Effective Marketing Tools for Non-Profits?
Like most things, anything done alone won’t make as much of an impact as collaborating or diversifying your efforts. Successful nonprofit development professionals must be open-minded, out of the box creative thinkers who embrace both traditional and new digital marketing strategies.
While many nonprofits have started to rely more heavily on digital marketing, traditional marketing such as direct mail is still an important part of a successful marketing strategy, but is no longer the only way to raise awareness or recruit donors. A combination of both the old and new techniques creates an effective campaign that grabs attention and allows you to contact your target audience more than once through various platforms to promote an event or campaign.
Any direct mail campaign MUST get your target market to go to your website for more information, make a donation, or attend an event where you have the opportunity to provide in-depth, updated content. Many nonprofits use postcards with their website, Twitter and Facebook information included on it along with event information.
6 key factors that contribute to successful social marketing and direct mail campaigns:
- The quality of your mailing/e-mailing lists
- The offer you make in your communication must truly move those who read it, whether it’s electronically or hard copy
- The graphic design must be powerful and capture the eyes of the recipients online or in-hand
- The content you use to sell your organization and make your campaign unique must be effective
- The timing of the campaign and execution is key—when it is, how long it lasts and does it support the goal
- The ROE (Return On Exposure) and ROI (Return On Investment) on your time and your supporter’s time
Whether you are a consultant or an in-house employee in development for a nonprofit organization—in order to be successful you MUST be able to recognize how fundraising and marketing have drastically changed and will continue to evolve as social media develops.
This transition is something that development professionals, marketing professionals and nonprofit organizations’ leadership must figure out how to embrace. For those more traditional organizations and/or those who have been established for over 10 years or more seem to have the hardest time with this transition because they have been doing things a certain way for so long.
Some of the more novice nonprofits to the industry are more open and willing to try some of the newer social media and digital marketing tools. For newer nonprofits, it is what they do as a part of their plan because it is what they know, started with and now are able to truly get their supporters to rally around their approach.
What is YOUR plan to stay on top of your Nonprofit Career Game? What are some successful techniques you have used? Please share by making a comment!!!
