How to get started with paid media for your charity

For many charities, paid media is a critical channel to help you achieve your digital marketing strategy. In today’s digital world, charities face increasing competition for donations, volunteers, and awareness. Having a robust online presence is critical, but simply having a website and social media pages is no longer enough.

To reach the right audiences, more charities are turning to paid media. If you’re working in the marketing, communications, or brand team at a UK charity and have limited experience with paid media, this guide will help you get started.

What is paid media?

Paid media refers to any form of online advertising where you pay to promote your content. This contrasts with organic media, which involves reaching people through non-paid efforts like search engine optimisation (SEO) and social media posts. Paid media can drive traffic to your website, increase visibility for your campaigns, and encourage people to take action, such as donating or signing up for a newsletter.

Unlike traditional advertising methods (e.g., print or TV ads), paid media offers greater targeting precision and measurable results. You can reach a specific audience based on interests, location, or demographics and easily track engagement, clicks, and conversions.

Types of paid media:

When thinking about paid media, two main types stand out for charities: paid search and paid social.

Paid Search

Paid search, also known as pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, allows you to place ads at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs) when users search for specific terms. For example, if someone searches for “donate to wildlife charities,” your ad could appear at the top of the results if you’re running a relevant paid search campaign.

The most common platform for paid search is Google Ads, which enables you to bid on keywords. You only pay when someone clicks on your ad, and the cost per click depends on the competition for the keywords you’re targeting.

Paid Social

Paid social involves placing ads on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (now X), and LinkedIn. These platforms offer a wealth of data that can be used to target specific groups of people based on their age, location, interests, or behaviours. For example, Facebook Ads allows you to create highly targeted campaigns, such as reaching young adults interested in environmental causes or people in a specific postcode area.

Paid social offers various ad formats, from sponsored posts in newsfeeds to video ads and carousel ads. These platforms are particularly useful for charities looking to raise awareness, increase event participation, or promote fundraising campaigns.

Benefits of paid media

You might wonder why paid media is worth the investment, especially if your charity has limited resources. Here are some key benefits:

• Targeted Reach: Paid media allows you to reach the right audience by targeting specific demographics, interests, or behaviours. For example, you can reach potential donors who care about your cause or volunteers in your local area.
• Measurable Results: With paid media, you can track detailed analytics, from clicks to conversions. This allows you to understand what works and adjust your campaigns in real time, ensuring you get the best return on investment (ROI).
• Cost-Effective: Paid media campaigns are flexible and scalable. You can set your budget and choose whether to run small, targeted campaigns or larger ones, depending on your resources.
• Increased Visibility: Paid media ensures that your content stands out in a crowded digital space, especially during high-demand periods like Giving Tuesday or during emergency fundraising appeals.
• Drives Action: Whether it’s securing donations, signing up for events, or raising awareness of a petition, paid media campaigns are designed to encourage your audience to take immediate action.

Tips on how to get started

Now that you know what paid media is and its benefits, here are practical steps to get your charity started with paid campaigns.

Set clear objectives

Before starting any paid media campaign, define what you want to achieve. Are you looking to increase donations? Build awareness of a specific issue? Drive sign-ups for an event? Your objectives will determine the platforms you choose, the audience you target, and the type of ad creatives you use.

Choose the right platforms

Once your objectives are clear, choose the platform(s) that will best serve your campaign. If you’re looking for immediate results, paid search via Google Ads might be the right choice. If you’re looking to build long-term engagement or raise awareness among specific groups, paid social on platforms like Facebook or Instagram could be more effective.

Utilise Google Ad Grants

One of the best resources for charities is the Google Ad Grants programme. This initiative provides eligible charities with up to £7,000 per month in free Google Ads spend. This is a fantastic opportunity to run paid search campaigns at no cost, helping you increase visibility and attract more traffic to your website. To make the most of Google Ad Grants, ensure that your website meets Google’s requirements, and optimise your ads for high-quality scores (this affects the performance of your campaigns).

Start small with budget considerations

When starting out, you don’t need a huge budget. Set a small amount aside for testing and optimisation. Begin by running short-term campaigns on a smaller budget, and track the results. As you gather data and understand which messages or targeting options work best, you can scale up the campaign.

Paid social platforms like Facebook Ads let you set daily or lifetime budgets, so you can control your spending and ensure you’re not going over budget.

Leverage tools to help you

To run successful campaigns, take advantage of free and paid tools that simplify the process. Tools like Google Ads Keyword Planner can help you identify relevant keywords for paid search, while Facebook Ads Manager provides detailed insights into audience engagement.

You can also use tools like Canva to help you design better ad creatives.

Track and optimise

Once your campaign is live, use the analytics tools provided by platforms like Google Ads or Facebook Ads Manager to track performance. Focus on metrics like click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, and cost per action (CPA) to assess the effectiveness of your campaign. If something isn’t working, don’t be afraid to adjust your targeting, budget, or messaging.

Conclusion

Paid media can seem daunting for charities with limited experience, but it’s an invaluable tool for reaching your audience, driving action, and maximising the impact of your campaigns. Start small, utilise resources like Google Ad Grants, and focus on clear objectives and measurable outcomes. By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way to launching successful paid media campaigns that support your charity’s goals.

By taking a thoughtful approach to paid media, you can ensure your charity stands out in a crowded space, making a real difference to the causes that matter most.