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Copywriting for a Cause: Training Guide

How to Use Social

Media to Promote Cause
Marketing Campaigns

“There are stories that people want to share and stories that
people want to hear. Social media allows the people who have
stories but no resources to finally have their stories heard.”

— Beth Kanter, Nonprofit Social Media Expert

by
Megan Tyson and Mindy McHorse
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Getting Started
As Ann Charles, Founder and CEO of BRANDfog, observes, “Thanks
to a social media culture that reveres transparency and demands
accountability, companies today are seen through the critical lens of the
Triple Bottom Line: people, planet, and profit.”

Social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube have changed the
way companies and causes interact with the public. Before social media
came around, companies could sell their product while consumers simply
listened. Charities were limited to direct mail and offline fundraising
events.

But today, social media lets the public have a conversation with both
businesses and nonprofits. They can share ideas, spread news, and
voice their opinions. There’s a lot more interaction with social media, so
everything written should reflect a conversation.

It’s nothing new that people want to be spoken to on their level. We

copywriters know that the best sales writing is conversational and
informal. Social media has just introduced a new way to do that.

The focus is on engagement. Consumers want to have their say and they
expect companies to listen to them and readily respond to comments
or questions. For cause marketing, this is all the more reason why
campaigns must be open, honest, and transparent.

Consumers expect companies to be upfront and respond readily to

comments or complaints. They also expect companies and charities to be
more “human,” and have an informal conversation, whether content is
written in the voice of the CEO or a volunteer.

A Brief Intro to the Big Players

Social media is relatively new and constantly evolving. But it’s also
something that’s sticking around for the long-term. And it’s practically

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turning into a requirement for a successful cause marketing campaign.
Cause marketing reflects the heart and personality of the organizations
involved, so social media is used as a channel to share this personality
and authentic story.

Some of the reasons social media is a favorite tool of Cause Marketing

Specialists is because it can:

• Cultivate a community of dedicated supporters for the cause who will

gladly help you spread the news about campaigns and calls-to-action

• Increase trackbacks to cause-campaign websites

• Boost SEO (a home page link to social media scores brownie points
with search engines)

• Generate sales and fundraising

• Educate people about why the cause matters

• Find new business partnerships

If you’re not familiar with three of the hottest social media platforms out
there, here’s a brief introduction:

Facebook
Facebook is the most popular social media channel on the Internet today.
For a charity or cause, it’s a valuable place to share information, publish
articles, post photos and videos, and engage fans in conversation.

Twitter
Twitter functions best as a place to make announcements and link to
web pages that house more extensive info. Published a new blog post?
Announce it on Twitter. Reached a milestone in fundraising? Tweet to
celebrate the news. And when you have an entertaining or inspiring video
ready to share, definitely tweet a link to it for your followers to check it out.

YouTube
YouTube is well worth trying as a way to promote a cause. Every day,
1.2 billion videos are watched online, and the range of videos appeals

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to every demographic. People often prefer watching a video to reading
an article, and they’re more likely to share links to videos rather than
written content. Suggest to your client that you can write video scripts for
YouTube videos.

Together, these three social media sites are making waves in the cause
marketing industry. And they’re all interconnected, so each site can
be linked to from a website. In addition, they can link to one another.
Facebook even hosts a tab that specifically shows Twitter feeds and
YouTube channels.

In a survey we conducted for entrepreneurs and small businesses, 100%

of respondents said they’d want to integrate social media into their
cause marketing campaigns. That came out ahead of every other form of
marketing.

Identify Key Questions

Social media is a way to let company and cause personalities shine. If
you’re planning to write for a cause campaign’s social media leg, you’ll
need to figure out a few things first.

Find an answer to these questions:

1. What social media platforms will you use? Sometimes it works

best to incorporate everything, but your client might just want
to focus on one platform, like Facebook. If nothing is set up, you
could suggest to set up a Facebook Page or Twitter account for your
client. It’s another way to expand your services.

2. Does the cause partnership already have an established

social media presence? Many campaigns choose to have a
completely different social media presence in addition to their
regular business or charity sites. But some stick with what they
already have.

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Subaru’s Share the Love Campaign was promoted out of Subaru’s
basic site, but AOL created AOL365 as a separate website to focus
its attention on charitable partnerships.

3. What is your voice? Are you writing about the cause from the
company’s perspective, the charity’s perspective, or as a separate
entity of the cause? The easy answer to this question is based on
how the social media profile is set up.

For example, Häagen-Dazs has the Häagen-Dazs loves Honey

Bees™ campaign and donates money to various research partners
like the University of California at Davis Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey
Bee Research Facility. All online communication is written with
Häagen-Dazs as the voice.

Another example is the (RED) Campaign. The campaign is a mixture of

several companies and charities, so its social media voice comes from
the sole cause called (RED) on Facebook and @joinred on Twitter.

4. Who is your audience? What causes do they like on Facebook?

What types of things do they retweet on Twitter?

A great thing about social media is that it’s pretty easy to get to
know your audience. Simply snoop around for what people are
tweeting about and search what they’re posting on Facebook walls.
You’ll easily get an idea of how they talk and what captures their
interests.

5. What topics interest your audience? When you get a feel for
what your prospects are talking about, you’ll get a good idea of
what you can write to reach out to them. Plus, you can constantly
test your outreach by keeping track of your results.

On Facebook, you can look at impressions, which are rankings

Facebook gives based on the amount of people who “Like” your
business page, “Like” your posts, click on your links, and comment
on your posts. Each action helps you monitor the popularity of what
you’re saying.

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On Twitter, you can track the amount of people who click on your
links, and also how many people retweet what you say. You can
monitor your tweets by using sites like Hootsuite or Tweetdeck,
and figure out what messages and links are most popular to your
followers.

As both a copywriter and Cause Marketing Specialist, you’ll bring

extra value to your clients if you help them with article topics that
entice readers. And then, of course, offer to write these articles.

6. What is the call-to-action? What do you want prospects to

do? Cause marketing isn’t always about purchasing — and that’s
especially true for social media. Rather than make a sale or
donation, it’s generally more effective to incorporate simpler calls-
to-action — things like “Like” a Facebook business page or retweet
a message on Twitter. You can promote a cause-related purchase on
social media and ask for donations, but that shouldn’t be the focus
of what you’re saying.

You need to keep your audience engaged with a variety of topics.

You’re looking for a call-to-action, but more importantly on social
media, you’re focused on cultivating a community of consumers
who believe in your cause and are happy to spread the news about
the campaign.

If you think about how you donate money, a lot of times it’s
because a friend asked you to donate to his marathon fundraiser
for autism, or your neighbor dropped by to sell cookies for the Girl
Scouts. Keep this in mind when writing for a cause. Your network
of supporters will tell their friends and family, and that personal
connection speaks volumes for advancing support for a cause.

So, if you plan to suggest the call-to-action, a good action plan

in social media is to ask people to spread your news or visit your
website (where you can really focus on the donation or cause-
related purchase).

Other quality calls-to-action include a request to volunteer or a

request to vote on which charity a business should sponsor.

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The Smithsonian recently started a campaign with a simple and fun
call-to-action. They asked prospects to take a quiz, and all correct
answers triggered donations to the Smithsonian National Zoo. Social
media was the number one way they attracted attention to this
promotion.

7. What is the primary message for the cause? We just discussed

why adding a mix of information is important — because like any
conversation with friends, you tend to discuss a variety of topics.
But everything mentioned should still fall in line with your overall
message.

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For example, if you’re writing for an environmental cause like Earth
Day, you’d start by writing about why Earth Day is important. Then,
you’d write something about how a young volunteer has taken
action. Maybe you’d add something fun like a humorous YouTube
video with an animated version of the earth dancing to “Don’t
Worry, Be Happy.” Or add a “human” question like, “What’s your
favorite outdoor event in the summertime?” Chances are you’ll
get a lot of responses, and your social media community will be
prompted to think about the fun ways they enjoy the environment
such as hiking in national parks or kayaking on nearby lakes.

See what we mean? Get creative and have some fun with your
social media conversation.

8. How can you write authentically? Does the company involved

truly believe in the cause? How does their Mission Statement work
hand-in-hand with the values of the charity or cause involved?

Make sure you write in a way that’s sincere and honest. Your writing
voice should show that you truly believe in the cause and that the
companies and charities involved are really out to make
a difference.

People can be skeptical if they don’t sense an authentic passion

for the cause at hand. Write messages that show the cause is
worth support and that the partners involved stand by the social or
environmental efforts 100%.

5 Steps to Success
Make sure everything you write on social media is true to the company,
the cause, and the nonprofit. Here are four things to consider when
writing for social media.

1. Express the social benefit clearly and treat it like a selling

point. What value can you give your prospects who are interested
in the cause? Though people like the warm fuzzy feeling of giving,

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they’re a lot more likely to choose your specific cause if there’s
something in it for them.

For Disney’s Give a Day, Get a Disney Day, the selling point was
a free pass to a Disney Theme Park. The only request was that
consumers had to volunteer for a full day. For the Livestrong
Bracelet Campaign, the selling point was buying a bracelet to fund
cancer research. The bracelet turned into a major fashion trend,
so that was also a big selling point.

Other cause campaigns use contests to entice visitors. The

American Express Member’s Project asked supporters to take
a quiz, and the selling point was an opportunity to volunteer with
the cast of the hit TV show Glee.

People need a little motivation, and social media helps spread the
news of these selling points.

2. Show how the cause marketing campaign is connected to

the company brand. Will consumers understand the connection
between the company’s brand and the cause it supports?

Häagen-Dazs created the Häagen-Dazs loves Honey Bees™

campaign because the ice cream brand uses honey in many of its
products. TOMS Shoes has the One for One Movement campaign
which donates shoes to poverty-stricken children who can’t afford
their own pair. TOMS is in the business of getting shoes on feet, so
the cause aligns with their mission.

These causes make perfect sense to the consumer. From the get-
go, a cause partnership should be suitable to the brand. But if
you’re working as a writer and not a matchmaker, you don’t have a
huge say in that. If a connection or motivation isn’t clear, it’s your
job to use persuasive writing skills to make the partnership sound
suitable.

Mike’s Hard Pink Lemonade supports breast cancer research. That’s

wonderful, but a sugary alcoholic beverage isn’t an obvious match

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for cancer prevention. Mike’s made the connection by sharing a
personal story about how breast cancer took the life of one of their
dear employees. That connection has allowed them to carry on with
their annual fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation
with strong support.

3. Speak to your audience like they’re your friends. It’s all about
an informal conversation.

Think of social media like a big networking cocktail party.

Ultimately, you’re there to network, but it’s all about building
relationships through informal mingling. You don’t just go around
selling ideas. You aim to really get to know others at the party. The
best networkers at cocktail parties ask questions, share interesting
stories, offer informal advice, and casually lead the conversation
into topics they’re passionate about.

Now, let’s say you’re a book salesman at a cocktail party. Do you

bring a bucket full of books and try to sell them at the party? Heck,
no! If you try a hard-sell approach like that, people will probably
make an excuse to go take a phone call and get away from you.

Instead, you focus on more informal topics. For the most targeted
networking, you’d swap business cards and encourage people to
sign up for your newsletters, or ask if they could pass your name on
to their connections.

That’s social media. You focus on trust and a relationship and you
focus on defining the value of the cause at hand. Then, as the
conversation progresses, you can begin to ask simple favors, like a
request to share your cause with others, a request to volunteer, or a
request to sign up for e-newsletters (where you can really drive the
point of donating or buying cause-related products).

Also, don’t ignore comments on social media. Answer questions,

respond to complaints, and be sure to thank your social media
community for supporting the cause or spreading your news. That’s
something you’d do for people at a cocktail party, right?

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4. Make sure everything you say sounds authentic. Add content
that shows the company involved in the partnership walks the walk
and talks the talk. Write about how the company can prove it values
the cause.

If the cause is to get people to volunteer in local communities,

make it known when company employees also take part in
volunteering. What does the CEO do? Does she volunteer for Meals
on Wheels every week? Or, is volunteering something she hasn’t
done since she was 12? Let’s hope not. Express how and why the
company is really truly a part of the cause, and you’ll attract an
armada of supporters.

5. Don’t avoid details — you need to show that the cause

marketing campaign is transparent. As a copywriter, it’s always
important to learn the details. You need to make sure you know
the target audience, know the voice you’re writing in, and know the
goal of each piece of writing.

In cause marketing, that’s crucial. You can’t just say, “Buy this
poster because some funds from the purchase price go to support
good health.” Some funds? Good health? What does that mean?
Consumers don’t want to see that. They want to see something
like, “Buy this poster and $5 will be donated to the Fit Kids Act, a
charity that supports kid’s fitness in an effort to overcome childhood
obesity.”

That’s what people want to see. Specifics.

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Sample Tweets and Facebook Posts

Here on the Hook & Ladder Facebook Page is a description of the

company’s dedication to support firefighters and burn-care organizations.
In just a brief space, it clearly explains that the founder was a volunteer
firefighter, so he values the support of burn units and uses all sales to
donate to the cause.

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Facebook updates also provide a medium for a company like this to
showcase its values. Posts make it possible to include updates on
firefighters and other related cause promotions.

On this Facebook page, you can see that the Home Depot Foundation
received a complaint on their Wall. Notice that Home Depot replied
quickly to help resolve the problem. Complaints on social media should
never be ignored. It’s best to address the issue and try to resolve it (and
in cases like these, the trick is simply to share contact information for the
department best suited to resolve the issue).

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Everyone wants to be heard, and a simple acknowledgement about
complaints looks great for the organization. Plus, the exemplary customer
service gets noticed by others.

Look at the amount of fans Chase Community Giving has recruited. A

whopping 2.4 million Facebook users support them! What’s even more
important is that several hundred interact with the fan page. Chase asks
engaging questions, and you can see from the second Wall post that 279
people like the question and 307 people answered the question.

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This is a win-win because fans of Chase like to be heard and want to
know that their opinion is valued. And better yet, Chase gets a free pass
to learn 307 things about their audience. These people shared the things
that inspire them most to volunteer.

That’s a question that marketers want to know. It’s not easy to conduct
polls or focus groups to really get to know a target audience — and it’s
not cheap. But with a simple, targeted question on Facebook, Chase got
307 free ideas to use when writing their cause marketing material. So ask
questions like these. It’s all fodder for you, the copywriter, to really learn
the needs and desires of the audience you’re writing to.

Here’s how Gap uses its corporate Twitter profile to generate buzz for its
cause marketing promotions. They know people who follow Gap like to
buy Gap clothes, and naturally, those people love discounts. Gap uses
the clothes discount as a selling point, and markets their Gap Give and
Get campaign to create a whole new motivation to shop at Gap and
support a cause.

Recommendations for Best Practices

As you progress with your campaign, be sure to post updates on the
results of the cause marketing campaign. People want to see social proof
that what they’re doing is good. Engage your community around social
good and let them see that through participation, they are in a select
group of special people making a real difference.

This helps give them proof that supporting the cause marketing campaign
is really working toward the greater good, and it gives them new
energy and inspiration. With that, they’ll be more inspired to share their
participation with other people in their social networks.

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Keep these tips in mind:

• Get to know your client’s cause campaign.

• Get to know your audience. It’s easy to do — just look at

conversations already going on online.

• Write to your audience like you write to your friends. Avoid

formalities and write sincerely.

• Have a plan laid out for complaints. Some people want to

voice their distaste, so know how or who to contact when these
complaints are publically stated on Facebook or Twitter.

• Continuously think of new ways to engage your community.

Ask questions, share video links, tell stories, etc.

• Remember to link back to the cause website. (And make sure

the cause website is full of content that’s worth linking to.)

Conclusion
Social media is ever evolving and ever expanding. Be sure to keep
learning and stay up-to-date with new articles about how social media
can leverage an effective cause marketing campaign. It’ll make your life
easier to stay informed, and it’ll really impress your clients!

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