I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “a picture is worth a thousand words.”

As a Nonprofit, this couldn’t be more true, as images in your marketing materials help supporters better connect with your cause.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been inspired by the images of a nonprofit. Whether it supports the adoption story of a shelter pet or photos of the mountain of non-perishables collected for the local food bank.

Images can help tell your story and trigger an emotional impact that helps people relate to your cause.

Today, obtaining images to use in your marketing is easier than ever! There’s rarely any need to use stock photos because I’m willing to bet you and your staff have phones capable of shooting photos and video that will capture your supporters’ attention.

Need more help designing emails for your nonprofit? Check out our upcoming webinar “Design an Eye-Catching Email Campaign for Your Nonprofit in 15 Minutes or Less.”

That’s right, you don’t have to have a professional. Just be sure to utilize these opportunities to snap a few photos for your library every week:

Events
As a nonprofit, chances are your organization is involved in or hosts events that get people engaged in supporting your cause. Events are a prime opportunity to collect images.

Ask your staff and volunteers to snap a few behind the scenes photos during set-up, as well as the event itself.

You can also challenge your attendees to snap a few photos. Ask them to share them on your social pages and request permission for use in your marketing materials.

Day-to-day happenings
Letting your supporters in on what your organization does on a daily basis can help them relate to your cause. Use photos to keep them up to date on what is happening and help them learn what it takes to run your organization!

Staff and volunteers
Your volunteers and staff are a huge asset to your nonprofit. Snap some head shots and a few photos of them in action. You’ll be able to share these images along with some information to convey their history with your organization and why they choose to help. These stories can help to inspire more people to volunteer their time.

Donors
These people help your organization thrive. For those willing, share their photo as well as their story on why they choose to donate. These stories can help to encourage more people to make a donation to support your cause.

End results
These types of images are great to convey the results of events, fundraising, and even the people you’re helping. Show the amount of support you received and your gratitude to all of your supporters for helping out.

All of these opportunities will provide you with a constant flow of new images to use in your email marketing and other platforms. You’ll be able to use compelling images that get your supporters engaged and taking action.

Best practices

Before you start using images, keep these best practices in mind so you can get the best results:

• Captions are read three to four times more than other text. Add captions to explain the image and include the photographer’s name.
• Choose images with individual faces over images of a crowd to make them more personable.
• Consider customizing your images to add a frame, text, or an overlay to make them pop even more. You can even add your email’s call-to-action as text on the image to entice your supporters to take an action.
• Make the supporting image in your email clickable and point it to the same destination as your call-to-action.
• Learn how to set-up your images for success in your email.

Start capturing compelling images today!

Now you’re ready to start snapping photos that support your organization’s cause. Challenge your staff and volunteers to take a few photos every week. That way you’ll have a variety to choose from.

Upload the images into your Constant Contact library or to your Facebook and Instagram pages. This will give you easy access to images while creating emails and other marketing materials.

Need more help marketing your nonprofit? Check out our upcoming webinar:“Design an Eye-Catching Email Campaign for Your Nonprofit in 15 Minutes or Less.”

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