Marketing for Nonprofits Panel: 6 Big Ah-Ha Moments
This week’s Clubhouse panel did not disappoint! I shared the virtual stage with Emily Callahan from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Megan Denton from L'Arche Atlanta, Phil Yagoda from Ian’s Friends Foundation, Dave French from Memphis Brand, and Hayley Berlent from The Additive Agency.
The conversation ranged from all things nonprofit “pivots 2020,” branding, messaging, storytelling, social media, TikTok, and of course… fundraising. A marketing conversation always leads to a fundraising conversation. The two are so very intertwined. So, let’s recap my biggest ah-ha moments:
Get Social Buy-In from your community online. What does that mean and how do you do it? It means it’s crafting a two-way conversation on social media instead of your organization just talking AT people. Megan Denton, the Development and Communications Director for L’Arche Atlanta recounted a wildly successful “lip sync battle” that her audience loved. Everyone within the L’Arche community had so much fun in this social campaign… that the engagement was through the roof! Ask yourself, what does your audience want to participate/share/engage with online. Bonus points for doing something fresh and new like Megan did.
Figure out WHO your audience is first and WHERE they are hanging out… then optimize for that. Meaning, who is your target follower or donor? Are they on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin? Once you’ve uncovered those key elements, you can tailor content they WANT most.
Analytics and tracking matter. Get nerdy on the data. This one isn’t so sexy, but it’s true. LOOK at your data… what are your email open rates? What about google analytics, link clicks, donor retention? There’s so much wisdom in the data and it can be your beacon for what to double-down on doing and what to stop doing.
Be open and willing to explore new tech and tools. This one resonates with me big time. You don’t have to keep using old technology to fundraise… and you also don’t need to keep posting random one-off posts on facebook and instagram… stop it! Start planning and scheduling your social content in advance. I’m a huge fan of Later for scheduling and it’s free.
Why aren’t you using video? Video is such an easy way to have an instant connection and build that like-know-trust factor quickly online. You can do a short 15 or 30 second video and have huge traction… and shake things up, content wise. Video doesn’t have to be polished or highly produced. It can be authentic, fun, or even a behind-the-scenes. What are you working on? What program is happening? What cool story of impact can you share? Now… go do it on video!
Storytelling is your marketing superpower. No one can tell a better story than nonprofits. You have a built-in story that people want to hear! Whether it’s a story of impact, sharing your unique perspective, telling a bit about your Founder’s “why,” there are so many different stories that people absolutely want to know. When you tell those stories effectively (and consistently) you begin to cultivate longterm relationships with supporters, donors, and followers.
So, with that, I’ll give you a nudge to pick one or two ah-ha moments from the list above and get to work! Later this month, I’m teaching a live training to that is a perfect way to take these concepts deeper. Click on the graphic below to sign up!
