5 Mistakes start-up NGOs make in curving out their place in the digital market.

There’s like hundreds of brands of water in the world but you know what happens when you google how many brands there are? Google brings you a couple of links on “Top 10 bottled water brands in the world” or “Top selling popular water brands.” Yes, there are many organizations doing what you’re doing but what are you doing to stand out from them to make top lists? 

Here are a few mistakes to avoid when trying to maximize your organization’s presence online. 

1. Information overload.

This is the root of all chaos. It is easy to appear scattered to your audience if you don’t tread carefully. There’s a lot of information on increasing visibility in the market and at the end of it all, every digital platform mentioned seems like it is important to have. You’re allowed to do as much research as possible but remember to pick out only that which works for you, which brings me to my next point. How do you know what works?

 
2. Don’t be a social media junkie 

There’s a thin line between expanding your presence and simply hoarding apps. It gets tough maintaining and growing different types of audiences because every platform is different. Always keep this in mind. What is our target audience and which social media platforms are the most active? Is your organization about fighting for equality and human rights for women? Then why aren’t you active on Twitter and participating in discussions? That’s a platform you will most likely gain more stakeholders and donors who are in line with your vision. 

3. Your website is not a dumpsite

Most nonprofits starting out know how important it is to have a website and kudos to you who always make it top priority as you roll out. But many forget to make it interactive and organic. They stop at dumping information about the organization i.e. “About Us” “Meet the Team” yet there could be more. Update your website with work you do on ground, create space for your visitors to interact with you, allow them to explore how they can donate, connect you, or give you work. Take a look at some of these interactive websites we’ve designed for Tubeewo, Imani Schools, 92hands, and Kafeero Foundation to give you a full picture.

4. Wordy websites are a no-go

Remember that video is king in the digital world.  It is great with story-telling which is key for any nonprofit. Have words that are only necessary and use video to drive your vision and goals. User’s concentration is not that high so with video, you increase your chances of them learning more about your organization than what they originally came looking for. See how 92 hands communicated their COVID19 Response as opposed to slapping a long article about it.

5. Cheap design is costly

It is important for nonprofits to invest in good web and graphics design right off the bat to set you on a good path. The way you brand yourselves matters a lot because it’s among the qualities that attract your donors, stakeholders, and well-wishers.
It’s crucial that you have an appealing design in the digital space otherwise, you risk losing engagement with your brand.

With these few insights, we have no doubt that your organization will stand out, and in a few years when you google how many nonprofits are in your field, you’ll see yourself in a top 10 list.