A Nonprofit Marketing Strategy to Chart Your Organization’s Success

When You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

It’s no secret that a great nonprofit marketing strategy has a direct effect on attracting new sponsors, donors, and reaching more of your ideal clients (or beneficiaries). But, while there’s a lot of information on how to market your nonprofit organization, and even on how to create a marketing plan for your foundation, there’s no easy way to make it suitable to your goals.

All those “how-to’s” plus the handful of canned solutions you stumbled upon in your searches almost never apply to your unique organization.

Where You Are Now, Where You’re Headed Tomorrow

Whether you’re a new nonprofit organization, or you’re established and growing, you’re probably already implementing many marketing tactics. From brochures to social media, and to reaching to your donors via email marketing, the more you do – the more complex your work has become, and the harder it is to see the full picture and how your actions affect the outcomes.

And that’s exactly why you need a nonprofit marketing strategy. We believe this is the best way to know where you’re standing and map the journey ahead.

Why Should You Have a Nonprofit Marketing Strategy?

You may already have a strategy for each aspect of marketing you’re running (SEO, content marketing, PR, etc.), but there are numerous benefits to having an overarching plan for “everything marketing”:

• Achieve that 30,000 foot-view of what’s currently happening in your organization;
• Have a new look (from the outsider’s perspective) at each of the tactics you’re currently implementing; are they still relevant? (A LOT has changed in the past year);
• Is there anything you’re NOT doing marketing-wise… but you should?
• Get all your staff, volunteers, board, vendors, and any other stakeholders on the same page;
• Map out the road ahead for achieving your marketing goals.

Should You Write Your Own Nonprofit Marketing Strategy?

You could try that, but the problem is that you’re so close to the topic, it’s too difficult to see the larger picture. When you’re swimming in the same pond, it’s tough to get perspective. The better way is to write it with an experienced nonprofit marketing consultant, that can contribute a fresh pair of eyes (or several, in the case of an agency like ours) along with their experience and expertise.

A Plan for Serving More of Those Who Need You

Money you spend on marketing and operations is money you’re not spending directly on those you serve. But just like operations are essential for serving those in need, marketing is essential for reaching the right people – whether beneficiaries, donors, sponsors, or volunteers. Having a marketing strategy in place will help you make more informed decisions when it comes to pending your marketing dollars.