Digital Byte 03: How to Incorporate Philanthropy into Your Business
January 20th, 2022
This year has already been off to a crazy start. I went live on Instagram, recorded my first podcast, welcomed two new team members, and landed two new amazing clients. On top of all of this, I was connected with a like-minded agency owner who put philanthropy into the core of his business. His agency was created to raise money to provide prosthetic legs for people in Africa. While what he does is provide marketing services, his mission is to make the world a better place.
I have been personally struggling to make a strong connection between philanthropy in my own business. It wasn’t part of the original business plan and I don’t just want to be washing money, I want the efforts to make a difference and ignite passion. In the past, we have raised money for To Write Love On Her Arms, and I hope over the next year I can make philanthropy and mental health awareness an integral part of The Inspiration Agency. While I have no concrete ideas, my meeting with this other agency owner left me with some really interesting thoughts.
First, refer to your previous months' data not in KPI metrics (key performance indicators) but instead by KMI (key moments of impact). Second, make your business a vehicle of good. Your services don’t have to be aligned with your philanthropic efforts but your perspective on what you’d like to help the world achieve should. Third, clients will love the fact that they are a part of this mission as well.
So now I ask you, how can you shift your mindset towards more philanthropic ventures in your business? What are you passionate about? What difference do you hope to create?
In the News
Does Video Length Matter? Did you know that short videos help your brand go viral but long videos are seen as essential to increase your credibility and share your brand story? As time passes by, videos are becoming much more popular and it is becoming easier for brands to be discovered in this format. Short videos are so powerful because they can share a message in such a short period of time and can be viewed many times over and over. TikTok is a great platform if you are a beginner at making videos and want to ease into the social media realm. If you want to increase your engagement and have a more popular brand, videos are the way to go. How are you incorporating videos within your brand?
Social Commerce Growth. Did you know that the industry of social commerce is predicted to grow up to $1.2 trillion by 2025 and that Gen Z and Millenials will make up 62% of the social commerce consumers worldwide? Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram have already started to sell products directly onto their platforms which makes the buying experience much easier and quicker for the consumer. How do you plan on implementing social commerce into your business?
Investing in Education. Have you heard of the digital advertising firm Aleph Group? This firm is planning on creating a new platform to help educate those interested in digital advertising from all over the world. Twitter has invested with them in hopes that this platform will help different nations grow economically.
Your Weekly Inspiration
Zoe Saldana, an actress and entrepreneur has us feeling inspired this week. Zoe, the owner of Bese, a platform that shares stories of under-represented communities, reminded us how impactful social media can be. With Bese, Saldana allows for communities that have been left without a voice to be represented and for their voices to be shared. There are stories of bravery, passion, and determination that have yet to be shared and Bese is here to tell their stories. With Bese’s social media presence, they always post content filled with inspiration and truth. If you create content with authenticity, your audience will respond in a great way. You never know the impact you make online, so make sure the content you are putting out there uplifts or motivates others.
To have a thriving business, authenticity is essential within the brand. How do you show authenticity?
