An umbrella strategy is crucial to marketing for a new nonprofit – but many organizations lack the time or know-how to set it up the right way. In Part Two of the Miracle Marketing series, we explore why social media is important for nonprofits, how to align your marketing strategy with your organization’s calendar, and how to use evaluation to course-correct your efforts.
Using Social Media for Nonprofits
It’s easy to conflate marketing with simply jumping onto every social media site – but having a thoughtful digital marketing strategy is a must. The first step is to pick your lane! Social media is important for nonprofits, but not every platform is the right one for your organization. And unless you have a large team dedicated to posting across channels, it’s a good idea to choose one or two that are best designed to communicate your mission and the value you bring to your community. Spend time getting to know the various options (what is TikTok, anyway?!), who their primary user is, and what kind of content they’re best for. Want examples? You can read the longer, more detailed version of this blog by joining THE LAUNCHPAD. NPO Centric’s membership program brings regular tips, tricks, and best practices to nonprofit leaders across the country. Join us today for more nonprofit marketing tips!
Your website is valuable real estate.
Digital marketing is more than using social media for nonprofits, however, and your most valuable piece of real estate is – believe it or not – your website. It’s a digital property that you own, which means you aren’t reliant on an ever-changing algorithm to communicate your message. Directing traffic to your website requires a strategy of its own; make sure you’re using your blogs and email marketing strategies to help, as well.
Evergreen Content for Nonprofits
Make sure you’re investing in plenty of evergreen content for your nonprofit. Unlike time-bound content like current volunteer profiles or organizational news, evergreen content can be reused, repurposed, and broken up into smaller, bite-sized pieces for a variety of audiences. Evergreen content for nonprofits can consist of infographics, blog posts, or other resources that get to the heart of what you do. They can inform, educate, and drive action all year long.
Create a Marketing Calendar for Your Nonprofit
The secret to successful marketing strategies for nonprofit organizations is pretty simple – don’t let them exist in a vacuum! Nonprofit marketing goes beyond any single factor – it’s not just digital, for example, or advertising around your biggest annual event. Your marketing should effectively communicate the good you do and bring value to both your supporters and your organization around the clock. To be effective, you need a strategy that aligns and connects across a variety of channels. Creating a marketing calendar that works in tandem with your organizational calendar is the way to do it. Think about your goals for the year. How do they shape up over quarters? Months? Weeks? How can your marketing grow along that same path and help you reach those goals?
Evaluating Your Nonprofit Marketing Strategy
Evaluation is crucial to the success of your marketing efforts and can help you determine where to focus, moving forward. Beware of social media “vanity metrics” like follower count that look flashy on the surface but do little to move you toward your goals. The numbers you’ll want to pay attention to will depend on your objectives at any given time – for example, if you’re looking to build your nonprofit email list, you’ll want to pay attention to your click-through rate or conversions on social media posts. “Likes” don’t translate to new email subscribers!
Set yourself up for success.
Marketing for your new nonprofit can seem like biting off a lot to chew – using the steps in this guide will help you lay the foundation for a successful strategy that can open up a world of possibility for your organization. But you don’t have to go it alone! Professionals do exist, and they don’t always come with the price tag of a big firm. Many freelancers and small marketing businesses specialize in helping nonprofits create and maintain their marketing strategy. Whatever you choose, don’t forget to regularly check in with your goals, evaluate your progress, and celebrate those wins! 🎉
