2026 is great year to be in the Social Enterprise business. With the current economic and political situation, consumers are seeking more meaningful and responsible ways of shopping and accessing services. This is where social enterprises come in –our heroes against the system.

Nothing screams responsible consumerism like supporting businesses dedicated to giving back to society. But then there are 10 million social enterprises globally, all dedicated to making a difference before making a profit. So how do you get your products or services out there? How do you distinguish them from the rest and secure a position in the global market?

One word: Ecommerce.

These days, most people are online, and so should your social enterprise. However, figuring out how to successfully navigate the internet as a social enterprise may seem complex. Do you establish yourself as a business? A Non-profit? How do you balance making an income with making a difference?

This guide is here to help. These strategies will enable you to effectively market and sell your products and services while still communicating your commitment to social impact.

Importance of having Ecommerce platforms and a strong online presence as a social enterprise 

• Wider market reach: social media advertising and marketing are at an all-time high, with more people having access to at least one social media platform. Being online provides your business with the opportunity to reach potential customers from anywhere across the world and you won’t have to be overly reliant on your local customer base. Granted you will have to be more competitive, it is a good shot at upping your businesses income level.

• Cost-effectiveness: Establishing an online business is the best way to minimize startup costs. Having a social media storefront or an Ecommerce site is a great cost-effective alternative when you cannot afford to operate from a physical store or location.

• Brand awareness: People need to know you. Having some kind of internet presence allows people to learn about your mission, beneficiaries and product or service. Being present online is the most effective way to spread the word about your cause and connect with your target customers.

• Advocacy: In recent years the internet has become a powerful tool for mobilizing support from funders and volunteers who share a common passion for your cause. Likewise it is an easier way of forming opinion leaders who play a vital role in further spreading awareness around your social enterprise’s mission.

It is important to note that setting up social media accounts and a website is just the beginning; it doesn't mean that you have established a fully functional E-commerce platform or effective online presence.

Discussions around how to successfully do this often center on basics– content marketing, advertising, SEO, SEM and all that good stuff. Yet, even before implementing these, there are essential strategies that play a pivotal role in setting you up for success, particularly for social enterprises and non-profits that shouldn't operate their digital space like traditional businesses.

These strategies lay the groundwork for your success.

1.Your website strategy

Some social enterprises acquire their funds solely from their income generating activities, while others also require funding. If your organizations falls into the first category, setting up your Ecommerce site and web presence is fairly direct. 

For those who fall into the second category, it is a bit more complex. The key is to prioritize optimizing your website to attract donors and other supporters such as volunteers. Basically, your website should serve as the platform you use to showcase your efforts and impact as well as legitimize your cause.

While social media is a powerful platform, it’s mostly optimized for short, entertaining content designed to attract attention and provoke engagement.

This means that it is not always ideal for showcasing your impact to funders and supporters which is best communicated through detailed long form content. In this regard, your website is best.

Through pages dedicated to your blog, mission/ vision statement, projects and impact to your beneficiaries, you can successfully align supporters to your cause and organizations. Moreover, all parties interested in your cause, including donors, corporate partners, volunteers, journalist, scholars and other key stakeholders, are likely to seek detailed information about you through your website.

Best practices

• Market the societal value of your product or service rather than just the product or service itself. Highlight how your profits benefit your beneficiaries or the wider community, or how your business does not harm society but rather contributes.

• Register your enterprise on popular business listing websites, online and local directories, review sites, industry specific-forums and communities to establish a foolproof online presence.

• Prioritize advocacy and fundraising content to effectively communicate the value and impact of what you offer. This applies even to social enterprises focused on income generation.

• Do not forget about product marketing. Apart from using SEO and SEM strategies, ensure your website has excellent, user friendly product or services pages with great descriptions. Finding a balance between advocacy and impact-based content with product visibility is what will drive your sales.

2.Your social media strategy

Having a concrete social media strategy is still a very important part of your overall online strategy. Due to the nature of social media, it serves as a powerful business tool best for marketing and selling your products.

This is the platform you should use to showcase your product and services. However, it is not just about the aesthetics or putting out well edited content. Strategy still plays a big part in how you succeed.

You need to tailor your social media strategy to your desired conversion. For example, if your goal is to generate leads, focus on creating engaging and impactful content that encourages people to fill out a form or visit your website. Preferably in formats that conform to the requirements of your chosen social media apps and audience.

If your aim is to boost sales, target customers with product-oriented content. It is much easier to market a product and a service that is tied to a social cause. That is why major companies like Adidas, Nike and Google try to associate their products with some kind of social impact. Because they understand that this is the Holy grail of marketing!

As a social enterprise, you automatically have an advantage in this regard because your product or service already comes associated with a proven social cause.

Milk this! Use story telling techniques to create social media optimized content that highlights how your offerings contribute value to society, who benefits and why people should care and choose you over large corporations.

Your marketing should focus on inspiring support for your cause and the kind of action you want your audience to take when it comes to your business goals. It might sound manipulative, however, it only becomes so if your product or service lacks genuine value to your customers.

There is a very thin but crucial line between your product being a great innovation meant to serve a community and a product being used to solicit handouts. With the latter, even marketing cannot salvage sales.

3. Your Glocal Strategy

Social enterprises that are trying to expand beyond local borders usually struggle with finding the right balance in catering to both their local and international audiences. They end up swinging between extreme localization–which limits international reach, and complete globalization–which alienates their local audiences.

The best way to address this is by adopting a glocal branding and marketing approach, which was discussed in this 2020 study by Benmamoun, Alhor and colleagues. They explain that this approach is best when you are seeking a culturally adjusted online presence, be it on your website or social media.

This research showed that a glocalized approach is more effective than a solely local or global strategy when it comes to perceived usefulness, effectiveness, and encouraging positive attitudes and purchase intentions among customers.

Meaning that if you want your social enterprise to succeed internationally, you have to tailor your online presence to align with the cultural preferences and values of each targeted country's customer base.

What does this actually look like?