214-310-1356
Google Places Business License Verification Domination and link building aren’t necessarily two ideas that the average webmaster would associate with a non-profit organization. However, nonprofits are some of the most aggressive, nimble, and killer-instinct marketers in their respective verticals that I’ve personally ever come across.
Think about it, they typically have a huge workforce (via volunteers), a social media presence that could choke a horse, and enough freebies to make the chip and dip sample lady at the grocery store envious.
All this is possible because, ironically enough, they generally don’t have enough money to throw towards solutions. However, this also makes them resourceful and dangerous to businesses in the same industries.
That said, with great leveraging, elbow grease, and out-of-the-box thinking link building for nonprofits can be unimaginably effective.
The Techniques
Because of the unique business model, nonprofits find themselves with an excess of helpful people at their fingertips, but not necessarily knowing (or realizing) that they can/should leverage those people. For example…
.Edu and .Gov
Yummy, yummy, yummy. Colleges and government sites gobble up NPO and their noteworthy news like Thanksgiving dinner. Sometimes all it takes is a little outreach and name recognition to get a cause noticed and linked to from such a trusted source. While edu’s and gov’s aren’t necessarily more valuable than regular links, the domain authority is worth the effort by far. Natural links+Long Term Effort=Win
Deals and Offers
It’s not the norm, but when a NPO has products that they offer, they can marry a typical press release with specials on said products to make for a one-shot-one-kill marketing bullet.
Since the NPO will likely have a fair amount of general notoriety, coupled with clout in it’s own contacts and followers, a PR can be spread quickly and effectively throughout targeted users. As long as these types of blitz’s aren’t poorly planned, the nonprofit has much to gain from such fast traction.
Tapping Social Goldmines
It’s rare for a nonprofit to lack a significant social presence. In fact, because of many NPO’s strong Facebook and Twitter presence, they are able to tap these resources in times of need.
Since these nonprofits are followed closely by very targeted users, leveraging social mediums can be an extremely useful tool in providing more traffic, and ultimately more links to the site as a whole.
Almost Endless Potential
Just these three techniques should be enough to get your creative juices flowing and help you start thinking on how a nonprofit builds links. Whether press releases, link bait, or social avenues are your proposed road to link popularity freedom, all of us can learn from the ever so nimble nonprofits.