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This story is part of our February 2022 print issue. To subscribe, click here.

Giving back is one of the best marketing tools I have learned in my time as CEO of Uptown Studios. Donating your time — and your team’s time — can do a lot to build a strong community. One way to do that is to show up at events and give your time (and money) to nonprofits and community activities that help build our fair city. 

Sharing your team’s volunteerism has a way of benefiting not only the cause, but your business goals, too. Don’t say yes to just anything — you will be happier if it is something you feel good about doing. You will be willing to do all the work with a smile, and reap the rewards of donating to a greater cause when you are done. Once you identify the right cause for you and your team, start promoting the good you are doing. 

“Show the Love” became our marketing model to build our reputation and develop relationships with like-minded people and companies. You have your whole marketing team in your pocket these days — all you need to do is bring out your phone, snap a few photos of you and your team in action, then get those posted to your social media channels. By sharing what you are doing, you are building opportunities for others to feel that warm glow of doing something good for others. 

Here are three easy steps for building your own reputation and becoming an active participant in your city, county and state:

1. Have fun

Whenever you donate time, make sure you invest it in something that you are passionate about. Find events and nonprofits that relate to something you find interesting or fun. If you already care about a nonprofit and the people or animals they serve, your experience will be more special and rewarding. And if you are having fun, it will show in your posts. People can tell when you are enjoying the work you do and the time you donate.

2. Show the love

Consider creating marketing campaigns to include a “show the love” moment. If you are showing up for something and donating your time, make it fun for you and your team, and show that you care by inviting your friends and followers to do the same. It is a magical moment when you share that you are donating time, and your followers will want to join you. This is the moment that is rewarding for you and beneficial to the nonprofit. By sharing the experience, you encourage the outreach to continue building. 

3. Record it

Take photos of yourself donating your time and write about it in your business blog or an article on LinkedIn. This is the way leadership begins — you start and others will follow. When you talk about the good you are doing, you encourage others to join in and have fun with you.

“People will remember the good you invested, and you will also build your connections, resources and your own reputation.” 

Tina Reynolds, CEO, Uptown Studios

People will remember the good you invested, and you will also build your connections, resources and your own reputation.

How to promote your good deeds:

One way to highlight your good deeds is to dedicate attention to it within your social media and content strategy. Breaking up your social media content into thirds can help ensure you have a place for all your various news and topics, including your company’s philanthropic efforts. One category, for example, could highlight your organization’s work (web, video, graphics etc.), the second could include updates about your industry (white papers that talk about new technology, data etc.) and third could be a more broad category: “just because.” This is where you can talk about cool things happening in your area, events you want to help promote, nonprofits that are doing some special things for your community, and more. The last category is probably the most interesting for your followers — not only about business but really great things in which to get involved. We’ve found success in hosting a weekly video where we interview cool and interesting people in Sacramento and promote their good work.

Start building goodwill in 2022.

Tina Reynolds opened Uptown Studios, a visual communications firm in Sacramento specializing in graphic design, website design, video production, social media and marketing, in 1992. Online at tina@uptownstudios.net and on Twitter @UptownTina.

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