Digital Activism: Breaking Down Barriers to Outdoor Recreation

If you know anything about Bellingham, Washington, you probably know that it’s full of residents that love the outdoors. I’m no exception, so when I heard that I needed to write a blog about a cause that I cared about, I had no doubt in my mind what topic I should pick.

I first found my love for the outdoors (and marketing!) through the Boy Scouts of America. When I was a member, girls were only allowed in a few select programs, such as Venturing. I witnessed a bit of gender inequality within the organization, but even in the outdoor recreation world in general. I believe that everyone can and should be able to enjoy nature without any fear or uncertainty. One Bellingham nonprofit that is supporting just that is called Shifting Gears. 

Shifting Gears

Shifting Gears’ vision is to create a recreation community that: 

• Is absent of any gender, race, or socio-economic biases

• Redesigns the norms and expectations of who takes up space in the outdoors

• Provides equitable access to underrepresented communities

They’ve made their vision become a reality in a few ways, the most prominent being the inclusive activities that they regularly host. Many events are offered for free or minimal costs, and encourage participants of all genders, abilities, and skill levels to join. A wide variety of interests are covered, ranging from biking to trivia to sexual wellness to watersports! These events are almost always offered in-person and are often in collaboration with local businesses, such as Stones Throw Brewery and Her Connections Hub. 

Shifting Gears further builds a community through their Wild Woman of the Year award. A team selects a nominee that has “overcome barriers and inspired others this past year with their outstanding spirit and drive to thrive.” This encourages the values behind their vision and mission statements to further spread throughout the community. 

Shifting Gears’ Use of Digital Marketing

Shifting Gears has been using multiple digital marketing tools to fulfill their purpose ,one of the more prominent methods being organic social media. They have an Instagram and Facebook where they share information about upcoming events. Personally, I found out about the organization through a Facebook group, so I know that they are occasionally active on those as well. I think that organic social media is the perfect tool for an organization like them to be utilizing, as it is free, accessible to most consumers, and one of the best ways to naturally build community. 

Another digital marketing tool that they currently use is email marketing. Although I haven’t personally signed up yet, I know that they offer a newsletter, likely to highlight upcoming events and news about the organization. 83% of consumers say email is their preferred method of brand communication, so it’s awesome that Shifting Gears is already doing that. Especially since they’re a nonprofit and more than likely asking for donations, using methods that consumers prefer is vital. 

Now that I’ve discussed some of the ways that Shifting Gears has used digital marketing to successfully support their cause, I’m going to talk about a few improvements that I think they could greatly benefit from. 

My Digital Marketing Recommendations for Shifting Gears

My first recommendation for the organization is to partake in some A/B testing. They put out content regularly on their social media which is great, however, I noticed just with a quick glance that there is a big difference in engagement on the different types of posts. Images that were more “lifestyle” themed got more interaction than images that had text overlaid. Since they’re already putting their valuable time and resources towards these posts, they may as well do some testing to ensure that they’re optimizing their efforts. This could also be done with their newsletter and perhaps even bring them some more donations. 

While we’re on the topic of content, I’d like to bring up the idea of content, or inbound, marketing. This is when brands post content that is valuable to the consumer: rather than the brand seeking them, the consumer seeks the brand. For Shifting Gears, this could look like blog posts about the best local hiking trails, videos about the right gear to buy, and infographics about safety precautions. Inbound marketing is valuable for many reasons, including better brand awareness, lower marketing costs, and increased credibility. However, for Shifting Gears, I think that inbound marketing has a special factor that is especially valuable considering their brand values - it’s accessible. Not everyone that could benefit from their organization is capable of attending their events. Whether it be because of time, financial, or other resource limitations, attending an event isn’t possible for all individuals. By offering more low-barrier resources, more people can reap the benefits of this awesome organization. It also could bring more people to events, as content marketing is one of the best ways to bring more potential customers into the awareness stage of the purchase decision funnel. 

One last small recommendation that I have is to update the website to reflect who they are as an organization. Although the design is beautiful and the content is valuable, it is hard to navigate. Their mission and values can be a bit difficult to find, which is disappointing because they provide so much insight that is valuable to potential supporters. An about page would be a worthwhile investment, along with some optimization regarding accessibility. Of course, I think a blog is an excellent idea for them in terms of inbound marketing. 

Overall, the way that Shifting Gears is set up as an organization lends itself greatly to potential benefits of digital marketing. They’re doing an awesome job so far and with some minor improvements, I think that they could grow tremendously both online and as a nonprofit. Thank you for reading and happy changemaking!