Non-Profit Marketing Strategies

*Note when I say consumer, I say the targeted audience (i.e. volunteer, donator, purchaser, etc.)

1. Know your audience & what's important to them.

• If your goal is to catch the attention of volunteers, make sure you have step by step instructions and contact information readily available and prominent.Ensure that there's a clear page dedicated to the volunteering needs and commitments of your organization or that the information is clear and easy to find on the home page.
• If your goal is to catch the attention of simple donations, make sure that the donation process is as simplified as possible. For instance, make the page directly and obviously linked to the home page. You don't want to make your consumer have to search for it!
• If you goal is to catch the attention of product exchanges for monetary donations, then ensure your products meet their needs. For instance, with Purrfect Friends, we needed to understand what's important to the consumers in the toys that they wish to buy (i.e. safety, color, size, durability, etc.) and plan accordingly.

2. Create your mission statement & stand by it.

• This is the main piece of your branding and affects how each of the pieces of your organization move as a unit. If the non-profit is still in the process of formation, ensure that this is the first priority. For Purrfect Friends, they are dedicated to ensuring every feline has the best chance it can for a wonderful life in a forever home. This means a multi-step application process and the women sometimes having more cats and kittens in their home than can be easily cared for. They have a devotion to the felines they care for that is redaily evident and that is never compromised to save money or time.
• This can be as simple or as complicated as you like, but a good mission statement is easy to follow and IS followed!

3. Have a strong & visually stimulating website.

• For the most part, this is an organization's "store-front." People are introduced to your mission, your needs and goals, and the principles that guide your events. This can be the deciding factor on whether or not they want to make a contribution.
• Ensure consumers see a credible organization that presents itself as an expert in its chosen field. Know the legal issues, ethical & moral issues and initiatives surrounding your mission and have a clear vision of how your organization wants to make a difference.
• Purrfect Friends has their mission statement, information about the policies facing their organization, and other pertinent information readily available and easy to navigate through on a website that follows a cohesive color theme.

4. Demonstrate your going-ons with social media platforms.

• Follow the trend with major corporations and ensure that your organization has an interactive social media page. It's an extension of your website that can change according to current trends and issues, and that is easy for consumers to share/find.
• News and photos can be easily shared and updated, consumers can discuss and make their voices heard through comments and their own images, and it is more interactive than a typical website. Purrfect Friends posts their adoptable cats and kittens, events they're hosting and other issues facing animal rescue groups.

5. Allow enthusiasts to build your reputation through Buzz Potential.

• Going along with social media platforms, Buzz Potential is a cheap advertising technique that can expand your online reach exponentially. Advocates can make their observations and experiences known on their personal websites or pages, which also encourages others to get involved as they see the benefits. 

6. Have a newsletter that's easy to sign up for & informative.

• Communication is key for fundraising events, key going-ons and volunteer opportunities. Ensure that it's timely and consistent if this is the method that you're using. For Purrfect Friends, this is an email list that is constantly updated with new kittens in the system or events that need to be prepared for sent to all volunteers, past and present. Even little victories and pictures are shared and celebrated.
• If you're sending newsletters to all consumers, make sure it's relevant and not information overload so that they don't get into the routine of deleting messages without reading through them. They might miss something important!

7. Simplify donation and volunteer information & processes.

• Don't make your consumers search high and low for how they can contribute or else they may decide it's just not worth it. Make the process easy and keep it well-defined.
• Purrfect Friends has designated pages with clear steps for how to contribute (although their volunteer process is less-defined. See Volunteering etiquette & opportunities for direction).

8. Monitor your branding.

• When you leave a portion of your reach and branding to Buzz Potential and Social Media, ensuring that what people are saying is a fair and accurate representation is key. You don't want to control each and every comment because that takes away the credibility of each person's supposeduly unsolicited sharing, but don't let people walk all over you!
• This is up to interpretation.