As a charity CEO you play a key role in shaping and promoting your organisation's brand, probably more than you think. You might not consider yourself a brand builder, but you are a brand ambassador. As the CEO, your team, your stakeholders, and the people you impact are looking at you to see how you represent your organisation.

And how you represent your charity IS brand building. The question is, how do you turn that into something tangible from a digital and offline marketing perspective? Well, you know your organisation better than anyone else. You might think that branding is better left to the specialists, perhaps your marketing team or an external branding agency.

That's ok. But it doesn't mean you have to be a bystander in the branding process. How you represent the organisation can guide and empower others to bring your brand to life online and offline. You have a lot to bring to the table.

To help you, this is what you can focus on as CEO of your charity or community change organisation to build better brand awareness:

1) Define Your Brand Identity

Charities with strong brands pull in more donations. The strongest brands have a clear identity. And that's your starting point. Before you can build brand awareness, you need to clearly define your organisation's identity.

That's where you come in. Your identity is found in your mission, your values and what it is your charity does that sets you apart from others. Who better to ask than you, the CEO?

We're not saying that you have to then bring that identity to life. But your vision for your charity is the cornerstone on which your marketing team can build your brand. If you don't have an in-house marketing team, partner with an external branding agency.

This will help you to establish a clear core message that defines your brand and that your audience can relate to. Once you have a clear brand identity, it becomes so much easier to communicate it to others.

2) Craft a Compelling Story

As the brand ambassador for your organisation, no doubt you have great stories to tell. Storytelling is THE MOST powerful tool for building brand awareness. Stories are what grip people. So, share stories that illustrate your organisation's impact on the community and the lives you touch.

Your narrative should resonate with your target audience emotionally, making them feel connected to your cause. Tell your stories to your marketing team or external branding agency, and they will bring those stories to life.

3) Engage with Your Community

Building brand awareness isn't a one-way street. Engage with your community, including your donors, volunteers, and beneficiaries, through social media, newsletters, and community events. You can feed newsletter and social media ideas to your marketing team or branding agency, and they'll do the rest.

But don't be a stranger, be proactive online. Respond to social media comments, participate in conversations, and show appreciation for your supporters' contributions. This active engagement helps to humanise your organisation and reinforces your brand.

4) Develop a Strong Online Presence

According to a Civil Society report, 'most' charities now have a digital strategy. 82% of charities view a digital presence as a greater priority for their organisations since COVID.

Digital marketing has been a game-changer for charities and community change organisations. Not only does it boost fundraising, it heightens brand awareness. That's why a standout presence online is crucial to the future of your charity.

A few tips to develop a strong online presence include:

A website that's user-friendly, visually appealing, and informative.
Regular content updates on your site like success stories, blog posts, and news items that fit the narrative of your mission.
An SEO strategy that increases your site's visibility in search engines.

As a charity CEO, we're not saying you have to manage all these things yourself. You can delegate, but you can offer ideas and input to make sure your brand is brought to life in the right way.

For example, you can contribute to blog posts or write a CEO's comments section as the opening of a success story. Your contributions will help to shape a strong online presence.

5) Use Social Media

Social media scares a lot of CEOs (in the corporate and charity sector). That's ok. We understand, the social media space is massive and managing your charity's brand can seem overwhelming.

The flip side is that social is where a lot of your audience will be. If you want to engage with them on a wider scale, you need to be on social. Provided your branding is clear and you have the right people managing your channels, social will prove to be a powerful tool for increasing brand awareness.

Tips to get the best out of building brand awareness on social:

Profiles on platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads and TikTok to share your organisation's updates, events, and stories.

Use visual content, such as images and videos, to convey your message effectively. Engage with your followers and encourage them to share your content to expand your reach. Yes, CEOs can use social too.

6) Collaborate and Partner

As a charity CEO, you're no doubt great at networking. This is a great way to connect and collaborate with other organisations and influencers that can amplify your brand's reach.

Partner with like-minded charities or community groups on joint campaigns or events. Influencers who share your values can also help spread awareness to their followers. Such collaborations can introduce your brand to new audiences and build credibility.

7) Be Consistent

Consistency is key to building your brand awareness. Ensure that your messaging, visuals, and tone are consistent across all communication channels. This consistency helps reinforce your brand identity and makes it easier for people to recognise and remember your charity.

What Next?

As CEO of your charity, you lead by example in the brand awareness stakes. After all, you're the key decision maker. To make building your brand happen, it needs a change of mindset. Branding is not a dirty word in the charity sector, it's essential, and offers a pathway to furthering your cause and impacting more people and communities.

Building brand awareness requires help, whether it's from an in-house marketing team or an external branding agency. Most charity organisations opt for external agencies nowadays, mainly because it's more cost-effective than hiring an in-house team

So, you have a decision to make.

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Partner with Sodium, a specialist charity branding agency

Finding a branding agency that understands the Third Sector space used to be a huge challenge for charities. Not anymore.

Everything you need as a charity CEO to build brand awareness for your organisation can be found under our roof. We are a collective of hybrid branding and marketing specialists that work with charity and community change organisations - no one else - building brands with staying power.

You will have our complete focus on your project. We understand the Third Sector space more than most branding agencies, which is why we're the ideal partner to bring your brand to life.

We are the creative force to champion your cause.

Ready to build your brand? Contact Sodium today for a detailed discussion about your organisation, branding requirements, our prices and packaging - and how to get the most out of working together.

How Can a Charity CEO Build Brand Awareness?