Should You Market Your Nonprofit During Public Holidays?

Everyone looks forward to holidays– particularly if they lengthen a weekend from two days off to three. It can be an opportunity to take a short trip or just spend more time with loved ones. 

Should your nonprofit take time off as well? Is marketing your cause worth it during holidays?

Certainly, for-profit enterprises don’t pull back. Any holiday on the calendar can be sure to come with a corresponding sale offering special savings at your department store, grocery store or car dealership.

But nonprofits aren’t stores or dealerships. They are heart-centered organizations striving to improve the world and alleviate challenges for those most in need.

That doesn’t mean your nonprofit should take a holiday from marketing itself – it just means you need to go about it differently.

First of all, consider platforms. Emails may or may not work depending on the types of email addresses you have; it’s unlikely that communications going to a person’s work email will get read.

But indications are that social media usage remains steady during most holidays. According to a study done last year, there are a few exceptions: Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day have lower usage, which makes sense because between traveling, big holiday meals and opening gifts, you probably don’t have as much time to be on the internet or your apps. New Year’s Day is higher, which also makes sense to me – after the New Year’s Eve celebration, I’m sure people are checking out parties and New Year’s countdown photos.

So it makes sense to reach out to your audiences on most holidays because for many people, part of staying in touch is checking out their social media channels. 

The question is how you reach out to them, and for nonprofits, these “off” days should be about building your relationships, not promoting events or asking for donations.

I think many nonprofits see their supporters as a “family” of sorts and your approach in your posts, pictures and tweets should reflect that. 

• Share holiday greetings.
• Wish them and their families the best.
• Thank them for being affiliated with your cause.
• Remember to use photos and videos to make your communications more engaging.
• And include a link to your website. 

Holidays are a great time to build credibility and invite conversation with your supporters, in part because they have more time to pay attention than they would on a day they are working.

That last point (including your website) is also important, however, as it gives your readers a chance to learn more about your current activities - and even to donate. While asking for donations is not the point of these posts, the fact is that holidays put people in a good – and often generous mood – and you should always make it easy for people who want to give you their support.

So don’t be afraid of reaching out to your supporters on holidays, particularly on social media. It just gives you one more chance to connect with your followers and remind them of the values you share and how, together, you are making a difference.