Water.org – A Sample of Effective Publicity (Nicole Wilken)

Water.org is a great example of how an initiative is publicized. Here are some aspects of the website that are really effective:

1) A clear understanding and communication of the issues on an socioeconomic level – this allows organizations to better understand how a solution could be implemented and received by the people in the specific regions

2) Accessibility to people already interested in the issue and people who have never heard of it – a combination of statistics, personal stories, and relevant news; recognizing that there are a lot of ways to get involved

3) Use of infographics - a huge trend in non-profit marketing (see this article by Community Organizer 2.0 for more information)

4) Emphasis on education – the most effective philanthropists are the people who remain invested in the issues and educated about the efforts to solve them

5) “Donate Your Voice” – the realization that word of mouth is as important as financial support

6) Emphasis on sustainable solutions – such as community involvement and microfinance

7) List of references – builds credibility for the organization and allows the viewers of the website to understand the context of the issue and what is being done about it