Your attention is likely pulled in many directions daily, from working with staff and volunteers, to serving those in need, to encouraging donors to support your mission. So, it’s easy to see how you might make a marketing error now and then when you’re juggling those responsibilities.

It’s still important to prioritize your marketing efforts since they directly influence your organization’s visibility and growth. Learning about these common marketing missteps can help you spot oversights and inefficiencies and correct the problems promptly.

#1: Lack of a Clear Vision

How would someone describe your organization to a person who knew nothing about it? Could anyone look at your marketing materials or talk with one of your volunteers and come away with an understanding of what your nonprofit is about?

If not, you might not be communicating your vision.

A clearly defined vision statement helps your target audience understand who you are, what you do, why you do it and how they can contribute. It guides everything you do, from how you interact with constituents to the type of content you publish in your social posts.

When you evaluate your brand and define your vision, you can create unified campaigns and educate new audience members on what they’re investing in.

Suggestions:

• Create a vision statement that includes your nonprofit’s reason for existence, its underlying values and the goals you hope to achieve.
• Use those details to guide your content creation strategy.
• Educate your staff, volunteers and board members about your vision statement so they can communicate that information easily and accurately.

#2: Poor Storytelling

Storytelling is a key element of an effective marketing plan. Think of your content as part of a puzzle. Each piece may take on a unique form, but it should all fit together to create one cohesive picture.

A common storytelling mistake is making your content all about you. Yes, it’s important to educate your audience about your programs and services but be careful not to make your organization the hero of every story. The people you serve are at the heart of your purpose, so focus your messaging on them to highlight why you do what you do.

A few ideas:

• Use testimonials, volunteer spotlights, impact profiles and day-in-the-life stories to showcase the value your nonprofit creates.
• Build a template or framework for concepting, designing, writing and creating different content.
• Remember to tie everything back to your vision statement to connect it to the larger narrative of your nonprofit.

#3: Inconsistent Branding

A lack of uniformity makes it harder for people to recall your nonprofit and what you do, which makes it more difficult to build trust. Inconsistent branding elements and messaging can also affect how your audience engages with your content. That lack of polish could make you appear unattractive to donors and sponsors.

These tips can help you establish consistent branding:

• Build brand guidelines for logo and color usage, fonts, photo and video style, messaging voice and tag lines.
• Audit your social media accounts, website, newsletter and other marketing materials for inconsistencies.
• Keep your assets organized and easily accessible so your team can find what they need for different media channels.

#4: Neglecting Data and Analytics

Donors want to know how they’re making a difference. Board members want information on efficacy. Collect metrics and tangible results you can use to justify your spending and future funding requests.

Monitor your campaigns and website traffic so you know which marketing tactics are working and which aren’t. Evaluate the performance of social media posts, emails and fundraisers for insight into user behavior and use it as a guide for your future marketing efforts.

Consider these tips:

• Invest in tools such as Google Analytics, Mailchimp, Meta Business Suite and LinkedIn Page Analytics to learn how people interact with your digital content.
• Assess donor activity with fundraising software like Bloomerang or Donorbox.
• Use a dashboard like Google Looker Studio or a simple Excel sheet to compile monthly reports and track your progress.

Custom Nonprofit Marketing Solutions from MadAveCollective

Is your nonprofit organization struggling with the nuances of marketing? MadAveCollective can help. Our dedicated team of managers, designers and thought leaders is well-versed in creating unique marketing solutions, so you can focus on serving others. Contact us to learn about our services and schedule a consultation.