Marketing for nonprofits and charitable organizations is something of a niche enterprise. It requires a bit more nuance than traditional marketing. This is because the organizations being served are not simply selling a product or service, but are instead appealing to the public’s sense of compassion (such as with humanitarian relief charities), justice (such as with legal defense charities), or ability to see the need for long-term change (such as with environmental preservation charities).
Because what is being ‘sold’ are abstractions and distant outcomes, these organizations offer little immediate benefit to the audience. Persuading people to donate their time and money to nonprofits and charities is trickier than persuading them to buy a bacon cheeseburger or try out a new kind of dish soap. That being the case, a very specific combination of hard and soft skills is required to succeed in the field of nonprofit marketing.
Zeal TN, a Nashville-based company that deals almost exclusively with nonprofits and charitable organizations, has a lot of practice with this type of marketing. “Our entire business model is based around devising and executing marketing strategies and campaigns for nonprofits and charities so that they can focus on their core functions of helping others and making the world a better place,” says a representative from the company, adding, “We also have a great deal of experience training people new to the field of nonprofit marketing. Many of our employees are young people hoping to acquire some entry-level business experience.” Because of this, Zeal TN is uniquely positioned to dispense some valuable wisdom on the subject.
Storytelling
At its heart, the discipline of marketing is about telling stories, and nonprofit marketing very much abides by this principle. When mounting a new campaign or starting a new initiative, nonprofit marketers must ask themselves the following questions: ‘What is the essence of my client’s cause? How best can I express it to the public? Should I take a wide view of the issue or a more personalized approach when composing promotional materials and online messaging?’
“More often than not, the personalized approach is the most effective and provides the best results,” says the Zeal TN rep, “and mastering the art of personalized storytelling is a crucial part of a nonprofit marketer’s learning curve.”
Digital Marketing and Content Creation
The nuts and bolts of nonprofit marketing are digital marketing and online content creation. Having a working knowledge of digital marketing concepts such as search engine optimization (SEO), social media advertising, and website optimization is very important, as is being proficient in the creation of content, such as informational graphics, videos, blog entries, and social posts.
“Nonprofits often work within limited budgets, so working efficiently in the digital realm can be challenging,” remarks the Zeal TN representative. “It’s doable, but you have to be careful when allocating resources.”
Community Engagement
Due to the nature of the work that nonprofits do, cultivating the skill of community engagement is much more important in this arena of marketing than it is in others.
“Nurturing relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders, including donors, volunteers, partner organizations, and the ordinary people who might be affected by any operations a client undertakes is essential in growing support and marshaling resources,” says the company rep. “It takes up a significant portion of our daily efforts, so it’s something that all of our new recruits have to be comfortable doing.”
Project Management
There is also an administrative aspect to nonprofit marketing that simply cannot be avoided. As with all other types of marketing, campaigns must be created, implemented, and overseen. Data must be collected and analyzed. Overall outcomes must be steered in the right direction.
“All of this requires a predilection for project management. Being organized, and keeping an eye on short-term projects while maintaining focus on long-term goals is a major key to success in the nonprofit marketing sector,” advises the Zeal TN representative.
Adaptability
Finally, nonprofit marketers have to be nimble and flexible.
“There’s no other way to say this: on virtually every campaign, things will not go exactly as envisioned,” says the company rep. “Issues will invariably arise, sometimes from totally unexpected places. Finding creative solutions to unanticipated problems is just a part of the job.”
With this fact in mind, it must be stated that nonprofit marketing is not an ideal vocation for those with rigid or severe personalities. However, for those who thrive under fluid circumstances and love the challenges presented by ever-changing situations, a career in marketing for nonprofit and charitable organizations might just be your calling.
