Giving back is good for business
Caring about your community is part of being a good business leader. Yet there are shifts in how independent agencies are engaging.
In recent years, nearly universal participation rates among agencies for donating and volunteering have dropped. With increased workloads and pressure on the bottom line, donations or sponsorship may be an easier way to give back, while finding time to volunteer is deprioritized. And agencies continue to share that they’re reluctant to promote their philanthropy to avoid the perception of bragging or pestering their clients, despite a majority reporting that their contributions bring in new business.
Altruism, rather than ROI, is the main driver for agency giving programs. But when everything else is the same among your competitors – price, service, digital experience – giving back can set your agency apart. Acts of volunteering, donating, fundraising or sponsoring can be small, but they leave a lasting positive impression on consumers and employees. They enable agencies to reach new audiences in tangible ways they can see and feel – building trust with prospects and loyalty with customers. Giving back also can strengthen company culture to retain and recruit employees. It is low-cost, requires minimal technical skill, and you dictate the resources committed.
Taking stock of the benefits of community engagement can help an agency reframe why they give and how they allocate resources. Explore why it can be a low-lift, high-reward endeavor.
Customers increasingly place their business where they see their values reflected.
When consumers see their own values reflected in a company’s operations, it creates an immediate, positive perception of that business. That can prompt a halo effect that extends to your products and services, which can influence where consumers want to place their business.
Identify your values
Show vs tell
Reinforce with your audience
Employees value giving back more than you think
Giving back is increasingly important to consumers, but it is also a significant factor for employees looking to join or leave an independent agency. Because nearly 90% of agents say their workload has increased, and more than 50% report feeling burned out, this might prompt some agencies to ditch their charitable activities to devote more time to tasks. A better approach is for agencies to think about the most impactful work, then prioritize how it gets done.
Agents tell us that they want more time to focus on what matters, which includes reducing menial work and investing in technology to automate or simplify tasks. But it also means carving out time to focus on work that has purpose and generates value. Setting aside even 1-2 times a year to volunteer can build team culture, strengthen connections among colleagues, and create meaningful, memorable experiences.
Making agents part of the process – like deciding where to donate or captaining a volunteer day – can improve team morale and help employees grow new skills like project management and relationship development. These factors can reduce employee turnover and make your agency a top destination for applicants.
Giving back offers easy touchpoints to drive awareness and new business
Content about products and services can look similar from agency to agency. Your secret weapons are your values and your people. Customers want to hear about them! And giving back presents numerous opportunities to showcase what matters to your company and your employees’ personalities.
Rather than thinking of publicizing giving as self-congratulatory (push message), agencies can reframe it attracting more people to the cause (pull message). Consistently sharing photos, fundraising links or volunteer opportunities across social, email, and other channels makes it easy for your community to feel involved and feel good.
You don’t need to generate new activities every week. Ten minutes of time snapping photos of employees collecting food bank donations at your annual golf tournament sets you up for content all year long. AI tools can generate social captions for Employee Appreciation Day, the food bank’s gala, the holidays, and next year’s tournament. Those recurring touchpoints remind customers why they keep their business with your agency.
Now that you understand why independent agencies should share about giving back, how do you get started?