It’s no surprise word-of-mouth recommendations and referrals provide agencies with viable leads. Most people trust colleague, friend, and family member recommendations over a company’s marketing claim when purchasing products and services. Agency referral programs have proved to be extremely successful in gaining new leads, largely in part to the trust put behind personal recommendations. While having a referral program for your agency is a valuable tool to grow your book of business, building community partnerships will round out your referral strategy. Your agency has the opportunity to help local community organizations while benefiting from the positive recommendations and referrals people will give, as a way of thanking you for your support.
A strong presence in the community through authentic and meaningful partnerships will be one of the best moves you can make in improving of your brand image.
Today’s consumer looks beyond a company’s products and services, evaluating their commitment to philanthropy and investments in their local community. A healthy brand perception will drive customers to your office and website, providing your sales team with viable leads.
If you’re thinking “We sponsored the little league team last season and got our names on the t-shirts, we’ve got great ties with the community,” that’s a great start. However, there is much more work left to be done before you can tout your community ties. Follow these three steps to building a strategic community partnership plan:
1. Identify non-profit agencies and partnership opportunities
Start making a list of respected nonprofit agencies in your area. Talk to your staff about causes and initiatives they’ve worked with or admire. If you, or a member of your agency, have a personal connection to a cause, the overall partnership will benefit greatly. This list can include specific and tangible sponsorship opportunities as well as organizations who you’d like to establish a connection with.
2. Discuss partnership specifics
Community partnerships are not always all about money. While monetary donations do go a long way in the nonprofit community, there are numerous projects that you and your staff could help organize that require little financial investments. Many times, organizations are short-staffed and need you to suggest ways you can help. Talk to you team about projects that fit within the nonprofit’s mission and your agency’s abilities. Here are a few ideas to get your creativity flowing:
- Cleanup a local park, playground, or riverbed
- Organize a drive for a local food pantry, animal shelter, or organization
- Collect letters for armed forces serving oversees with a collection area in your office
3. Utilize social media for additional reach
Your agency’s social media channels are perfect places to talk about your community partnerships. Use them to give an organization’s content additional reach by posting fundraiser or event information on your Facebook page. Use Twitter to interact with a nonprofit that is raising awareness about a particular cause. If your staff is dropping off supplies at an animal shelter, take photos and post them on your Facebook page. Your followers will enjoy knowing about the work your doing and likely share with their own friends and family.
With passion behind your actions and a real commitment to select local nonprofit organizations, you will quickly see how appreciative members of the community are.