Effective media strategies are essential for boosting awareness, engagement, and success in cause marketing campaigns, but nonprofits are competing for more than just funding and share of voice among the nonprofit sector. Social enterprises, social media and crowdfunding platforms offer consumers more ways to support causes and social issues, making it harder for nonprofits to stand out in a fragmented media landscape. Integrating earned and paid media and media partnerships into your campaign strategy can help create the surround sound your organization needs to break through the clutter.

Paid Media

Paid media is an important part of the marketing mix. Start by defining clear campaign goals, metrics and key demographics to ensure your ad dollars are used efficiently. Consider:

Using paid social media to test and learn what resonates best with audiences
Launching influencer campaigns, including micro-influencers, to share personal stories, video and authentic messaging with passionate followers
Asking corporate partners to include you in their advertising or donate ad space
Exploring paid search and advertising in less traditional media like podcasts

Earned Media

Unlike paid media, public relations offers third-party credibility through independent editorial coverage. Coverage is earned through independent editorial coverage, which adds third-party credibility. A well-crafted PR strategy can amplify your campaign’s message through targeted media outreach, influencer partnerships, and community engagement. A well-crafted strategy can extend your campaign’s message through targeted outreach to media outlets and social media influencers.

While causes may appeal to media outlets, creative and innovative campaigns that tap into current events and social impact trends tend to win the most major media coverage. When crafting PR strategies:

Lead with a compelling hook.
Highlight the key differentiators.
Be consistent in your messaging and content.
Tailor and customize your outreach to your target media outlets and audiences.
Include podcasts and social media influencers in your outreach.
Leverage experts, celebrity spokespeople, influencers and real people your cause has helped.
Find ways for media outlets to engage with your organization and the people it benefits.

Media Partnerships

Media partnerships can also provide third-party credibility and help amplify reach, visibility, and calls to action at little to no cost. Understand how media networks and outlets support causes and nonprofits at national and local levels and how they could leverage different assets and platforms, including employees, for your campaign. Reaching a broad audience might serve your campaign best but consider niche media partners and hyper-local partnerships as well.

Keep these tips in mind:

Select potential media partners with mission alignment and goals that benefit you both.
Lead with storytelling such as a series of articles or broadcast segments during a specific time of year or video or documentary-style content.
Leverage campaign assets like experts, events, data, influencers and multi-media content.
Focus on human interest stories and simple messaging .
Develop editorial partnerships using your own experts.
Drive your organization’s supporters to consume the content you develop with your media partners.
Build these relationships for multi-year partnerships, joint initiatives, regular coverage and new networks.

Spotlight on 2 Nonprofits Making the Most of Media in Their Marketing Mix

CARE

For over 80 years, humanitarian organization CARE has created annual integrated campaigns to promote girl’s and women’s empowerment. With a different theme each year—from #HerVoice to #SheLeadstheWorld—CARE has positioned the organization as a leading voice behind International Women’s Day, expanded awareness to key audiences and increasing stakeholder engagement with corporate partners.

They have consistently leveraged an array of assets, including celebrity engagement, influencers, broadcast integrations, a speaker series, digital advertising, community activations and public relations to garner millions of media impressions. Their 2023 campaign #WomenKnowHow won an ANA In-House Excellence Award and the Engage for Good Gold Halo Award for Best Social Impact Creative.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA)

BBBSA has partnered with the NFL Inspire Change initiative for the organization’s annual campaign to recruit mentors since 2019. In 2024, The Big Draft campaign aimed to recruit 10,000 volunteers, particularly among men of color, to connect youth with mentorship through football.

Leveraging NFL players and football-themed content, the campaign kicked off at the Super Bowl in 2024, increased visibility among new audiences and bolstered the 100+ year-old organization’s relevance. Partnership content featuring players was leveraged across social media platforms and generated national and local media coverage.

Reach out to us to for more ways to build your media strategy