Why Your Organization's Social Impact Is Worth Sharing
Whether you’re announcing news of an upcoming acquisition, a recent product launch, or the acceptance of an award, these posts you are sharing with your network are likely to draw attention and spark a conversation. A key type of post that is often overlooked but equally as valuable to share is your organization’s social impact.
Social impact refers to the effects your?corporate social responsibility initiatives?have on the local community and the global environment. For example, a CSR initiative would be implementing a corporate giving program that connects your employees with local nonprofits.
When sharing the results of this CSR initiative, your business could showcase a few metrics: total employee volunteers, hours of service, and the number of charitable causes supported—this is otherwise known as your organization’s social impact. These results are what convey meaning and validity beyond what can be expressed in words.
Just as companies are quick to announce a new client or sales growth, sharing your organization’s social impact is worth communicating to display transparency and accountability. We uncover a few top reasons why sharing this story is the most important one to tell.
Kambeo Hubs: A Place To Create, Share, And Grow Your Social Impact
With every dollar you raise, hour you volunteer, and cause you support at an organizational level,?Kambeo Hubs?tracks that data in real-time and provides you with a platform to share your social impact with the world.
By sharing your achievements on Kambeo Hubs, you will be able to reflect on these positive experiences, discover new approaches to achieve social good, and inspire others to create the change they want to see.
Benefits Of Sharing Your Organization’s Social Impact:
Increased awareness
With each social impact post, whether that be distributed on your website, social media channels, or a press release, comes an opportunity to build familiarity with new consumers—letting them know your brand exists.
Sharing your organization’s commitment to social and environmental issues, as well as the impact your actions have had, is one of the best ways to build a memorable first impression and get consumers to remember your brand.
As?40% of consumers are looking to find purpose-driven brands, companies that measure, evaluate, and share their social good stories will not only garner attention from these value-aligned consumers but will also gain support from them.
Building brand equity
When consumers are deciding between Brand A (which is more expensive) and Brand B, several factors go through their minds. Of course, we might automatically think that the cheaper option will always lead to a purchase, but this isn’t always the case.
A study by Unilever concluded that?33% (one-third) of consumers?now choose to buy from companies that are doing social or environmental good. This finding is because brand equity plays a role in the decision-making process.
Brand equity refers to why a consumer chooses one brand over another. For instance, a tech company could share how they are making a difference in the world and their achievements to date. In turn, their consumers will begin to associate their brand with positive attributes, and when it comes time to make a new or repeat purchase, these elements will influence their final decision.
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Diversify your content
Consumers are 4 to 6 times more likely to purchase from a purpose-driven company. How do they assess whether a company is purpose-driven and not operating solely for profit? Through reading content posted by an organization. By incorporating your company’s social impact into your content lineup and sharing it regularly, your consumers will instantly understand how you are devoted to enriching others’ lives.?
An easy tip for ensuring what you share is multi-faceted is to find a balance between these three areas:
Demonstrate your values
Values are the guiding principles of your business. There are many ways organizations can communicate their values, ranging from an internal code of conduct to speaking engagements. However, one of the most effective ways to prove what you are saying has validity is through sharing your social impact.
Telus, a Canadian National telecommunications company, communicates its values on its website. One of their values states “We passionately put our customers and communities first.” Even though Telus’ value statement is clear and specific, there is no proof to support its position as a community changemaker.
Enter their?social impact landing page, which is focused on sharing and measuring all of the great work that Telus is doing. Telus hosts an ‘Annual Telus Days of Giving,’ bringing together team members and community supporters to make a positive impact on local communities. For maximum credibility, Telus shares stories of how their team members have given back and the results derived from these efforts.
Inspire other changemakers
Regardless of who a changemaker is, they are all eager to take the initiative and are driven by passion. Finding opportunities to volunteer, donate, or fundraise are typically at their own discretion—whether that is conducting a web search or finding an opportunity through their personal network.
Organizations can do their part to push these changemakers (who are current or prospective customers) to find new opportunities and make a greater impact by sharing their own stories.
It isn’t just about the nonprofits and charities spreading the word about their cause and encouraging others to stand with them; businesses can do their part to advocate change. Purpose-driven companies who transparently showcase their social impact can aid in inspiring a movement to create a better world.
Leave Your Mark
As many consumers are taking a stance on social issues and wanting to leave their mark, they expect the companies they support to do the same. Sharing your organization’s social impact tells your story from beginning to end, giving your audience an in-depth view of the results you have achieved to positively impact your community.