Four Types of Facebook Cause Marketing Campaigns

My good friend Megan Strand at the Cause Marketing Forum recently published a white paper called “Cause Marketing on Facebook: Truths, Tips and Trends from Pioneers” (the Executive summary can be downloaded for free).

In this white paper, Megan outlines four types of cause marketing that brands and nonprofits have implemented on Facebook:

1. Like for Donation

By “Liking” a brand or campaign page, the user unlocks a cash or in-kind donation.

2. Simple-Action-for-Donation

Campaigns that ask consumers to take a simple action such as posting a picture, a video or a comment on a Facebook page in order to unlock a donation. The prominence of this tactic may increase because such activity is more likely to be posted to a user’s content steam in the new Facebook environment.

3. Interactive-Action-for-Donation

Cause marketers invest in these custom-designed, Facebook-integrated platforms to engage more consumers by making their campaigns more compelling. For example, users have been asked to “Set a Place” (Frigidaire and Save the Children) or “Plant a Tree” (Timberland and various nonprofit partners) to unlock a donation.

4. Voting Campaigns

This tactic engages consumers in voting for causes that they’d like to receive a corporate donation. Some (like Pepsi Refresh) enlist the public to nominate charities while others ask voters to choose from a pre-selected list. Many such campaigns have garnered significant media attention due to the amount of money in play, but are susceptible to voting fraud and resource demands they place on participating charities.

The white paper also includes an amazing amount of tactical information:

• The Role of Games, Branded Activities and Apps
• Top Lessons Learned from Cause Marketers in Online Voting Campaigns
• 8 Parameters to Discuss and Document with Your Partner
• Pitfalls and Success Strategies
• 4 “Must Have” Expectations
• 10 Pro Tips to Create Deeper Engagement

During a webinar on November 15th, Margaret Morey-Reuner of Timberland and Carie Lewis of The Humane Society will talk about how their orgs do cause marketing on Facebook. Register for that webinar here.

Does your nonprofit do cause marketing?