Just add water
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We are hardwired to respond instantly and emotionality to visual imagery, which is why it forms such an important part of today’s journalism. Images are a type of communication shorthand that lead us into reading a story in the media.
The unfortunate fact of being a non-profit is that you always need more funds to continue your good works. You can go back to existing sources for additional funds, but at some point, this starts to produce diminishing returns and can even sour long-time supporters. You need to find new ways to attract new supporters and raise funds. Free media exposure can play an important role in helping you achieve this goal.
The pitch to media
There are countless non-profits seeking media attention for their cause every day. Still, media is only prepared to offer a small number of their column spaces, airtime, web, and social media profiles to the organisations with the most compelling and uplifting stories to tell. With your new Lookatmedia™ centre, you can create inspiring stories of how the work done has made a real impact. Lead with emotion and back it up with facts. Tell many success stories of what you have achieved. Explain how funds raised help you meet your non-profits mission goals. Talk about the number of people, animals, or other achievements you are assisting every year in and what you intend to do with the new funds you are trying to raise.
Human interest
The media may not always be interested in helping non-profits, but they are always looking for good human interest stories. They provide relief from the bad news and show that there are good people in the world doing good works. Create human interest stories as a way of fuelling your fundraising strategy. Break stories down to stories of a single person, animal, or situation. Give a background that helps people empathise with the subject matters plight and demonstrate how funds raised previously helped deliver a positive outcome. Show that without the help of supporters, this outcome would not be possible. Create many of these stories on your Lookatmedia™ centre so that journalists and media representatives can pick stories that fit their media channels best.
Set your goals
People like to be a part of a winning side. Create fundraising content for the media that clearly shows your fundraising goals. Include links that make it simple for readers to contribute. Invite supporters to keep track of your progress and motivate them to make even more significant contributions to your goals. Include your non-profits or fundraising’ hashtags so that people can follow your progress online. Publish all this content on your Lookatmedia™ centre so journalists can access the whole story without having to do any additional research, and you can boost your chance of free media exposure.
Berry Street case study
digital storytelling collective
This Berry Street case study video from the Digital Storytelling Collective highlights the importance of visual narratives for nonprofits.
The race that never finishes.
Getty Images/iStockphoto
The media can add urgency and credibility to your fundraising efforts. Lookatmedia™ helps you reach a broader pool of journalists and content creators.
The race that never finishes.
Getty Images/iStockphoto
The media can add urgency and credibility to your fundraising efforts. Lookatmedia™ helps you reach a broader pool of journalists and content creators.
Images and video
Use the image and video assets you already have or create new content to illustrate the fundraising content you publish for journalists and media representatives on your new Lookatmedia™ centre. Collect and catalogue all these digital assets in your Lookatmedia™ centre Digital Asset Management solution (DAM), allowing your entire team secure access to the assets they need to manage every aspect of their fundraising programmes. Access images and videos that include accurate descriptions and attributions.
Organisation wide image and video management
Media engagement is just one aspect of your fundraising strategy. You also have your website, social channels, email, ambient, display and print components for your strategy. Manage and secure all these assets in your Lookatmedia™ centre Digital Asset Management solution (DAM). Add role-based secure access, from any location, at any time and ensure your whole team works more effectively and more efficiently. Make discovery and use of approved images and video content simpler, maximising the return on your investment. Make every image, every video, and every dollar work harder.
