BBB Business Tip: Support a good cause and grow your business with cause marketing

Want your business to help make a difference in the world? Cause marketing is a smart way to support a mission that’s important to you – and your customers — while having a positive impact on your company’s stability, income, and future growth.

However, there is much more to cause marketing than just the altruistic act of giving money to a worthy organization. Cause marketing must form an integral part of your overall business plan. It involves choosing a cause that aligns with your company and engaging your customers in a meaningful way.

What to know about cause marketing

 If you’re thinking about diving into cause marketing, BBB recommends the following tips:

• Know your customer base. Get specific about who your customers are and what social issues matter to them. Social Media Week reminds business owners, “Not every cause will be as meaningful to every consumer, so you will want to choose a cause that is both in line with your business identity and the values of your customer base.”
  
  
• Choose a cause that aligns with your business. “Often, cause marketing campaigns are more successful if their partnerships immediately “make sense” to consumers,” says marketing-schools.org. For example, if you sell clothing, a cause that donates winter coats or shoes to those in need might make sense. If you specialize in self-care products, you might look into a cause that relates to being body positive. If you source products internationally, you could consider a cause that benefits a local community where your products come from. In any case, choose a cause that relates clearly and directly to your brand.
  
  
• Get to know the laws and make a contract. It’s always a good idea to draw up a contract that outlines each party’s responsibilities in the cause marketing agreement. Your state or province might even require it. For example in New York State, “commercial co-venturers are required to enter into a written contract with the charity before undertaking any cause marketing business together," according to nysscpa.org. If you are new to cause marketing, it may be wise to seek legal aid as you draw up the contract. This article in Forbes provides a good overview of potential regulations and requirements. 
  
  
• Raise money and awareness. Brandwatch.com reports that, 64% of consumers surveyed about cause marketing say contributing money alone isn’t enough. Customers want to support brands that do social good as part of their business. Your cause marketing campaign should do more than just contribute money. Use your time and expertise to raise social awareness of the issue you want to improve as well.
  
  
• Tell a powerful story. Storytelling is a much more effective attention grabber than a simple presentation of facts. Find a way to tell the story behind your business and the cause you support. As you tell your story on your website, at your stores, and on social media, make full use of visual elements. Harvard Business Review says, “Studies show people read only about 20% of today’s web pages and are driven more by an image or short video than they are by a text-based, fully rational appeal.” Many times, photos and videos will have a greater effect on consumers than words alone.
  
  
• Take advantage of press coverage. Local and national press is a cost-free way to gain exposure as you promote the cause you are backing. Invite the media to any marketing events you host or simply reach out with your story. They may pick it up and boost public awareness of your efforts.
  
  
• Get your customers talking on social media. Organic marketing on social media is a key element of a good cause marketing campaign. People like to share information about what matters to them and they get excited when they can help out in some way. Use that excitement to your advantage by giving consumers a way to share more about your brand and the cause you support on social media.
  
  
• Understand applicable tax laws. Get to know the tax laws that could affect your partnership with and donations to a charitable cause. Laws can vary depending on the state you live in, the size of your business, and the cause you plan to support. For these reasons, it’s always wise to get legal aid to understand what laws apply to your cause marketing plan and how to abide by them.
  
  

For More Information

To learn about how businesses can give to charities, read the BBB Business Tip: What to Consider Before Supporting a Charity.

For information on specific charities, visit the BBB Wise Giving Alliance’s website at Give.org.