Explore 3 Marketing Trends to Consider in 2012. These 3 trends will help you as you strive to ’make it happen’ in the upcoming year.

There are tools that we, as nonprofits, must use if we expect to “be in business tomorrow”. They help us engage our communities, stay in touch with our donors, and advocate for our clients and causes. Explore 4 tools that every nonprofit organization can use to meet the challenges of today.

How does an organization grow from a good idea to making significant impact and developing a sustainable funding model? Here’s an example of organization that has done just that.

There is a general understanding that collaborating around certain issues can make a difference for the clients and communities served, as well as an impact on the effectiveness and efficiency of individual organizations. However, questions linger regarding how to leverage collaborative relationships to increase support for individual organizations and collaborations. Let's explore 3 ways organizations can gain community support through collaboration.

Do you wish people would just give to your organization because it’s the right thing to do? If so, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen very often. Let’s explore 3 approaches to effectively market your organization and its impact to investors.

A symphony orchestra usually has over 80 musicians on its roster, including sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments (Wikipedia). Each musician is gifted at what they do - they’ve dedicated untold hours practicing and learning various techniques and music. However, the beauty of the symphony is not a result of the individual talents, rather it comes from the collective harmony. The same principle applies to nonprofit marketing and community engagement.

Lighthouses have long captured the imaginations of people around the world. They are the focus of numerous works of art, stories, and family vacations. However, history tells us that a lightkeeper’s life was fraught with danger and loneliness. In addition to all that, they were surrounded by some of the harshest environments in the world - cold, heat, storms, hurricanes, and more. It wasn’t the romantic life that some have imagined, rather it was a hard life filled with many challenges. These challenges remind me of the ones we’ve faced in the nonprofit sector over the last several years.

How much bang are you getting for your marketing buck? Unfortunately, research indicates that most nonprofits just aren’t sure. In fact, according to the 2007 Getting Attention Marketing Survey, only 37% of nonprofits track their marketing impact. This may be why it’s so difficult for nonprofits to invest in marketing activities and so easy to trim marketing out of the budget when funding gets cut. Learn how to build a dashboard and track your marketing results.

What role do you play in marketing your organization? Are you a board member? Executive director? Perhaps you are a paid or volunteer staff member? Regardless of your title or job description, you play a vital role in marketing your organization.

Apply lessons from the fire to enhance your marketing efforts and create a fire for your cause in your community.

McDonald’s has undeniably built one of the strongest brands (and organizations) in the world. Though they are a for-profit organization, their experiences and successes can provide some good insights and ideas for nonprofit organizations.

Eleanor Roosevelt said, “The future is literally in our hands to mold as we like. But we cannot wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow is now.” Like our future, the future of our organizations can be molded, but we must act now.

Our world is shrinking. Not shrinking as in getting smaller, but shrinking as it is now possible to go places and meet people that a short time ago would have been impossible for most. Learn 4 strategies to help you begin broadening the network and support base for your organization.

The last quarter of the year is a critical period of fundraising for many nonprofit organizations. Those that take advantage of the generosity of the season could benefit greatly from their efforts.

A recent survey of more than 900 nonprofit leaders reveals a major communications crisis facing the industry - messages are simply not connecting with donors, volunteers, clients, and other key audiences. In fact, this survey indicates that many nonprofit leaders characterize their primary messages as poorly targeted, difficult to remember and uninspiring. Uninspiring?!? Unimaginable!

Journalist Eve Sawyer said, “Never underestimate the power of passion.” I’ve discovered through years of working with nonprofit leaders that most are extremely passionate about their work. However, the real power to make a difference comes from tapping into and harnessing the passion of others. Partnering our passions with theirs multiplies the effect we can have on on our clients, causes, and communities.

If you are reading this you are probably involved in leadership of a nonprofit organization. How do we know this? Because that’s who we target. Our newsletter articles are written to appeal to and meet the needs of that particular target audience - nonprofit leaders. This newsletter in particular focuses on helping these leaders market their organizations and engage their communities. So who are you targeting with your messages and are they listening? If not, perhaps it’s time to work on your message.

Does your strategic message inspire people to action? Do you know what action you would want them to take? One of the first questions you must answer about your strategic messaging is 'Why are we we communicating at all?'

Your message needs to inspire people to get involved with your organization. It should be engaging and exciting. This month we discuss methods for developing, tailoring, and implementing your strategic message.

What do visitors to your website want to see? We continue our series on making your website powerful this month by exploring what site visitors hope to see and how to get it there.

This month we continue our discussion about increasing the impact of your website. The focus of this article is online appearance and how to connect with those that visit your site.

Accessibility and affordability have compelled many nonprofit organizations, regardless or size and expertise, to develop websites. Unfortunately, many of these sites aren't effectively sharing their stories and compelling people to get involved. Is yours?

Are your dreams for the future still vivid and sharp or do they seem more like a fairy tale as they fade away with time and lack of resources? In the world of nonprofits where most people wears multiple hats, it’s easy to lose focus, get lost in the monotony of day-to-day activities, and forget the dream that motivated us in the beginning. However, the excitement this dream creates is powerful! It compels us forward and draws people to our cause - creating energy and excitement for our mission.

Even though increased demand and decreased funding have made this year especially challenging, end of  year giving provides a great opportunity to build our donor base and strengthen our sustainability as we enter 2010. However, we must be prepared to fully leverage these opportunities.

Over the last 5 months, we’ve taken an in-depth look at the costs and potential benefits of social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. We’ve discussed the appropriateness of using each of these sites to reach new audiences, make new connections, and impact the mission of your organization. This month, we close this series by providing a summary of our discussions and helping you define the next steps for moving forward.

Neilson has just reported that the amount of time spent on social networking sites in September was triple the amount from last year. Additionally, since June (and the start of this article series) LinkedIn has grown by 10 million users - now boasting a network over 50 million strong. These numbers present some great opportunities for nonprofit organizations to expand their reach and possibly their capacity.

For those unfamiliar with YouTube, it is a free online video community that allows anyone to easily upload and share video clips across the Internet. With the vast number of people having video capability on their phone or through other affordable technologies, the potential for new video creation is virtually unlimited. In fact, according to YouTube an additional 10 hours of video is uploaded to the site every minute. Therefore, this month we are exploring the various ways nonprofits can benefit from using YouTube.

Many organizations are tweeting to keep in touch with their constituents. If used properly, tweeting can be a great method for monitoring complaints, receiving requests and becoming more proactive in meeting the needs of your audience (donors, volunteers, advocates, clients, etc.). However, before launching your Tweet there are a few things to keep in mind.

Facebook recently published a report stating that they now have over 250 million users on their site – 100 million of whom have joined in the last six months. That is incredible! That means if Facebook were a country, it would be the 4th most populous country in the entire world. Imagine the difference it would make to your organization if you could engage or mobilize even a small percentage of these users on behalf of your cause. The possibilities are overwhelming!

Sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter hold the promise of raising unlimited funds and reaching millions of potential supporters - all while saving thousands of dollars on postage and printing costs. But is there more hype than hope of actually producing funds for the nonprofit organization? If not, how can we tap into this potential? And if so, what is the real benefit of social networking?

Have you ever tried shooting a can off a wall across the yard? Or maybe you and your friends took turns seeing who could come closest to hitting a target with a rock. If so, you probably sized up your target, took aim, and then fired. You invested a little time and patience up front to make sure you came as close as possible to hitting your target. And with a little practice, you may have become a pretty good shot. Even having learned these lessons many marketers, including those in the nonprofit realm, shoot first and hope for the best.

Over the last several months we’ve been exploring the elements of an effective marketing plan. We’ve discussed the reasons for developing a plan, setting marketing goals, and taking a good look at the organization’s strengths and weaknesses. Each of these elements is critical for developing an effective plan that will make a difference for your organization – especially during rocky times. This month we take our plan a step further and begin exploring the external environment, or the situations outside of our organization that may impact our overall success. In other words, we begin identifying the 1-foot bars that we can step-over and the barriers that may hinder our long-term success.

As nonprofit leaders, you must assess your current situation and take an honest snapshot of where you stand – a before picture of sorts. Building a marketing plan requires an intimate knowledge of many things, including your organization, community, constituents, programs, and a host of other environmental factors. This month we will be focusing on getting to know your organization better.

Passion is great and plays an important role in seeing your dreams come true. But to really make a difference it often takes more than just passion - it requires us to set goals and take steps toward reaching these goals. In other words, setting goals will help us transform our dreams into plan and then into reality.

 In this month's issue we discuss why you should consider impementing a marketing plan.  Strengthening your organization, despite these troubled times is possible.  This week we list 10 reasons a marketing plan will help your organization.

2009 is quickly approaching and planning for the upcoming year is especially critical in these turbulent times. Thomas Edison once said, “Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets planning.” Adequate planning allows your organization to be focused and intentional in your marketing and sustainability efforts. Therefore, this month we focus on the upcoming year and planning for success.

The New Year is quickly approaching and it is time to begin planning for the upcoming year. There are new challenges and opportunities ahead that must be addressed. Making smart marketing decisions is especially important in the face of current turbulent financial markets. It is important in tough economic times to remember that marketing is an investment, not just an expense.  It is best to take a strategic approach rather than simply reacting and creating additional future challenges for your organization.

Your brand is one of the most valuable assets. It has the ability to build and maintain trust, communicate powerful messages, and greatly increase the number of those involved with your organization. All of these things are necessary for building long-term sustainability. This month, we are providing 6 tips for maximizing your brand without breaking your budget.

Everything you do or don’t do contributes to your organization’s brand. Every interaction (phone calls, appearances, meetings) and every point of contact (brochures, website, mailings) impacts how your organization is viewed by those in your community. The perception (valid or not) of these individuals and the community at-large will greatly impact the long-term sustainability of your organization.

Only 128 days left until Christmas! While this may not send most of us into a panic, it creates a sense of urgency for many nonprofit leaders to begin (if they haven’t already) planning their end-of-the-year holiday campaign. This is an opportunity to appeal to current and new donors as many are feeling charitable and looking to donate additional monies. During this period, many are filled with joy, love, and an increased incentive to give. In fact, one report indicates that 50% of yearly charitable donations are made between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Marketing tends to be seen simply as a creative process that includes graphic design, advertising, or selling. However, marketing is actually much more than that. It is critically important to the sustainability of nonprofit organizations. The danger of nonprofit leaders thinking in these simplified terms is that marketing can seem like an optional business activity or unnecessary expense that does not directly meet client needs or impact the organization’s mission. Nonprofit leaders must keep in mind that the primary purpose of marketing is to determine and anticipate customers’ (clients) needs and wants and to develop solutions that meet those needs. Marketing activities weave through the very fiber of the organization – from conception to completion.

There are over 250 million Internet users in North America alone. That is an astounding number of potential supporters for your organization. How can you make sure you are putting your best face forward and achieving the impact you desire through your website? Below are a few recommendations to help you develop a website that meets your goals.

Anyone who has ever been charged with writing a brochure, newsletter, or other marketing piece knows that it can be challenging as well as intimidating. Will Haygood, journalist from the Washington Post explains, “Writing is physical work. It’s sweaty work. You just can’t will yourself to become a good writer. You really have to work at it.” Writing is a skill that must be practiced and developed and there is not always time for this in the fast-paced nonprofit environment where employees frequently wear numerous hats. In fact, we often see program staff charged with this daunting task without any instruction or training on how to succeed. Therefore, we provide this list of guidelines to help you navigate the writing process.

Public relations (PR) includes the creation and distribution of information about your organization to various outlets, including newspapers, television and radio stations. In the nonprofit world it also includes the distribution of this information to public figures and government offices. The essence of PR is to create an awareness of your organization and the impact you are making in your community. Since the media does not charge for publishing this information, PR has the power to reach and influence thousands or even millions of people for very little money.

Word of Mouth Marketing (WOMM) is the sharing of an honest opinion (good or bad) between two or more people. Ideally, WOMM is an individual’s personal recommendation of your organization or services. This is often seen as the easiest, most efficient and cost effective path for engaging new supporters/clients or building email lists. Why? Because personal recommendations are more likely to be perceived as unbiased and genuinely honest. In fact, according to the American Marketing Association people are twice as likely to trust the advice of friends and family members as advertisements and 48% of Americans are highly likely to make a purchase or donation based on such recommendations.

Have you ever received an email from a friend or colleague asking you to view an online video or sign your name to a petition? Maybe they were simply asking you to check out an article or website? These are all forms of what has become known as viral marketing.

As the New Year begins, much is written and said about the promise and potential of the future. However, it is also an incredible opportunity to reflect on the past year and highlight the accomplishments of your organization. An excellent way to begin making your marketing matter in the New Year is to produce a year-in-review (annual) report. Four benefits of producing an annual report include...

Managing relationships (donor, volunteer, constituent, staff, etc) is one of the most important things that can be done in a nonprofit organization. As we discussed last month, eCRM is an organization’s plan for developing and managing ongoing constituent relationships through the use of technology, including email, Internet marketing, community websites (such as Craig’s List, FaceBook, MySpace) and organizational websites. Today’s nonprofits must engage in eCRM to be successful and sustainable.

Donor development has gone high tech, and many nonprofit organizations (NPO) have been left behind. No longer can NPO plan on simply sending a few mailings and making a few phone calls to garner support. Today's donors expect to be known, appreciated, and approached in ways and at times that are convenient. New technologies allow you to do just that.

As nonprofit professionals, we are constantly looking for new ways to get people involved with our organizations. Today’s society is fast-paced, has global reach, and expects more from nonprofits than ever before. Peer networking is quickly impacting all facets of fundraising and has provided a unique opportunity for our organizations. Therefore, we need to develop creative ways for people to get involved and support the efforts of our organizations.

Marketing is often thought of as an unnecessary financial strain within nonprofit organizations. Outside of producing a newsletter, and perhaps a website, marketing activities are often put on hold 'until we have the money.' Unfortunately, this practice may be costing our organizations more than we realize.

Currently, there are over 1 billion Internet users around the world. There are approximately 230 million in North American alone. This means that almost 70% of the people on our continent are surfing the web! (Source: www.internetworldstates.com).  What does this mean for your organization? Well, for starters it means that potentially more people can come in contact with your organization than ever before. What impression do you want to make? Are you ready for this opportunity?

What 10 things should you never do in marketing?  We've provide a list of some critical errors that you should avoid in order to achieve organizational success.

Not all items are newsworthy. Judge your news by the following values before pitching them to the media.

Learn 6 important tips for effectively building and maintaining relationships with the media.

In this day of decreasing donor loyalty, how do you build and maintain long-term donor relationships? Learn 10 keys to building long-term donors.

In order to be an effective fundraising tool, your newsletter must be designed for easy reading.  It needs to be scannable and developed with the browser in mind.  Here are 5 tips on developing a successful donor newsletter.

Last month we introduced our series on communication by exploring the increase of noise and the increasing challenges at making our messages “rise above the noise” and reach our intended recipients.  Before we begin looking at specific mediums for communications, let’s look at some principles that apply to all written communications.

As we have worked to identify themes that we hope provide value to our readers, who themselves are extremely busy people, we noticed one theme continually emerging - communication.  Have you stopped to think there are more messages and more mediums for communicating those messages than ever before?