Cause Marketing: Join the Movement

The images of the aftermath in Nepal made everybody stand up and take notice. From Twitter, to Facebook, to the business down the street, everybody stood up to do their part. Did it make you think about lending a hand?

Are you willing to do what it takes to make the world a better place? You might be surprised to find out how interested your customers are in that question. This is the new age of social responsibility. This is the time to think more about how you can leverage cause marketing — for both the good of the cause and your business.

Cause marketing is increasingly an important part of corporate strategies today. According to the IEG Sponsorship report, corporate cause sponsorship is expected to grow 3.7 percent, to $1.92 billion, in 2015.

Support the arts. Your local school. The Humane Society. There are scores of opportunities for you to make your presence felt. With careful planning and execution, you could create a campaign that can grab your customers' attention.

Look at it this way. Ashley McMurray, digital marketing and design specialist for InSite Media, says there's a strong connection between entrepreneurship and giving. McMurray says the challenge is to make your socially responsible efforts a winning proposition for the nonprofit group you support, the community and your business. You can find her five-step plan here.

More than anything else, today's consumers want to feel like the brands they support and the companies they do business with stand for something.

It's time to join the movement of social consciousness. As they say, if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything.