How Digital Activism and Marketing Coincide

Digital activism is a great way for non-profit organizations to promote their cause in a cheap and effective manner. Digital activism, "also known as?cyberactivism, form of activism that uses the?Internet?and digital media as key platforms for mass?mobilization?and political action." (Britannica). This is an especially useful tool today as consumers are tied to their electronics.

Preserving Nature

As a kid, I spent a lot of my time during the summer out in nature and more specifically in rivers. This love for nature has only grown overtime and I believe that we as humans have a responsibility to preserve the land for future generations. A great way to help ensure that this preservation is taking place is through the support of non-profits. More specifically, non-profits need to have an understanding of the digital activism landscape to garner more support. In fact, "Given the many challenges activists face, it is essential to understand how collective action can be undertaken with digital media to produce positive consequences for nature and human relations." (Ma?lle Jacqmarcq)

One such non-profit that is focused on preserving nature is Trout Unlimited.

Trout Unlimited: Preserving our Rivers

Trout Unlimited is a Virginia based non-profit that is focused on the preservation of freshwater streams, rivers and habitats for trout, salmon and other aquatic species in the country. They have used various digital marketing techniques to spread their message across the country and gain over 300,000 members. Some of the tools that they utilize are:

• SEO: Trout Unlimited has done a great job of utilizing SEO in their practices. They have used key words and phrases such as; "trout", "fishing", "conservation" that not only function as key words to help with their ranking in SERPs, but they also align with their values and mission as well.
• Content Marketing: I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of organic content that Trout Unlimited offers on their website and other platforms. They have members write newsletters pertaining to the non-profits activities and they even have their own magazine titled, "Trout Magazine". This is where members will write articles about conservation efforts around the country and if there are any pressing problems that need attention. On top of this, they also offer tips for anglers and gear reviews as well. They also utilize social media such as instagram where they post various fishing and conservation content.
• Inbound Marketing: In addition to offering high quality media such as blogs and new letters, Trout Unlimited also has a very high quality website where users can find any resource that they may be looking for. They also offer an easy way to donate through a subscription plan. There are different tiers of membership, with them costing between $12 to $295 per year. This membership offers email updates as well.

How would I use Digital Marketing for Conservation?

Trout Unlimited has done a great job of establishing an online presence through their effective use of digital activism and marketing tools. But, is there anything that I would recommend as a digital marketer to other conservation non-profits?

One of the tools that I would utilize would be SEO. This is a great tool for non-profits as their support is directly tied to their exposure. I would make sure to utilize the proper keywords and build internal and external links to help drive traffic. Increasing the traffic to a website will not only increase the amount of supporters a cause has but it will also spread the message of conservation.

I would also use Content Marketing and more specifically "Organic" content as a way to highlight what the non-profit is actually doing. Trout Unlimited is a great example of using content marketing and organic content as they offer a variety of unique media that creates value for users. Highlighting this content is a great way to increase the exposure of non-profits. A great way to generate this content would be through a Collaboration or Partnership with influencers, celebrities, and other non-profits. Working with a person or similar cause that has more of a built in following will help non-profits is a great way to not only increase reach but also provides more power to the message.

References

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FtNm9CgA6U
• https://www.tu.org/
• file:///Users/steinarmikkelson/Downloads/Environmental+Activism%20(1).pdf
• https://www.britannica.com/topic/digital-activism