Cause Marketing: Set Your Social Enterprise Apart

One area that will set your social venture apart from a classic organization competitor is your story. You are doing something unique. Instead of just offering your product or service, you are committed to making a difference. You have a top quality product and a attention grabbing social mission.

Now you have to tell your story, we call this Cause Marketing.

There are a variety of surveys showing off the benefits of having a cause underlying your product or service. That in most all cases where there is similar quality and price cause wins.

"42% of consumers put social purpose as a top deciding factor after quality and price." (good purpose survey)

To Get the Most From Your Cause Marketing Efforts:

Be Authentic

People can detect a fake from a mile away. Consumers know if you are just doing lip service, or if you are really truthful.

Check it in yourself first: Are you really truthful? Is it something you are serious about or are you just doing it to try to gain a competitive advantage?

Be authentic. Get passionate about a problem and work to make a real change in that area through your social enterprise.

Tell a Your Story:


"Hi I'm Joe from xyz travel company, We are a full service online accommodation provider, offering hotels, cottages, and villas. We focus on customer satisfaction and fulfilment." BLAH BLAH!!

"Hi I'm Justin from Ethic ! Travel. We offer top quality hotel and vacation rentals online. But we are more than that. With every booking we donate a portion of profit to help build homes for someone in need. So you can have a vacation and make a difference!"

This is one of the keys to Tom's Shoes success. Someone says, "hey check out my shoes, and guess what, whenever you buy a pair another pair goes to someone without in a third world country. Isn't that cool?"

That's effective word of mouth advertising! It's something people want to share with their friends and co-workers.

Choose the right platform:

If you want to compete with the big boys you have to find the best path and platform to share your story. There ARE people to be found who will LOVE what you do and be unbelievably passionate about it. It's your job to be on the platforms where they are looking for something like you!

Find which platform would fit best with your organization (your culture, social mission, strategy, etc.)

Platforms:

• Blog
• Video
• Podcast
• Micro Blogs (Twitter, Facebook, etc)
• Online Networking groups
• Offline networking groups
• Rotary club, toastmaster, EO Group, etc.

There are many more platforms, and much has been written on them. Just Google it and you will find plenty about marketing platforms you can use.

Find the best platform or arrangement of platforms that harmonize your brand to get across your message.

Market Your Product or Service Too:

I know this should be evident, but you would be surprised; I have seen a number of social businesses that when you look on their twitter, blogs, or other marketing efforts ONLY talk about their cause. Remember, you are selling a product or service too. People are not JUST going to buy from you because you do good. You must offer an exceptional product or service, as well as a social mission.