Most nonprofits only spend 5-15% of their budget on marketing. With that comes many challenges in the way of content gathering and creation. Here are some of the common problems nonprofits face when gathering content and ways to solve them.
Problem: A Lack of Budget
With so little of the budget being spent on marketing, nonprofits are limited in who they can hire and what resources they can allocate.
Solution: Nonprofit Discounts & Grants
Lots of companies have discounts for eligible nonprofits. Mailchimp, Microsoft, and Adobe offer reduced pricing for nonprofits, which can save lots of money in the long run. Google Ads also grants eligible nonprofits up to $10k a month in paid advertising.
Solution: Use Social Media
Paid ads and email campaigns are definitely powerful tools for nonprofits (and we definitely recommend using the latter), but social media platforms are free, commonplace, and necessary to be on (link to social media presence when it’s published) to spread the word of your nonprofit.
Problem: A Lack of Strategy
A company without a marketing plan is like taking a boat without a paddle. Successful marketing campaigns are planned months in advance and constructed with their audiences in mind. Some nonprofits may not have the resources or data to plan massive campaigns, but they should still strive to create a unique presence with their marketing efforts.
Solution: Develop Brand and Message Guides
Consistent messaging is a requirement to building a loyal donor base, and anyone working or volunteering for your organization should know how to speak for and represent the organization. A strong brand and voice make your nonprofit stand out with its own identity, and the consistency attracts and retains audiences. You should research how your audience views your content, how they interact with it, the most and least successful aspects of your content. Then, create brand guidelines informed by this information for everyone in the organization to follow.
Problem: A Lack of Engagement
Content marketing will yield poor results if the necessary effort and strategy are not given to it, so getting insufficient engagement is not something a nonprofit can afford for long. Even if you’re making quality content and distributing it through multiple channels, you won’t get attention if the content doesn’t interest your audience.
Solution: Give Special Attention to Video
55% of people who watch a nonprofit’s video take action after watching. Unfortunately, video production is difficult and expensive, and while you can teach volunteers how to capture video content on their phones, it won’t be as effective or high-quality as professional work. It may be worth investing in equipment and training employees/volunteers in the basics of videography, or hiring a videographer.
Solution: Personalize Content
Personalizing content has been proven to be effective, and these days it is expected by audiences. Even simple things like using individual donors’ names and past donations in emails/SMS has a big effect on your relationship with your audience.
Solution: Focus on Individual Stories
Studies show that people donate more to causes that cover the stories of individuals, rather than relying on statistics. Ensure your content showcases the people you are trying to help and how the nonprofit is helping them with the donations they receive.
Solution: Entertainment vs. Information
Your content should reflect your mission not only in tone, but in what your nonprofit is trying to accomplish. An animal rescue could post both entertaining and informative content showcasing the animals’ recovery process and antics they get up to, but that kind of content would not suit a relief fund. Know your audience and what they want to know about your mission, and frame content that they want to or should see.
Solution: Hire an Agency
There will likely come a point where a nonprofit can’t handle its marketing alone, and it may be necessary to hire an agency. That may sound more expensive than doing it yourself, but agencies like us exist to help nonprofits that are struggling to be seen.
We’re Pros at Nonprofit Marketing
It’s our mission to help nonprofits big and small further their missions. We’ve served over 60 nonprofits, and we can serve you, too. So don’t wait…
