5 Tips for Non-Profit Marketing

Non-Profit Organizations face a variety of shortage problems; short on time, short on people, and sometime, even shorter on resources. As well-planned, strategic marketing plan can be the key to getting your message out and getting the help you need.

#1: Tell a story

People are most interested in other people. Find a way to tell the story of the your donors, your organization and the assistance you’re providing. Finding the people angle is key to attracting interest, and everyone has a story to tell! If you’re staff is crunched for time, ask the focus of your story to write it, speak it or tell it themselves, it’ll only make it more personal.

#2: Smart social media

Each platform has advantages, but if you’re not reaching out beyond Facebook, Twitter and Instagram you’re missing out, and if you’re not on these 3 yet, hop to it- Pinterest, Vine, YouTube, and LinkedIn all have some serious benefits to offer. 94% of Pinterest users are women, one of the biggest target markets for Non-Profit Organizations. Use YouTube to add longer videos of event prep, or short interviews with staff, and Vine to make short, fun videos to attract attention from the millennial audience.

#3: Try a podcast

There are only a handful of non-profits who produce podcasts, so this is a great way to get creative and stand out. Podcasts are extremely effective at reaching prospects, donors, and the general public. You can bring in experts, discuss a current article, or have conversations with the community, whatever fits with your audience.

#4: Be clear about your needs

What is the #1 thing you want from your audience? Is it to donate money? Or donate other resources? Do you need them to volunteer their time? Run a program? Whatever it is, be clear about what you need, and how they can help. Focus on just one agenda at a time.

#5: Consistency is key

Whatever outlet you choose, build a consistent schedule and stick to it. No one will keep up with social media, a blog, a podcast, or a web series if regular content isn’t being created. In the crunch for time, free services like Hootsuite can help you manage your time and content, by scheduling tweets to go out for days, weeks, and even months in advance.