‘Tis The Season For Cause Marketing

If you haven't attended a workshop lately (they're free), take a peek at the workshop calendar to see what's in store for the current month. If you're too busy listing and bidding to attend a live session, check out the archives for some great late-night reading. Okay, don't list that novel just yet, but do give some thought to reading past workshops. They're great reference material and can be accessed 24/7.  Plus, there is no note taking or tests!

Here's a great example of a not-to-be-missed workshop from the archives.

Recently, Jennifer Ibarra of eBay Giving Works  and Ashley Gatewood from MissionFish, the non-profit organization that administers the eBay Giving Works program taught members how listing items with eBay Giving Works  to support a charitable cause can help their businesses stand out from the crowd this season!

Cause marketing is one of the most important and powerful marketing tools in existence today. It is the partnership between for-profits and not-for-profits that help both organizations elevate awareness and revenues. So why are companies doing this? A number of recent studies have documented that consumers carefully consider a company's reputation when making purchasing decisions and that a company's community involvement boosts employee morale and loyalty.

"Can you see the similar benefits to your business from incorporating cause marketing into your own business?" asked Jennifer Ibarra while co-hosting the ‘Tis The Season For Cause Marketing workshop. "Many sellers have already started dabbling in cause marketing by using eBay Giving Works and we've heard about some of the positive results they've seen - including more bids, higher ASPs (Average Sale Price), and higher sell-through rates."

Special guest and Community Hall of Fame award winner africadirect, a PowerSeller with over 13,000 Feedback, shared her cause-marketing success with workshop attendees. "I list at least 20 auctions a day for eBay Giving Works, and cause marketing is a big part of the way I position my business on eBay." Jennifer suggested that members think about using cause marketing while listing items that are more likely to be "giftable" during the holiday season, and "...with the eBay Giving Works feature to boot, will be even more irresistible to buyers."

Member fragranceforacause wanted to know how buyers are driven to cause marketing auctions. Ashley, from MissionFish, outlined the various areas of the eBay Giving Works hub page like the large graphics on the right side that let shoppers know about the various Spotlight on a Cause events happening. Additionally, non-profits often drive their constituents to shop for listings that benefit them. "For instance, the American Red Cross sent out an email this year letting constituents know they could shop for Father's Day gifts on their MissionFish nonprofit homepage."

At the end of the Q&A part of the workshop, africadirect shared the following, "Thanks for this program. It's my favorite part of eBay."