope… insisting people show you the money won’t work. Donors need to be persuaded. They need to feel why their donations are needed. That’s where emotional marketing comes in.
Emotional marketing is an effective strategy for your nonprofit, because it connects to potential donors on a deep level. It cultivates a sense of empathy and necessity.
It moves them.
In order to design an effective emotional marketing strategy for your nonprofit, consider these options…
Tap into the Right Emotions
It’s important to move your potential donors through the right emotional channels. Research shows that emotions deepen people’s sense of compassion, strengthen relationships, and motivate people to make decisions.
When it comes to nonprofit marketing, think carefully about what emotion aligns with your cause or campaign. For example, consider the emotions listed below. These are some of the most-tapped emotions in nonprofit marketing:
- Sadness
- Anxiety
- Anger
- Compassion
- Altruism
- Responsibility
- Hope
To target the right emotion, think about your request, beneficiaries, and audience. Then, consider which emotion will move (not tell) donors to give. This emotion should be your guiding light, your beacon. EVERY marketing decision you make should target THAT EMOTION.
People need a compelling reason to part with their money. They’ll feel uncomfortable being asked. But, they could easily justify giving if they are moved to feel that it’s essential.
Use Emotional Copywriting
Check out this ultimate list of words that trigger emotions.
If you weave these words through your copywriting, then you’ll create a powerful fundraising campaign. Think: which words align with the emotion you seek to trigger? Then, incorporate them naturally into your fundraising copy.
Ultimate List of Words that Trigger Emotions
Which words would work well for your fundraising campaign?
- Abusive
- Agony
- Affordable
- Change
- Change
- Danger/Dangerous
- Depressed
- Desperate
- Difference
- Disgrace
- Equipped
- Friend
- Frigthtened
- Grief
- Hatred
- Heartbroken
- Helpless
- Humane
- Imagine
- Lost or Lonely
- Mercy
- Mistake
- Need
- Neglected
- Now
- Powerless
- Quick
- Raging
- Small/Little
- Sorrow
- Staggering
- Succesfull
- Threat
- Together
- Transform
- Unjustified
- Urgent
- Victim
- Vulnerable
- You
Develop the Right Emotional Content
Get the most out of emotional marketing by using it across channels and media. In addition to your fundraising letters, explore the use of video marketing, storytelling, email marketing, social media marketing, blogging, and more.
If you pair the right words with the right images or videos, and promote them in the right place, then you’ll be more likely to move your donors to take action — for the longterm.
