#TuesdayTips “10 Marketing Tips for Volunteer Recruitment Campaigns!” [Video]

Welcome back to #TuesdayTips for leaders of volunteers! This week, continuing the theme of creating volunteer recruitment marketing campaigns. Last week I outlined the basics for setting up a recruitment plan, and the marketing campaign is a foundational part of that plan.

Join me for a FREE Webinar Feb.15th, 8amPacific/11amEastern for a deep dive on this topic, “Practical Tips and Tools for Your Next Volunteer Recruitment Campaign”:
https://vsysone.webex.com/webappng/sites/vsysone/webinar/webinarSeries/register/da6bef57ea1649af9168ffb9dc3786db

– Collaborate with your orgs’s in-house experts; Marketing/Public Relations/Development/External Affairs department(s).

– Set up marketing for volunteer recruitment around seasons and events; 3 month, 3 weeks, 3 days, or whatever works best for your org needs.

– Repetition of a “sticky” marketing message; a “sticky” message is clear, understandable, memorable, and effective. Research shows that someone needs to see/hear a message at least 7 times to sink in (some studies say 14, or 21).

– Give your marketing time to work; and add or change channels (locations online or in real life) where your target audience is found.

– Involve Volunteers; the best advertisement for volunteering with your agency are your current volunteers sharing their meaningful experience. Form a Recruitment Committee or Working Group to support this marketing campaign.

10 Steps of a Marketing Campaign:

1. Set a purpose and goal specific to roles, requirements, shifts, and audience of potential volunteers.

2. Establish how you will measure the campaign; metrics like views, shares, likes, click- throughs to the org website volunteer page, new volunteer applicants, etc.

3. Define your target audience; what demographics are your “usual” volunteers, and where are the “new” talent pools you want to reach?

4. Set a concept for the campaign and collaborate with volunteers/paid staff/departments(esp. Marketing/PR!) who are connected to the roles/concept/theme.

5. Choose the channels to run your campaign; org website, social media (which platforms for which audience demographics), community groups, neighborhood centers, radio/TV, etc.

6. Set a timeline for your recruitment campaign; 3 months, 3 weeks, 3 days, etc. tied to the specific concept/theme/seasonal event (like Earth Day).

7. Call to Action; be sure your campaign’s “sticky” message is driving people to a destination and action like more hits on the org website volunteer page, and/or signing up for an episodic volunteer event.

8. Monitor the right metrics; what data and information can you gather from your website, social media, Marketing/PR Dept., Volunteer Management Software, and other sources to measure impact, audience reach, new volunteer sign-ups, etc.

9. Establish success numbers and metrics tied to the campaign goals and milestones. Remember Plan, Do, Check, Act!

10. Decide what you’ll do with the campaign data; report to org leadership with data storytelling to improve recruitment? What worked and what didn’t?

There are lots of FREE or low-cost content creation apps/sites. If you’re using on of those sites (like Canva) stay away from their stock photos (and/or any “AI” generated pictures) and use photos of your org volunteers.

If you must use stock photos make sure they are licensed like from Depositphotos, Shutterstock, Dreamstine, iStock, GettyImages, etc. Never just “grab” a random image from the internet; you can get the entire org liable for copyright violations or other bad-PR trouble.

Orgs all using the same free content creation sites have their recruitment campaigns look generic and repetitive. You want your marketing to stand out!

Feel free to contact me directly for webinars, consulting, or if you have any ideas for Priceless Advice guests and TuesdayTips topics.

www.danalitwinconsulting.com dana@danalitwin.com