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Marketing for non-profit organizations

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Creating a human connection for lasting relationships

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Purpose

To create:

Expectations

Experiences

Fulfilment

Of your brand promise

To build strong Relationships

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“Marketing is the process of planning and executing the conception of ideas, goods, services, organizations and events to create and maintain relationships that will satisfy individual and organzation objectives.”

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Non-profit marketing

  • A process to help non-profits to promote their values, accomplish their mission, and develop supporters. Marketing can help non-profits:
    • Reach their target audiences with messages that motivate them to respond
    • Differentiate them from the crowd and attract the kind of attention, support they need.
    • Focus on communicating what their audiences value
    • Have a greater impact on their communities.

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Realities of non-profit marketing

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  • Marketing is not fundraising but it is essential to it

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  • Good non-profit marketing uses more time than money

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  • Using multiple communication methods to reinforce your message

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  • There is no such thing as “general public”

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  • You need to build your own media empire

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  • Everyone including ‘seniors’ are online

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Listening is key to good marketing

  • Traditionally input has been gained by using surveys and questionnaires
  • Online survey tools are now available.
  • Websites, social media and email responses provide ability to track user behavior and get their input

Two way communication is the foundation to build relationships

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Value of repetition and persistence

  • Strong relationships are built on trust
  • Trust is like / not like a bank account!
  • You need to have numerous contacts to establish trust and gain support

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Marketing plan

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What are you selling to your volunteers?

  • The feeling that they are good people doing good work
  • Affiliation with people who share their values
  • An opportunity to use and develop their talent and skills
  • Feeling appreciated

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What are you selling to your donors?

  • The feeling that they are good people contributing to a good cause
  • Hiring the non-profit to deliver services that they are not able to do directly
  • That their ‘investment’ is providing a good return
  • Feeling appreciated

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Increase supporter engagement

  • Wall flowers – Reach out. Convert to buddies by sharing information and offering helpful information and building trust over time using appropriate media.
  • Buddies – Encourage them. Convert to fans by thanking them personally for what they do and reporting back on the difference they are making
  • Fans – Reward them. Fully engage them in your work and reward them for their support by making them feel part of a team, using personal one –to- one communication.

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More Personal

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Three types of supporters

  • Wallflowers: subscribe to your mailing list but do not volunteer, donate, or advocate for your cause
  • Buddies: Sometimes volunteer, donate money and attend your events if asked
  • Fans: Regularly connect with your cause and spread the word to others. They are your loyal donors, advocates and volunteers.

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Best way to deliver the message : Media

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Top 3 media to deliver your message

  • Without a good website your credibility drops
  • Email marketing, more particularly a email newsletter is key for most non-profits, sent quarterly or monthly is better.
  • Social media has to be used widely to engage and broadcast your activities and build your brand.
  • All of these facilitate two way conversations

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More media to deliver your message ( harder)

  • Events: Workshops, seminars and conferences are good ways to meet your audiences face to face.
  • Print marketing: Has dropped in importance due to cost. Printed newsletters can be designed and sent infrequently.
  • Media coverage whether in print or online, is a good way to acquire new supporters.

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Best message? – Use the right words.

  • You must pack your message with words and images that inspire your audience:
  • Straight, just the fact words with supporting images can work but effective will be use of emotions in stories, profiles of people or client testimonials.
  • Use a friendly conversational tone, using words that your audience find engaging and compelling

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Best message? – Use the right images

  • Photographs can be powerful way of conveying your message
  • Use actual images of your organization’s activities
  • Take photos all the time and use them in your communication both online and offline.

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Best way to deliver the message? – Create multiple conversations

  • Use multiple channels to reinforce your message and increase the chances of your supporters seeing it
  • Make your communications two way – giving your supporters options to provide their ideas and opinions – likes, comments, retweets, reposts etc.
  • Ber persistent – It takes 5-10 interactions to build relationships over a period of time

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Campaign plan

  • Who do you want to reach?
    • Funders
    • Volunteers
    • Clients
  • What is their demographic/geographic profile?

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  • What do they value and what do you offer them?

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  • What things do they have in common as a group?

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  • Why would they support you?

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Audience

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Campaign plan

  • What is your vision and mission? What problem do you solve and for whom?
  • Why do they come to you vis-à-vis the competition?
  • What keywords describe your value proposition?
  • What is the story that describes your impact on the world or your purpose?
  • What words and images can best tell this story?

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Messages

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Campaign plan

  • What is your primary channel to engage your audience?
    • Website
    • Email
    • Social media

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  • What is your subordinate channel to engage your audience?

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  • What media content will you use to tell your story?

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  • What paid promotions will you use?

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Media

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Social media discussion

  • Using social media?
  • Which platforms?
  • Time/week invested?
  • Integrated with overall marketing plan?
  • How measured?

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Why do we need Social media?

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Why do we need social media?

  • Good reasons
    • Tell your story
    • Spark conversation
    • Engage with others
    • Get permission to market

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  • Not so good reasons
    • Ask for money
    • Talk about YOU

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Can social media marketing help you?

  • Is social media right for your organization right now?
    • Do you good website and a newsletter?
    • Where is your target audience?
    • Do you have staff, time and expertise?

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  • Are you ready to use social media effectively?
    • How can social media amplify your marketing?
    • Do you have measurable goals for usage?
    • Do you have the resources to reach those goals?

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Social media plan

  • Have a website/newsletter
  • Select your social media platform
  • Update content regularly
  • Have a persons responsible for social media
  • Allocate time to be spent
  • Establish and monitor measurable goals.

  • Time/week invested?
  • Integrated with overall marketing plan?
  • How measured?

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Best way to deliver messages –�Use powerful stories

  • Stories will work because people will remember them and share
  • You will have stories of how you have changed people’s lives
  • Stories – 500 words, 1-2 minute video
  • End with a clear message

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Be persistent – create a calendar

  • For each social media channel create a calendar:
  • Frequency you will communicate
  • Message and content ideas
  • The intermediary steps – research, first draft etc.

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Build your community of supporters

  • Make it up close and personal
  • Branding – your public reputation
  • Stay in touch with your supporters
  • Attitude of gratitude
  • Increase your supporter’s involvement
  • Use social media

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Make it personal

  • Make it one to one
    • Communicate as an individual
    • Be relevant to the person’s interests
  • Make it genuine
    • Be specific to a situation or result
    • Do it immediately or after an action
  • Know the other person
    • Track the ‘engagement’ behaviour
    • Reach out and introduce yourself
    • Let them get to know you too

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Key elements to build your brand

  • A messaging package
  • A visual brand identity
  • Consistent branding everywhere
  • A plan to communicate the brand
    • Include brand consistent messages on your website, newsletter and social media. Include them in Board, Staff and Volunteer orientations

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Adopt an attitude of gratitude

  • Donors want prompt, meaningful thankyou notes, that explain how the donation will be used.
  • Improve the speed of your response to as soon as you receive it
  • Produce an annual report as a kind of thank you letter by stating your accomplishments, recognizing important people and cultivating new partnerships

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Develop your effectiveness as a non profit marketer

  • Get more done faster and smarter
  • Keep learning
  • Get good help
  • Market on a tight budget

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Get more done faster

  • Follow non-profit organizations who post blogs on best practices
  • Get systematic – keep all your ‘social media assets’ in one place.
  • Avoid social media time sink – set limits on your social media presence
  • Track supporter contact information, donation history etc. with a simple CRM package.

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Use volunteers effectively

  • Use communication channels for the need for volunteers
  • Delegate to volunteers tasks such as writing, design, photography, research, posting etc
  • Empower volunteers by letting them do what they love and thank them profusely for it.
  • Establish clear expectations and monitor how they perform.

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Market with limited funds – KISS principle

  • Focus on your most important target audiences
  • Write hand written notes to your VIP supporters
  • Make calls and send personal emails along with printed mails
  • Do not use long newsletters and reports – keep it short and friendly
  • Make your events casual, personal experiences

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Summary: 5 steps to success

  • Develop a plan defining your audience, messages, media, and goals
  • Create your message – Your vision, say why, use key words
  • Focus on your best media – that fits best, optimized to meet your goals
  • Build relationships with key stakeholders – make it personal and compelling
  • Be persistent – consistently focus on the important areas.

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“Good marketing is an investment. It only becomes and expense when you do not get a return ( or you do not know what that return is)”

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Thanks!

Any questions?

You can find me at:

sundar @ gsb.co.in

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