Marketing is a fundamental part of running a successful business. And it is just as crucial for a nonprofit organization so that you reach the right audience and establish a good potential rapport with donors.
If you’re new to the world of nonprofits, or less experienced with marketing, you may need a few pointers. But with these 5 top marketing tips for your nonprofit organization, you’ll be on the right path to marketing and fundraising excellence.
Get The Right Credentials
There are many reasons why an MSW is important in social work. It will give you a higher status and air of authority, which means more influence in the public sphere.
But it’s also going to further your NPO’s marketing if you can state that you’re a qualified social worker. A social work degree establishes trust and confidence in your abilities from the start.
The same goes for your marketing team. Do they have any marketing experience? If not, they benefit from a short course or a mentorship program. This will help them professionally, as well as give your NPO a competitive edge.
Build A Brand
A nonprofit organization is still a brand. And to make your brand instantly recognizable, you need to work at it. Decide on what you want your brand to be, and what it should stand for.
Speak to a brand and image consultant about how you can introduce it to potential donors. Or hire a brand ambassador to help with promoting your specific brand on social media. But be sure that they represent your NPO’s core values in the other work that they do online.
Who you align your brand with can make or break your marketing efforts. Don’t let your need for marketing outweigh your common sense. A positive association that takes time to create, will stand you in better stead than a quickly formed negative one.
Create A Marketing & Fundraising Strategy
There are some tried-and-trusted, powerful fundraising strategies for non-profit organizations. But the most effective are those in evergrowing the digital world.
Online marketing campaigns, social media platforms, and online fundraising drives that allow people to pledge their support are the most effective. In a world obsessed with social media and online interaction, choose the digital platforms that resonate most with your target audience.
But having an online presence with ads, videos, blog posts or other content is only going to make an impact with the right SEO. Optimize your content to perform better online so that you can reach more people and attract more interest in your cause.
Learn From Your Peers’ Successes
Which niche of nonprofit or charitable work are you in? Look at your peers in this same category. What has been working for them? What hasn’t? Chances are, if a particular marketing strategy worked for a similar cause, it may work for you too.
But always strive to retain an element of novelty. Be inspired, but never duplicate. Merely take inspiration from their marketing technique, and look for creative ways to make it your own. Another great idea for maximizing your marketing reach is to partner with like-minded and complementary organizations.
This will also allow you to pool your creative abilities, to achieve a bigger goal for all of you. But it will depend on your niche and what you aim to achieve.
For example, a society that works towards providing guide dogs to the blind could partner with an animal rights association. An organization that seeks to empower women, could partner with a women’s group that educates people about gender-based violence. When you focus on teamwork, the possibilities are endless.
Use Diverse Online Marketing Platforms
One of the expert tips when organizing a nonprofit is to diversify your fundraising efforts. That entails diversifying your marketing efforts, too. That means creating different marketing strategies for different platforms.
Do you want to reach a younger audience? Tiktok or Instagram may be the best way to do that, as it is very popular among the youth. Shorter, edgier ad campaigns and pictographs would best be united to this platform.
Are you appealing to a broader audience or an older one? YouTube videos that demonstrate your case may be suitable for this group.
Perhaps you wish to engage corporate professionals more than the average person. Then having a more professional online presence is called for. You don’t have to target only one demographic. But tailor your marketing to suit each one or you risk missing the mark.
Don’t Forget The Power Of The Word Of Mouth
Although online marketing is the way of the future, don’t forget the marketing heroes of the past. Word-of-mouth advertising is still a powerful tool to include in any marketing strategy.
Give interested parties and visitors to your website or social media pages the opportunity to spread the word. Offer an incentive for sharing the news of our cause with others. Invite them to become a part of your fundraising efforts.
This incentive does not have to be financial. It could be a mention of their name on your site, or a chance to win merchandise promoting your cause. Offer a free membership to your nonprofit’s publication, if you have one. There are many ways to engage people to stimulate word-of-mouth advertising.
Encourage Interaction
Some of the most successful marketing campaigns are those that encourage participation and interaction. Invite users of your social media pages to upload images or videos of related content. Allow donors to promote themselves on your page. Or gamify the content on your online channels.
This will make your audience feel that they are a part of your organization. You will be more relatable, and more engaging. And this is what’s needed to stimulate donations of funds, goods, or services to your cause. This will be particularly successful with a younger audience, who craves recognition for their interest.
The key to engaging Generation Z is having interesting video content. The important thing to remember is that any contributions to your digital content need to be screened before allowing uploads. This will filter out any adverse publicity which your NPO needs to avoid.
