To best market your non-profit, learn about your constituents and converse with them through the appropriate media.
communication service image by Julia Britvich from Fotolia.com
It may seem that marketing a non-profit is counter-intuitive, but
company owners must concede that no matter what your business, you are
always competing for support. To make your non-profit successful you
need to develop sound promotional strategies. According to branding
expert Laura Reis, the more powerful a non-profit brand is, the more
money it will raise and the more volunteers it attracts.
Branding
Like any business, philanthropies have no choice but to compete for
supporters’ money. The best way to do so is by creating a strong brand.
According to ARCH, a national resource for respite and crisis care
centers, in order to best market the business your company must identify
its constituents, design programs to suit their needs, measure the
constituents' satisfaction with their programs, and use the results to
fine tune their program. Once your program is clear, you are able to
present your service--your brand--to potential supporters. One way to
strengthen your brand is to develop a slogan. For example, “Building
community deep in the hearts of Texans” is the slogan of
TexasNonprofits.
Publish Your Message
When selling a message or viewpoint, and not simply a product,
communication is a necessity. Every non-profit should have a newsletter
or electronic newsletter (e-mail) according to Community Driven
Institute. By “writing for the general public or for membership
associations or others interested in your work,” in conjunction with
your community distributions, “your written wisdom will not just go to
those who already know you, but to those who do not know you yet.”
Non-profits should attempt everything from starting a blog to publishing
a book or telling your story in as many publications as possible.
Actively writing about your work allows you control over perceptions
about the company and will give supporters a better understanding of
what they are taking part in.
Public Speaking
One great attribute for your non-profit is a spokesperson.
According to Reis, “Ideally, the founder is the best person to take on
this role. He or she has a powerful connection to the brand and can sell
the story to the media, donors, volunteers and supporters.” Many
supporters question how contributions are used. When you provide them
with a person who actively engages with them, answers questions, shares
stories and relates successes, they become immediately involved in who
you are and what you do.
Community Outreach
In the world of community outreach, “consistency is the key to
success,” says Reis. Determine the best programs to suit your mission
and work on those until they are stable and you do them every year.
People appreciate being able to see how their time and money are used;
and it feels good to see the results of your donation continue year
after year. To figure out what programs help your constituents the best,
you must ask them, otherwise what you plan may not appropriately serve
their needs. Once you implement a program, “innovate constantly,”
advises Non Profit Times. Always search for better ways to reach your
goals, and to allow your company to branch out in the future while
continuing programs already in place.
An Online Presence
Online accessibility is an important marketing tactic. Create a web
page for your non-profit and build a social media presence. Put your
cause out there, writes Network for Good, “optimize your search engine
marketing.” Get as many good links to your company’s web page as
possible and “make sure all your online outreach and presences enable
two-way conversation with your supporters, fans and non-fans.”
