This week we are going to cover marketing tactics for non-profits.

What’s up Fish Fans! My name is Marcus. You’re watching Marketing Madness, the Blue Fish vlog!

So a few months ago we did a survey of Executive Directors for non-profits. We asked them the following questions:

What is the #1 thing non-profits struggle with when it comes to marketing?

I told them all aspects of marketing were open for discussion. That included websites, social media, paying for ads, email marketing, etc.

The overwhelming response was, a lack of confidence in their marketing strategy. I am betting that a lot of business owners would also fit into that category. Many nonprofits operate with a small crew that does not include someone with an advertising or sales background, so the lack of confidence makes sense.

So I dove in deeper with a few of the people that responded. I could summarize those discussions with the following:

No time, no money, no knowledge

But I also think Executive Director #3 hit it out of the park when he said:

Non-profits have to have a highly-compelling and disciplined message in order to raise money for their impact.

Regardless of whether you run a business or a non-profit, if you get nothing else from this video then hear this… The most important thing an organization can focus on is creating compelling stories that share their message with their audience. This is above all else. People want to hear stories. When it comes to non-profits they want to hear how you have impacted lives using the money you have been given.

As far as tactics go, the method by which you communicate this needs to be varied. You can do this through video, blog posts, social media updates, and more. You can use any of the same tactics that a business uses. You just need to make sure you are more diligent in storytelling. And while you are telling a story, make sure to ask for a donation or something that helps you solve the problem you outline in the story.

At a high level, if we were creating a strategy in a box for a non-profit, it would look like the following:

  • Have a website that looks good and functions really well on mobile.
  • Make sure it has something that compels the audience to opt-in to an email drip campaign.
  • Create a Facebook page
  • Create content on the website that is compelling and tells your story
  • Post a link to that content on Facebook
  • Repeat ad infinitum
  • Create a drip campaign for your members (6-8 emails)
  • Create a drip campaign for contacts that are not members (6-8 emails)

If you were to just do this, then you have a more mature advertising and marketing process then 90% of all businesses and nonprofits. It will also increase membership and volunteerism. So get started today because the longer you wait the further you are behind.

Well, that’s a wrap for this week! I want to thank you for checking in. Make sure to hit that like button. And if you have any questions or comments leave them down below. If you want to talk about how Blue Fish can help you grow your business just send us a message and we’ll get the conversation started!