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Why Charities Can’t Afford to Ignore the Power of a Unified Media Strategy


Canada's charitable sector is facing a pivotal challenge - while the total value of donations has risen, the number of Canadians donating to charity has declined for eleven consecutive years.

 

This means charities, especially smaller organizations, are competing intensely for the attention and support of a shrinking pool of donors.

 

The implications are significant.

 

For the charitable sector as a whole, this trend is a double-edged sword. Donors are giving more on average, but there are fewer of them. This creates a fiercely competitive landscape where charities must work harder than ever to capture their attention and generosity.

 

The big players have robust marketing and outreach resources and are very sophisticated at competing for dollars. But the smaller charities face an increasingly steep hill in growing their awareness and securing necessary funding.

 

The stakes are high, with the viability of many crucial community programs and services depending on navigating this issue effectively. Standing out takes a lot more than good intentions.

 

Getting a fair share of voice takes a strategic, coordinated plan that includes telling your own story (owned content), reaching new audiences (paid media) and building trust (earned media). Each serves a unique purpose that reinforces the others and magnifies the strength of the overall effort. Let’s look at each.

 

Owned Media: Telling Your Story on Your Terms

 

Owned media is the content you control, such as your website, a blog, videos, email newsletters, or social media pages. This is where you showcase your mission, success stories, and your impact. Owned content is a very powerful and persuasive way to control your message, create a consistent narrative, and speak directly to your supporters.

 

Key Benefits of Owned Media

  • Consistency: Owned channels provide a platform to share regular updates, success stories, and content that reflects the organization’s values and mission.

  • Long-term Engagement: Through email newsletters, blog posts, and social media, you can build and maintain a loyal base that regularly engages with your content. As we have previously outlined, the impact of continuous engagement is enormous.

 

While owned media builds a strong foundation, relying on it alone limits your exposure to your existing supporters. Adding paid media can exponentially increase your reach.

 

Paid Media: Reaching New Audiences Quickly and Effectively

 

Now that you have generated your own content to tell your story in a compelling way, paid media gives you the ability to expose it to targeted audiences quickly. To ensure that it’s seen by the people most likely to care about your mission. With proper targeting you don’t need a dauntingly massive budget to extend your reach, drive awareness and engage potential supporters who might not be familiar with your cause.

 

Key Benefits of Paid Media

  • Audience Targeting: Various platforms allow for detailed audience segmentation based on interests, location, and behaviours, making it easier to target people who are most likely to support your work.

  • Speed and Scale: Paid campaigns get faster results. Especially important during time-sensitive campaigns like year-end giving or emergency relief efforts.

 

Earned Media: Building Credibility and Trust

 

Earned media refers to the publicity generated through unpaid channels, like endorsements, press coverage, and reviews. It’s often considered the most credible form of media because it’s perceived as an objective endorsement from third parties. That’s why it’s instrumental in building trust in the community and a critical component of your overall strategy.

 

Key Benefits of Earned Media

  • Credibility: Third-party mentions and media coverage lend authenticity and trustworthiness, making people more likely to support or donate to your cause.

  • Greater Reach Through Partnerships: Partnering with reputable community leaders, media outlets, or influencers can extend reach organically, as they share your message with their audiences.

 

Without earned media, you might struggle to establish credibility and profile in a crowded marketplace. An organization with strong third-party endorsements will stand out.

 

A Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing a Unified Media Strategy:

 

Now that you have an understanding of the key components, here’s how to create an integrated, powerful and sustainable media strategy.

 

1. Produce Owned Content: Start by creating high-quality, compelling content, such as blogs, videos, or infographics for distribution on your website and social channels. Tell your story, highlight your impact, feature testimonials from those who have benefited and endorsements from those who support you.

 

2. Amplify with Paid Media: Use paid media to drive traffic to your owned content. For example, promote impactful blog posts, videos or donation drives with social media ads to reach beyond the charity’s immediate network to potential supporters who are unfamiliar with your cause.

 

3. Boost Credibility with Earned Media: Seek endorsements, press coverage or influencer partnerships to lend credibility to your owned and paid efforts. When a media outlet or trusted figure highlights your efforts, it gives them legitimacy and can lead people back to your owned channels.

 

4. Refine through Engagement and Data Tracking: A coordinated approach allows you to track data across channels and figure out what content and strategies resonate most. By looking at website visits, ad click-through rates, and engagement on earned mentions, you can refine your strategies for maximum impact.


 

The Bottom Line


With growing competition for donations, BC Charities can’t afford not to have Coordinated Media Strategies.

 

You are competing for the attention of a shrinking pool of donors and volunteer support. With increasing digital noise, a piecemeal strategy for telling your story will leave it unheard and potential supporters unreached.

 

Coordination between your owned, paid and earned media strategies will create a multiplier effect, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. By ignoring any one of these channels you are deciding to limit either outreach, credibility, or long-term engagement. Each of these are as critical as the other, especially for mission-driven organizations.

 

An integrated media approach doesn’t just boost awareness; it lays down a sustainable path for growth, resilience, and real impact in the communities that need it most.

 

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