| |
| |
|
Marketing Information |
|
|
|
Non-Profit Success Requires Ongoing Marketing
In a crowded marketplace of ideas, it is important for non-profit organizations to establish a well-defined niche. While most non-profits are not selling products, they are selling their organization's mission, their ideas, their programs, and their services. In a world where everyone is inundated with information, a strong image is the key to community awareness. Developing and maintaining a visible and credible identity through marketing will increase local support for your organization. Many non-profit organizations believe their programs will sell themselves based on their inherent worth. They operate with the assumption that support and recognition will automatically come to a good cause. Unfortunately, this is a false premise. Even the best of programs will fade into obscurity unless non-profit management intentionally makes other groups, associations, businesses, and individuals aware of their mission and continuously maintains that level of awareness. Communication builds understanding and initiates action. It is essential that non-profit management define their intended audiences, target their messages to these groups, and outline strategic plans that will best use limited resources to meet organizational goals and objectives. Leaders must also take steps to ensure that marketing strategies are carried out consistently and persistently, constantly in alignment with the organization's mission. How many people in your community are alert to the good work of your organization? Effective communication and a consistent image also enhance the ability of non-profit organizations to raise money. If local community members do not have an awareness of the good work that a non-profit does, it is unlikely that they will contribute to a fund raising campaign. In turn, if private foundations do not see financial support at the local level, they may be less inclined to award grants. Foundations also look at grant proposals to see how an organization plans to communicate the results of their program. Marketing is an on-going, cumulative strategy that can build financial partnerships. Regardless of an organization's size or mission, here are some essential elements of successful marketing that will work to build community awareness and support: 1. Identify your target audiences: Define the groups that your organization wants to reach. A target audience is NOT everyone in your community! Begin to characterize the demographics of your donors, community leaders and other supporters, and your volunteer base. Focus on methods to reach these groups. 2. Maintain consistent communication: Plan your communications strategy for the next year. Develop a timeline for press releases, newsletters, special events, and other marketing efforts. Develop tangible goals and assign responsibilities to staff, board members, and volunteers. 3. Create a visual identity: Communicate visually as well as verbally. Always display your organization's name and logo on newsletters, reports, signs, and brochures. A memorable, well-designed visual image will strengthen awareness of your organization. Don't be afraid to invest money to make your materials look professional. Your supporters want to see materials that show your organization is responsible, trustworthy, and credible. 4. Use message repetition and variation: An audience is more likely to remember a message if is reiterated in different types of communication. For example, print your mission statement in a brochure, write it in a PSA, and tell it to a news reporter. Slogans are a way to effectively capture the essence of a message in brief and memorable form. 5. Employ multiple communications tactics: Nonprofit organizations often target several audiences, which may respond to different approaches. Various communications campaigns can help establish and maintain a more widespread positive image. 6. Select and use appropriate media: Plan to use a combination of approaches best suited to reaching your targeted audiences and that make best use of your financial resources. Include a variety of methods including phone calls, letters, e-mail, newsletters, PSAs, press releases, and editorials. 7. Develop a strong, well-known identity over time: Building visibility and awareness is a gradual process. Be patient, persistent, and consistent. Reinforce your mission in a variety of ways. 8. Tell the story of your mission: In your communications, let your supporters, donors, and community members know about your good works. In newsletters, press releases, and on your website, tell about who you have helped or what action you have made happen. Spell out the ways in which donations have directly supported your mission. This will reinforce your message and help forge a stronger relationship between your target audiences and your efforts. Wendy Gray Maynard is the co-owner of Kinesis. Kinesis specializes in marketing, graphic design, and business writing. You can visit her blog at http://www.wendy.kinesisinc.com. Want more information, go to http://www.kinesisinc.com for more articles and free marketing wisdom. Want to harness the power of kinetic marketing? Sign up for Kinesis Quickies, a free bi-monthly marketing e-newsletter: http://www.news.kinesisinc.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Marketing - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Getting Paid to Promote Yourself We all know we can pay a magazine or a newspaper to run ads for us. Businesses do it all the time. Trigger Button Marketing Sometimes, experiencing bleak sales is a matter of failing to find your prospective customers' trigger buttons.By trigger buttons, we mean anything that the customer would find of peculiar value. Maximizing Your Yellow Page Investment Yellow Page users are the hottest of all prospects - someone who has made the decision to buy, and now is looking for a place to do it. Does your ad convince them that your business is that place?It doesn't have to be the biggest, although that can certainly help. Why Surveying Matters What is the single most important thing you can do as a business owner? That is a question that this week I think I have found an answer to. The answer? Keep your ear to the marketplace by listening to your customers. Your Company Need More Marketing? Or Just Better Marketing? Many sales problems can be solved by improved marketing. Selling harder is often not the solution. 4 Ways to Get a Prospects Attention Fast Can you remember the last dozen advertising messages beamed at you today? Can you remember even one of them? Most people can't.This illustrates a major obstacle you need to overcome before you can successfully promote your product or service. Target Marketing: The Bell Curve Finally, Something You Learned In Math Class Makes Sense In Real Life.Okay, here's the day you've been waiting for since 9th grade: today's the day you're going to find out what some of that funky stuff you learned in math class has to do with anything. Census Data Mapping for Small Business When studying the demographics of an area for a business venture or expansion you need to not only understand all the data, but what it means to your individual business model. Census data and Census projection charting for MSDA's has become very accurate over the years. A Common - Yet Easily Avoidable - Marketing Mistake December is a month in which many organizations make plans for the coming year. Now is a great time for you to look at your marketing systems for attracting and retaining customers. 3 High-Impact Fixes For Your Marketing Woes How many times has your competitor gotten one over on you? The feeling of being left behind just eats away, until you do something about. The problem is that we often feel that we've got to come up with some grand plan in order to get our business skyrocketing again. Creating Your Unique Selling Proposition or USP Creating Your Unique Selling Proposition"Don't tell them what you do. Tell them what you do for them. How To Use The Og In All Of Us To Make More Money 5000 B.C. Your Marketing Message Your message is first among your weapons in the battle of perceptions.Your message allows you to accomplish many things. The X Factor So you've invested more time than you ever believed possible on your website and in optimizing the pages for the search engines. Having sacrificed weekends and holidays, you've ensured that your site ranks in the Top 10. Marketing Quandaries Being in a quandary prevents you from moving forward in developing and marketing your business. When we're in a quandary, we are in a state of perplexity and doubt. How To Go From Under Dog to Top Dog by Unleashing The Power Of a Postcard The Tale of Two Dentists.. Words that Sell We all know the English language contains hundreds of thousands of words. But did you know that only 21 of them can easily sell your clients? Yes! It's true. Hello, My Name Is . . . What Your Name Tag Says About You When you attend networking functions, what kind of name tag do you wear? One of those sticky things you scrawled your name on, or something a bit more sophisticated? For just a few cents to a few dollars, you can have a classy, customized name tag that will draw attention and comments and help you make the most of every networking opportunity.Instead of relying on those disposable sticky tags, you can get your own engraved or imprinted name badge at your local office supply store. How Your List Affects Postage Costs HOW YOUR LIST AFFECTS POSTAGE COSTS AND WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT!The quality and accuracy of address information in mailing lists is one of the areas least understood and largely overlooked by most businesses using direct mail. To get an advertising message delivered the address must be correct! Many firms that use direct mail neglect this vital aspect. How to Successfully Promote your Business to an International Audience Breaking into the international marketplace can catapult a company into increased profitability and growth more rapidly than when selling to a domestic market.But how do you market your company successfully to overseas buyers? What can you do to provide the right information to prospective clients that is informative and engaging? How can you stand out from the crowd?The most common promotional approach is to provide brochures.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
