Too often charity websites make critical errors when it comes to their annual awareness or fundraising campaign - this article points up where they go wrong and what can be done.
A charity’s annual awareness day, awareness week or awareness month is a big event. Run well it can raise huge amounts of money and create a greater public understanding of your cause. Hundreds of campaigns take place through the year – who hasn’t heard of World Aids Day, Breast Cancer Awareness Month and World Book Day? Brilliantly run events - you can probably name the months they fall in but sadly many campaigns fail to make such an impact.
I edit www.countmeincalendar.info that profiles of campaigns from across the world and I research hundreds of campaigns every month. Like everyone else on the internet I search for information and it amazes me how often charities make it such hard work for anyone wanting to find out about their campaigns.
Simply they fail because they do not understand the needs of people visiting them.
So what’s going wrong?
The number one error is pretty unbelievable but you would be amazed how often I see it.
During the time a campaign is taking place the homepage, the most important page on any site, carries not a link, not a button, not a banner related to the campaign. It is as if it is not happening – incredible. Yet this is the time when the charity will hopefully be attracting huge amounts of media attention as well as trying to pull in Joe Public as a fundraiser.
Without these clear links you are driven in desperation to use the site search – oh no, what’s this?
Last year’s campaign tops the listing with press releases, reports, and all sorts of outdated clutter. At this point the journalist, the schoolteacher, the researcher, the philanthropist who could have done so much to help promote your campaign will leave.
People are looking for your campaign information.
So don’t put anything in their way. Post your campaign information on your site early – at least three months ahead of the event if possible. Put a clear campaign banner or at least a text link on your homepage. Make that link take you ideally to a campaign micro site or to designated section of the site where people can find:
- Up to date campaign press releases,
- The annual campaign theme,
- FAQs on the issues surrounding the campaign.
- Downloadable campaign images including logos,
- Fundraising ideas and tools,
- Inspirational stories,
- Contact details for press and fundraising support.
Provide lots of valuable information that is easy to find and your campaign will make an impact. Good luck.
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