It doesn’t matter how great your mission is—if nobody knows about your organization, they won’t be knocking on your virtual door to donate or volunteer! That’s where marketing comes in. Nonprofit marketing promotes your organization and your core messaging. It helps you raise funds. It encourages people to join your organization to volunteer and truly drive change!
As a rule of thumb, organizations should allocate between 5 and 15 percent of their budget to marketing. Then the question is… how should that budget be used? Organizations should implement a variety of marketing tactics to create an effective marketing mix. Ready to set yourself up for success? Check out how you can get the most out of each nonprofit marketing tactic.
Email marketing
The Why: If you’re looking to get your bang for your buck, email marketing is one of the most cost-effective marketing tools. For every $1 you spend on email marketing, you can expect an average return of $36.
Putting It Into Action: It starts with a welcome email to the organization. Don’t forget a thank you follow up after you get a donation! And then there are emails that simply promote the stories happening because of your organization. Get more nonprofit email marketing ideas.
Pssst— At Firespring, we’ve made powerful email marketing easy for nonprofits like yours. Let us help you. Together, we make a pretty great team!
Print marketing
The Why: And now for something different. Before there was digital marketing, there was print! And after all of these years, print is still around to provide a sensory experience for your recipients. When integrated with digital marketing efforts, it can be a show-stopper that fits into your larger puzzle. Use it to stand out from the crowd!
Putting It Into Action: Think of sending promotional items branded with your organization’s logo. Send appeal letters via mail along with your email campaign. Not all newsletters have to be online! Send one via the mail and make it stand out in the mailbox. Plus, print can be a great tactic to develop signage for you and your supporters to publicly display love for your mission.
Digital marketing
The Why: Digital marketing is cost effective, measurable and can be targeted to specific audiences outside of your current lists who may already have an interest in your cause. Plus, digital marketing has flexibility that other tactics may not have. You can reach people at the start of their journey and make changes as you go depending on your performance, ultimately improving your conversion rate.
Putting It Into Action: Optimize your search engine rankings with search engine optimization (SEO). Utilize paid advertising with search engines by using search engine marketing (SEM). Take a social media approach to your marketing and reach your audience on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Tik Tok… the list goes on.
Content marketing
The Why: Content marketing shows that you’re an expert in your field and that you educate your audience. It establishes your organization as a thought leader. Content marketing not only educates your audience, but it also arms them with helpful information to share with family and friends. Spread the word about your organization far and wide!
Putting It Into Action: When you think of content marketing, blog posts may be the first thing that comes to mind. Blog posts are an effective way to share longer-form information with your audience. However, content marketing doesn’t stop there. It can also mean video success stories, ebooks, webinars, white papers and any other form of content you can think of.
Event marketing
The Why: Most nonprofit organizations are familiar with the world of event marketing. It helps you make new connections and strengthen existing bonds, helps increase brand awareness, grows your revenue, creates buzz and capitalizes on word of mouth. Did we mention all of that can happen along with having fun and spreading good vibes? It’s a winning strategy.
Putting It Into Action: You’re no stranger to events that raise awareness and raise funds. But if you’re looking for some fresh ideas, take a look at these blog articles for spring, summer and fall fundraising ideas.
Put your marketing into action
If you’re ready to find out what marketing tactics would make the most sense for your organization, consider reaching out to Kiersten Hill, our nonprofit marketing strategist who will provide campaign recommendations designed to help your organization accomplish its mission.
