Marketing 101 for Nonprofit Organizations
However, more and more nonprofits are finding their missions aren’t reaching the right audiences and the message that is getting out is garbled. The time has come for nonprofits to borrow from the business sector and employ some basic marketing techniques to help further the cause.
A good place to start is with Mission and Message. What is your organization’s mission? Is it clear? Does it truly describe what you do and who you serve? Or, is it confusing or too general? If it is a solid, working mission statement, then your mission should be part of our “brand” – what people think of when they think of your agency.
Next, consider who is your audience or “market?” Do you need to attract clients? Donors? Both? In the for-profit world, this evaluation of market is called considering the “fragmentation” of your market. considering all of the specific facets of your audience in conjunction with your mission will help in establishing the “Message” – what you want people to know about what you do. Different fragments of your market might need to get the message in different ways, or they might need to hear different versions of your message. But you must first identify who makes up your target market.
When it comes to marketing your message, consider the competition and your service delivery area as you decide how to go about sharing your message. I know that “competition” can be viewed as a dirty word in nonprofit circles, but what it really means is to think about how your organization fits into the community as a whole. Are you competing for fundraising dollars? Audience members? Do you share clients or families with other entities? How are people used to being “marketed to?” Do people in your community watch television, read the paper, or get their info off the internet? It might be a mistake if you are trying to attract young clients or participants to direct your public relations efforts into newspaper. Targeting your message distribution to your audience is key – not just in what you tell them, but in HOW you tell them who you are.
The main thing to remember in beginning your marketing efforts is to be Clear, Consistent and Repetitive. Once you’ve identified your target market and your message – keep the message very clear. Create a fact sheet and an “elevator speech” for board members and staff (a script for telling your agency’s story in the time it would take to share an elevator ride with someone) and train people to deliver the same consistent message about your organization. For instance, “We provide education services for homeless youth in Anytown.” or “We believe no one should be hungry and all children should have clean drinking water.” Whatever the message is make it simple and consumable and make sure everyone is delivering the same message.
The most boring part of marketing is repetition. I tell people that just about the time you are getting sick to death of your message, logo, event, letterhead or whatever, that is the time the public is just starting to recognize who you are. So, stick with it. Repetition is a key part of creating a solid basis for public relations.
Once you feel as though you have an understanding of your organization’s mission, message, and market – then you can look into ways to “spread the word.” Start simply. Look at all of the things you are already doing (web site, materials, newsletter, meetings, etc.) and start spreading your message in a clear and consistent manner. You may not have the funding to launch a big public relations campaign, but you can start an organized effort to “market” your operation. Look for opportunities to do radio and television interviews, write op-ed pieces to the newspapers, maybe a “blog” would be a good fit for your message and audience. Whatever it is, develop a written plan and track your efforts. This will give you a good sound start to Marketing 101!
