People are inherently good. Now of course, there are exceptions to this rule. And, those exceptions all seem to be in front of me in traffic when I’m in a rush to get somewhere. But, this is beside the point.
People are inherently good.
My next book, Do Good to Do Better: A Small Business Guide to Growing Your Business by Helping Nonprofits has spent the last few weeks with beta readers. Please enjoy the following expert before we continue on.
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“The First Rule of Cause Marketing is You Don’t Talk About Cause Marketing”
A few years ago, I joined a networking group called BNI. They encourage you to do one-to-ones to get to know the other people in your group. So, just a few days after joining the chapter, I packed up my folder o’ business cards and trekked out to the warehouse of the group’s plumber.
He showed me around, we bonded over some pictures of his dogs, and then we began discussing Cause Marketing. His shoulders tightened and he was getting a bit flustered as I described the concept.
“I already give to charity.”
“That’s amazing! Why don’t you post it on your social media?”
“Because I don’t do it for the attention.”
In that one sentence, my plumber friend summed up the number one argument I face regarding cause marketing. He, and many others, feel that when you talk about your charity involvement, or (be still my heart!) benefit from it, it somehow takes away from the act.
I call B.S.
Let me explain it another way. I’ve been volunteering for animal rescues for the past 10 years. As I mentioned in the Introduction, I’ve expanded my social circle, gotten jobs, career skills, media attention, and a whole lot of joy from working with these animals.
What I’ve never had, is a Chihuahua that stands up on his hind legs, narrows his eyes and says, “Excuuuuuse me! You are just getting way too much out of your time with me. I’m going to need you to calm down so I can get the lion’s share of the benefits.”
Nope. It’s never happened. In fact, I’m pretty sure that when you actually enjoy what you’re doing and (egad!) benefit from it, the other party gets more out of it as well.
Why? Because doing good is not a zero-sum game. It’s not a situation where the more I get, the less you can have.
You know what else happens when you don’t talk about the work you do with nonprofits?
Nothing.
Seriously. Nothing. No more money is raised for the charity. No more awareness is brought to the cause. No more people are inspired to volunteer and improve the situation. And, you are missing out on one of the most powerful marketing tactics out there.
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Welcome back.
The most interesting (and heartwarming) feedback I’ve received from my beta readers so far… “I’ve already got a few charities in mind that I can support.”
People want to do good. While every response I’ve gotten has also mentioned that they can see the benefit of using cause marketing in their business, it’s been an afterthought to all the good they can do.
I use my friend Joe as a case study in the book. He’s fully embraced cause marketing (I get a little misty-eyed when I think about it). Not only does he want to purchase copies of the books for his friends, he wants to purchase copies for his competitors.
Yup, you read that right.
In his own words, “Let’s see how much good we can do when we compete in a different arena.”
The fact is, Cause Marketing isn’t just a way to grow your business. It isn’t just a way to help a charity. Cause Marketing is a way to feed two birds with one scone. (I do animal rescue. Did you really think I was going to advocate stoning innocent birdies?)
Do Good to Do Better: A Small Business Guide to Growing Your Business by Helping Nonprofits is due out in November of 2019. Read the book, do the work, and let’s see how much good we can do when we compete in a different arena.
For more information and to download the first two chapters for free, visit: www.dogoodtodobetter.com
About the Author
Sheryl Green is a New York native living and thawing in Las Vegas since 2008. After years of begging for money to support animal rescue, she discovered Cause Marketing and her life was forever changed. She now brings her knowledge of storytelling to non-fiction and content writing, working with businesses and individuals who want to position themselves as experts in their field and differentiate themselves from the competition. She is also the co-founder and president of the Cause Marketing Chamber of Commerce.
Sheryl is the author of 4 books and serves as the Director of Communications and Cuddling for Hearts Alive Village Las Vegas. Learn more at www.sherylgreenspeaks.com.
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