It may be a television commercial, a Facebook invitation, or a forwarded email. Through words, pictures, or a combination, they aim to inspire with a story of triumph over insurmountable odds, or doing the right thing against enormous pressure, or discovering a solution when none seemed available.
If you want to bring people on board for your cause, you need good stories. Especially when working with nonprofits, stories are the key to:
• Attract attention
• Create resonance
• Generate action
Where do you find stories? In the thick of your mission. Do you run a food pantry? Who is talking to the clients? What are their stories? Is this a humiliating experience? Is this the only way to keep food on the table in the current economy? Did a child say something pitiable, like, “Now we can have sandwiches”?
If you are serving people, those people have stories. No one wants to ask for help, and most are excited, relieved, grateful, and so on, when they are given something that solves a problem or crisis in their lives.
This is not to say that people should be blatantly used as marketing fodder. Stories are merely an effective communication tool to tell the world about what you do. Who is your target audience? It may seem difficult when the people you serve seem to be in a completely different world than your potential donors. But people are drawn to stories about other people they can resonate with. Moms feel for other moms, no matter what their native country or social class. People who struggled in school feel for students who may need extra attention. Military families will be empathetic with anyone who deals with multiple transitions.
Find the stories and share them. Share them at fundraising events and service club meetings. Capture them in brochures and multimedia presentations. Post them on your website and print them in your newsletter. Invite your potential donors and volunteers to be part of the next story.
Showing posts with label mission. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mission. Show all posts
Apr 11, 2011
Mar 7, 2010
Avoid Common Marketing Mistakes III
Last in the installment of things non-profits should NOT do when marketing their cause:
Inappropriate messaging: Some non-profits do a good job of marketing their mission. Other non-profits don’t talk about it enough. In either case, you might want to target your message specifically to your audience. Consider what message donors, customers and volunteers need to have to understand the goals of the organization.
Rather than simply regurgitating a mission statement, these audiences need to hear the emotionally compelling impact a non-profit is having on the people it serves and the community. Reframing messages to talk to a specific target audience and using language that will connect to supporters will have a greater impact than talking in generalities.
Not understanding what motivates donors: It’s extremely important to know your constituents. Audiences consist of community advocacy groups, policy makers, major donors, volunteers, board members and those you serve…just to name a few. Take the time to learn how to best connect with donors, volunteers and others. Figure out their values. What drives them to action? Most individuals get involved to make a difference. Instead of making assumptions about why they’re involved, ask them. Find out as much as you can about them so that you can make them the driving force behind the organization.
Inappropriate messaging: Some non-profits do a good job of marketing their mission. Other non-profits don’t talk about it enough. In either case, you might want to target your message specifically to your audience. Consider what message donors, customers and volunteers need to have to understand the goals of the organization.
Rather than simply regurgitating a mission statement, these audiences need to hear the emotionally compelling impact a non-profit is having on the people it serves and the community. Reframing messages to talk to a specific target audience and using language that will connect to supporters will have a greater impact than talking in generalities.
Not understanding what motivates donors: It’s extremely important to know your constituents. Audiences consist of community advocacy groups, policy makers, major donors, volunteers, board members and those you serve…just to name a few. Take the time to learn how to best connect with donors, volunteers and others. Figure out their values. What drives them to action? Most individuals get involved to make a difference. Instead of making assumptions about why they’re involved, ask them. Find out as much as you can about them so that you can make them the driving force behind the organization.
Feb 28, 2010
Avoid Common Marketing Mistakes II
Here are some more common mistakes non-profits make when it comes to marketing.
Not cross-promoting services or programs within target specific audiences: Many non-profits talk about one specific thing at a time and overlook mentioning their other programs or services. For example, a non-profit who offers addiction recovery services may also want to talk about other mental health or health care services offered. Organizational mission, what a donor’s contribution supports and how money is disbursed is also important information to communicate regularly and within appropriate promotional vehicles.
Overlooking web optimization: It’s tempting for non-profits to spend money on the bells and whistles of their website without making a commitment to optimize text and keywords for better search engine pick up. Having a great photo on the home page without thinking about how the copy on the home page impacts hits is a missed opportunity and can be costly in terms of visitors to the site. Think about who is searching for you and what they might type into a search engine. For example, if you work for an organization that services children with disabilities, you might want to consider having your home page include words such as “autism and children” or “kids with hearing impairments.”
Not cross-promoting services or programs within target specific audiences: Many non-profits talk about one specific thing at a time and overlook mentioning their other programs or services. For example, a non-profit who offers addiction recovery services may also want to talk about other mental health or health care services offered. Organizational mission, what a donor’s contribution supports and how money is disbursed is also important information to communicate regularly and within appropriate promotional vehicles.
Overlooking web optimization: It’s tempting for non-profits to spend money on the bells and whistles of their website without making a commitment to optimize text and keywords for better search engine pick up. Having a great photo on the home page without thinking about how the copy on the home page impacts hits is a missed opportunity and can be costly in terms of visitors to the site. Think about who is searching for you and what they might type into a search engine. For example, if you work for an organization that services children with disabilities, you might want to consider having your home page include words such as “autism and children” or “kids with hearing impairments.”
Feb 11, 2010
Evaluate Your Most Important Resources- Part II
Another important resource to review is your brochures, flyers, and other marketing materials.
Take stock of all your collateral. When was the last time you reviewed all the printed material you have on hand? Pull together all communications materials you are still using and read it over with a fresh perspective. Does it still communicate your vision clearly? Is your audience responding to it in the way you had hoped? Are there better, more cost-effective ways to get the message across? Are there additional pieces you need to have on hand to talk about the benefits of your program or service? Are there new programs or services offered that are not covered in existing pieces of collateral? Often times, non-profits use outdated or inappropriate materials to save on costs. Ask yourself, what is the cost of not accurately communicating your mission, programs or services simply to save budget dollars?
Even logos need updating once in awhile. AMW Marketing can help.
Take stock of all your collateral. When was the last time you reviewed all the printed material you have on hand? Pull together all communications materials you are still using and read it over with a fresh perspective. Does it still communicate your vision clearly? Is your audience responding to it in the way you had hoped? Are there better, more cost-effective ways to get the message across? Are there additional pieces you need to have on hand to talk about the benefits of your program or service? Are there new programs or services offered that are not covered in existing pieces of collateral? Often times, non-profits use outdated or inappropriate materials to save on costs. Ask yourself, what is the cost of not accurately communicating your mission, programs or services simply to save budget dollars?
Even logos need updating once in awhile. AMW Marketing can help.
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