Do you want to make a difference in the world?
You are not alone! A lot of people feel the same way, and many are turning to social impact campaigns to make a difference. But what makes a social impact campaign successful? There are a lot of factors that come into play. Let’s discuss some of the most important ones in this blog post. Keep reading to learn more!
Stakeholder Mapping
One of the most important things to consider when planning a social impact campaign is your audience. Your audience selection should align with the strategic vision of your organization, as well as the stakeholders related to the topic at hand. In addition to those directly impacted by a challenge, think of those who may be indirectly associated with the conversation. Are you hoping to reach government officials, receive resources from IGOs and NGOs, or influence private sector players? Some questions to ask your team are:
- Why do you hope to influence the decisions of these stakeholders?
- What may be their needs and wants?
- How will your campaign affect them?
- Where can you access them?
There are a lot of different ways to reach people these days, so it’s important to choose one (or more) that will work best for your target audience. To this end, it is important to sit down and do some stakeholder mapping. Once you know your audience and the potential channels of communication, you can tailor your campaign specifically to each individual group.
Set a Realistic, Measurable Goal
What do you hope to achieve with your social impact campaign? Be specific and realistic in setting your goals, and make sure that your team is on board with them as well. This will help you measure the success of your campaign and make adjustments along the way if need be. You want to make sure that your goals can positively impact your audience and inspire them to take action.
To do so, you should set a realistic, measurable goal. For example, your goal may be to increase your social reach. However, if increased social reach does not convert social media followers into action takers or information sharers, then the stated goal is not effective. Instead, note down an actionable and measurable end goal.
Maybe, it is the number of people that signs up to a skills class with this increased social reach. Maybe, it is the number of donations that happens after this improvement in social reach. Once the goal is identified, let’s get creative!
Get Creative
After identifying the goal, you can start planning out your strategy. Now it’s time to get creative! This is where you’ll really need to put on your thinking cap and come up with some great ideas. Your social impact campaign should be attention-grabbing and shareable. And it should also be aligned with your overall goals. Keep all of these things in mind as you brainstorm ideas for your campaign.
During the brainstorming session (s), it is incredibly important to devout time to research. You’ll need to know what other social impact campaigns have been successful in the past and what lessons you can learn from them. This research will be invaluable as you start to implement your own campaign.
Your strategy is in the doing. It’s the structure that you’ll use to get things done—and it’s the workable framework for your programs, events, and other activities. Take time at this step to sketch out exactly how you’re going to create social change through your efforts. This isn’t as simple as “being more environmentally conscious.” Whatever it is that you do (be it an organization or just an individual), there’s a lot you can do at this level; aside from looking into specific strategies and tactics, talk, talk, talk to people!
Establish Key Performance Indicators
In order to create a successful social impact campaign, it is important to establish key performance indicators (KPIs). KPIs will help you measure the success of your campaign and determine whether or not it is having the desired effect. Without KPIs, it would be difficult to tell if your campaign is making a difference.
Some examples of KPIs that could be used for a social impact campaign include the number of people reached, the number of people who take action, and the amount of money raised. There are many other KPIs that could be used, depending on the goals of your campaign.
Establishing KPIs at the beginning of your campaign will help you track your progress and make necessary adjustments along the way. Without KPIs, it would be difficult to determine whether or not your campaign is successful.
Execute with a Call-to-Action
The best part: execution! Make sure to stay organized and on track as you work on bringing your social impact campaign to life. And don’t forget to measure your results along the way. This will help you gauge whether or not your campaign is successful. Make sure to send out a clear message with a simple to follow Call-to-Action.
The Call-to-Action is the key to success. It communicates ways of effective engagement to your audience and helps them understand what is needed to take action.
Finally, don’t forget about promotion! Make sure people know about your social impact campaign. Use social media, advertising, and any other channels you have at your disposal. The more people you can reach, the more successful your campaign will be.
Social impact campaigns can be a great way to make a difference in the world. But they take careful planning and execution to be successful. Keep these tips in mind as you start planning your own social impact campaign! And if you need help, don’t hesitate to reach out to a marketing or social media consultant. They can help you take your campaign to the next level.
Do you have any tips for planning a social impact campaign? Share them with us in the comments below! And if you need help getting started, be sure to check out our social impact services. We can help you plan and execute a successful campaign that meets your goals.