Here is a presentation that Amy Atkinson delivered on July 25, 2014 to the Nashville Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. The full-house crowd was an impressive group of nonprofit leaders gathered to discuss how nonprofits can leverage communication strategies to help their organizations reach their goals of branding, awareness, education and fundraising. We addressed the reality of small marketing teams and tiny communications budgets, and tips on establishing priorities and maximizing resources. We focused on content marketing and digital delivery channels.

1. Marketing for Nonprofits
1
July 25, 2014
Presentation to Association of Fundraising Professionals
Nashville Chapter

2. Discussion Today
• BRIEF Marketing Overview
• Marketing Challenges & Mistakes
• Establishing Priorities for Your Plan
– Branding
– Awareness
– Education
– Fundraising
• Marketing Tips for Efficiency & Effectiveness
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3. Marketing & PR Today
The Good Part
• You can distribute your own
news
• Less expensive to capture
photos and video
• More control of your message
• Equipment to distribute news
is less expensive
• Numerous channels through
with to distribute your
message
• Don’t have to depend on just a
few news outlets and
reporters
The Challenges
• Everyone can distribute news
about you
• It seems everyone can capture
images of your
product/service (good/bad)
• Less control of message.
• Not just news and PR teams
have “PR teams” now
• Lots of noise and clutter to
“break through” and be heard
• Now, everyone is a reporter!
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4. Even With New Tools,
Some Things Remain
• Goal
• Target Market
• Content – Message
• Tactics – Calendar of
Activities
• Budget
• Evaluation
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5. Sample Marketing & PR Goals
• Selling memberships
• Increase awareness of your product or organization.
• Increasing donations to your organization
• Reinforcing or protecting your brand
• Becoming the recognized leader in your field or industry
• Selling tickets to an event
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6. 6
Credit: Content Marketing Institute

7. A Few Marketing
Tools & Tactics
• Website
• Social Media –
many channels
• Email
Newsletters
• Public Relations
• Advertising
• Direct Mail
• Co-ops and
Partnerships
• Print Collateral
• Networking
• SEO and PPC
• Maximizing your
own media space
• Events
• SMS/Mobile/Text
• Content like
Videos, Photos,
Case Studies,
Blog
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8. 8
Credit: Content Marketing Institute

9. Your Website is Your Foundation
• Creates your online
identity
• Easy to donate here
• Subscribe to emails & blog
• Your online newsroom
• 24-hour-a-day access
• Used as promotional tool
• Brand awareness & image
• Broad and efficient reach
• Maintain and update it
regularly
• Social media links
• Needs to be “attractive”
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10. Content Marketing
• Good content drives website visitors
• Consistency is important (each channel varies on
frequency)
• With social media and blog posts: 20% sell, 80%
information and entertainment. (You can move more
toward %50-50 at certain times.)
• Objective is to develop that relationship with the
audience.
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11. Content Marketing Stats for
Nonprofit World
• 1,714 nonprofit professionals were surveyed
by The Content Marketing Institute (CMI).
• 92% of NP profs use content marketing of
some kind
• On average, nonprofits use four social media
platforms to distribute content.
• 91% of these nonprofits use Facebook.
• Fundraising is top organizational goal for
nonprofit content marketing
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12. Content Marketing Stats for
Nonprofit World
• 26% of NP profs believe they’re effective at
content marketing
• 25% have documented content mktg strategy
• 20% of NP mktg budgets are for content mktg.
• 69% of NP orgs. have staff to oversee mktg.
strategy
• 65% are producing more content than last year
• 38% plan to increase content mktg $ next year
• (The Content Marketing Institute – CMI)
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13. Challenges Facing Marketing
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Credit: Michael Brenner @BrennerMichael

14. Mistakes I
Commonly See
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15. 15
Targeting
Everyone
MISTAKE
#1

16. 16
Searching
For The
Silver Bullet
MISTAKE
#2
It usually takes a combination of coordinated activities.

17. 17
Assuming You Are
The Target Audience
MISTAKE
#3

18. 18
Mistake
#4
Not leveraging existing partners
and supporters.

19. 19
MISTAKE
#5
Biggest mistake is not
having a marketing
plan.
Be realistic about goals and resources.

20. 20
Credit: Content Marketing Institute

21. A Coordinated
Approach
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22. Our Philosophy
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Great marketing happens
when target audiences
take desired actions
after consuming great content.

23. Four Key Components
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Target
Audiences
Desired
Actions
Content Delivery
Channels

24. Target Audiences
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25. 25
“The aim of marketing is
to know and understand
the customer so well
the product or service fits him
and sells itself.”
Peter F. Drucker

26. 26
Poorly defined target
audiences are the
biggest waster of time
and money.

27. Target Audiences
• Goals
– Identification
– Prioritization
• Benefits
– Clarity
– Best use of available time and resources
– Measurability
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28. Determining Target Audiences
• Geographic
– Where are they?
• Demographic
– Who are they?
• Psychographic
– What potential connection do we have our
organization?
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29. Desired Actions
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30. Desired Actions
• Goals
– Know changes in behavior that will benefit the
organization
– Connect marketing to larger business goals
– Match actions to target audiences
• Benefits
– Focus
– Measurability
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31. 31
Some marketers say,
“No call to action
=
wasted
communication”*
* However, I disagree with respect to social media. Use
good judgment when it comes to using a call to action.

32. Potential Calls to Action
• Donate
• Share on social media
• Tell your friends
• Sign up for email updates
• Read blog post
• Watch a video
• Register to attend an event
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33. Content strategy
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34. 34

35. Way to Produce Content
• Written – copy, blog posts, quotes,
testimonials, media articles, stories
• Visual – graphics, photos, presentations
• Video – company videos, webinars
• Social Media – posts, visuals
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36. Content Delivery
Channels
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37. 37
Face-to-face meetings
Special events
Website
Blog
Email
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Local
Trade
National
Customers
Friends
Other non-profits
Alliances

38. Recommendations for
Channel Strategy
• Go where target audiences are
• Balance
– Use of channels
– Budget allocation
• Consistency of effort
• Measurability
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39. Recommendations
• Target Audiences
– Focus your list
– Understand motivations
– Check out our blog post on CARVER method
• Desired Actions
– Focus on measurability
– Master online and email calls to action
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40. Recommendations
• Content
– Revisit your Brand content – make it
• consistent
• relevant.
– Practice persuasive content
• www.copyblogger.com/blog/
• www.writtent.com/blog/
– Leverage emotion to greater effect
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41. Recommendations
• Channels
– Generate awareness with Social Media and
Traditional Media
– Leverage relationships with Partners
– “Close the sale” with Direct and Digital
– Build your list
– Know your metrics
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42. Conclusion/Review:
My Personal Top Marketing Tips
• Know your goals. What is the purpose?
• Always cross-channel promote -- Maximize the use of
content.
• Spend at least 30 minutes a day on social media &
engage. Read about it on blogs, emails, audio books.
• Share visuals … often.
• Post quotes, endorsements, case studies.
• Amplify good news.
• Collect contacts: emails, LinkedIn friends, etc.
• Don’t sacrifice progress for perfection.
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43. Amy A. Atkinson, APR
www.AmyACommunications.com
Email: amy@AmyACommunications.com
@AmyAComm on Twitter
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