Think back to a time when you saw a commercial that was about more than just a product or service. It may have been an ad that delivered a lasting message instead. If you remember a commercial like that, chances are it’s because it meant something to you personally. This writer remembers being especially touched by a commercial for Always’ “Like a Girl” campaign that explored why doing something “like a girl” was considered a bad thing. This commercial hit on a topic that is meaningful to me, and it’s stuck with me as one of my favorite ads ever since.

When a business chooses to skip the product features and deliver a bigger message, we refer to it as cause marketing. These marketing campaigns often support a specific charity or cause, and more brands than ever are jumping on board to help those in need. Customers agree that business’ support is important in our world today, and they have stronger opinions than ever. In fact, 90% of all consumers believe companies should be supporting social and environmental issues.

Many small businesses are already pros at giving back and supporting their local communities. Cause marketing is just about letting more people in so they can learn and help. A business of any size is capable of developing and implementing an effective cause marketing strategy. We’ll walk you all the tips you need to know to find success with your own brand.

Tip #1: Choose a Relevant Cause

When developing a cause marketing plan for your small business, consider picking an issue that makes sense for your audience and brand. Selecting a cause your customers can connect to will only help your audience buy in to the campaign. The cause doesn’t necessarily have to fit into your industry or be directly related to your product to be relevant. It’s more important to take a stand and create messages around an issue your customers are genuinely concerned about. A charity that shares your company values, works directly in your community or is personal to an employee’s story could also be a good fit.

Tip #2: Find Loyal Partners

If you’re a small business looking to support a worthy cause, may not be able to hire a crew of celebrities to promote your campaign. However, you can still find loyal partners and advocates for your cause. Small business may consider partnering with microinfluencers or notable people in their community to generate buzz. Your brand could also create a simple and playful product to give to those who participate or donate to your campaign. If you can inspire even a small group of loyal customers to share your message, more people in your community will follow their example and participate in the experience.

Tip #3: Share Your Message Everywhere

Your supporting cause marketing materials should go beyond the sign at checkout or blurb on your website asking for support. In order to extend the reach of your campaign, your brand should promote your cause through a number of different channels. You could send occasional emails to your subscribers with updates about your involvement, create posts and videos to share on social media, use digital advertisements and send relevant stories or events to your local reporters.

Tip #4: Make Your Campaign Engaging

When you promote your cause marketing campaign online, see if you can call on individual people to share and carry on the challenge. When users hear a message from their friends rather than a company, they’re more likely to share it. It’s much harder to turn down people you know than a faceless business. To inspire sharing, you might create a challenge for your audience to participate in or ask users to comment about their experiences with an issue. As more people participate and respond, your campaign will reach more people and continue to spread through your community.

Tip #5: Stand by Your Beliefs

We mentioned earlier that 90% of consumers believe companies should support important issues, but they also want brands to take stronger stances on serious topics. More than half of all Americans think businesses should speak up about controversial matters facing our society, according to Global Strategy Group. Certain groups may question your chosen stance, so your small business must be prepared to stick to your guns even when you face criticism. If you discover that a subset of your audience disagrees with you, walking back your statements and downplaying your support can have a greater negative affect on your business than the comment made by that small group. You’ll risk turning off the supporters you do have and appearing wishy-washy rather than strong or confident.

Like what you’ve heard so far? In our next article, we explore how other brands have used these tips to create successful cause marketing campaigns. Check it out here!