Conversations about marketing are slowly but surely becoming more commonplace in the nonprofit sector. In the digital age, it can be so easy for nonprofits to get lost in the noise online. That’s why more and more nonprofit leaders are looking for ways to increase their visibility.
Solid marketing that is strategically planned and efficiently executed can mean the difference between gaining new donors who care about your cause and disappearing into the abyss.
Before we start talking about the most important elements of building a marketing team for your nonprofit, we should probably talk about the elephant in the room.
Marketing is Not Inherently Bad
For so long, many of us in the nonprofit world have held onto the belief that marketing is a slimy or manipulative sales tactic used by large corporations and has no place in the mission driven world.
The truth is, there are ways to market your nonprofit without selling out.
In fact, marketing is essential for spreading the word about the incredible work your organization is doing and finding more supporters and champions of your mission.
As you begin to think about building a successful marketing team for your nonprofit, there are a few key things for you to think about.
Marketing Is Its Own Thing
We all know that nonprofit professionals are notorious for wearing a multitude of hats. With a history of spreading donor dollars and grant funds as far as humanly possible, it is SO common to resort to diy marketing strategies and tack them on to the duties of your Development Director, fundraising team, CEO, or even your social media intern (if you’re lucky enough to have one).
No matter what the budget is for your nonprofit, having someone who is solely focused on marketing can have a huge impact on the efficacy of your marketing efforts. While it can be tempting to add it to the long list of to-do’s of other staff, understanding that marketing and fundraising have slightly different skill sets and focus points is the first step toward building a marketing team that works.
Let Your Budget Be Your Guide, But Not Your End All Be All.
When times are tight in the nonprofit world, marketing budgets tend to be one of the first things to go, if they ever existed at all.
Starting the journey to invest in great marketing can feel scary and daunting, especially because you rarely see an immediate return.
But investing in a solid marketing strategy and the right people to execute it might just be the thing to help you increase your gifts and expand your impact well into the future.
The best way to stretch your marketing dollars to get the best return for your investment is by hiring and working with the right people.
Start by looking at the skills of the staff you already have and consider the ways they might already be equipped to support your organization’s new marketing efforts.
Next, identify the gaps in skills and expertise and start there. Think about ways you can either build that expertise within your team, work with external contractors or freelancers to fill the gap, or hire part time or full time staff members to do the work. Knowing when to contract out or hire in house can be hugely beneficial to stretching your budget.
While it can be tempting to push marketing by the wayside to save precious dollars, investing in marketing for your nonprofit is one of the most essential elements to growing your impact in today’s day and age. Don’t let it disappear all together.
Qualities of a Successful Nonprofit Marketing Team
A common concern that I hear from the nonprofit leaders I work with is that they don’t have enough people, or the right people, to market their mission well.
Understanding what makes up a successful nonprofit marketing team can help you know where to start.
A great nonprofit marketing team has a combination of:
- Specific marketing skills and abilities &
- Proper mindsets and attitudes
Necessary Nonprofit Marketing Skills for a Top Notch Team
Storytelling
We’ve heard it time and time again—storytelling is at the heart of nonprofit marketing. Make sure that your team, no matter how big or small, is steeped in a storytelling culture that understands how to capture impactful stories and tell them effectively.
Digital Know-How
The majority of marketing these days takes place online. It’s no use to invest in a new email platform or social ads if you don’t have someone who knows how to get the most value out of these tools. Make sure that there are people on your team that understand how to navigate the digital marketing landscape, and you will save lots of stress and missed opportunities.
Specifically, understanding paid advertising like how to utilize Google Ad Grants can make a big difference in how people come across your organization. The Nonprofit Leadership Alliance lists developing paid advertising skills as one of the top tips for improving your nonprofit marketing. In today’s day and age, digital marketing know-how is a must have.
Copywriting, Design and Editing
Of course, there are also the more obvious technical skills that are necessary for executing successful marketing for your nonprofit. Finding people with expertise in copywriting, design, and editing will help you make sure you’re creating content that’s engaging and relevant to your audience rather than pulling content from guesses and thin air. Great designers and communicators will know how to speak your audience’s language and help you craft compelling messages that get people to actively engage with your organization.
Marketing Strategy and Data Analysis
All of the marketing efforts in the world may not make a difference for your nonprofit team if you aren’t tracking what’s working and developing an intentional strategy based on your specific goals and ROI. Having people who understand how to measure results and optimize specific actions based on the findings will help you make sure your marketing plan is as effective as possible.
Make-or-Break Attitudes and Mindsets for Your Nonprofit Marketing Team
Willingness to Learn and Experiment
Almost nobody nails their marketing goals on the first try. Successful marketing takes time, consistency, and a willingness to tweak and adjust when necessary. Helping your current staff members understand this will help them be on board for the long haul and remain consistent—the best way to reap the rewards of successful marketing.
Team Players
Marketing is a team sport! From CEO to contractor to intern, making sure everybody is on the same page and working together with trust is the key to a cohesive message. This goes for all team members—marketing team and beyond. When everyone in the organization is on the same page and in the loop, truly magical marketing results can emerge.
Growth Mindset
Building an organizational culture of growth allows employees and leaders to become problem solvers, come up with innovative ideas, take on new challenges, and be more resilient overall. Focusing on marketing for the first time in your organization means new experience for some of your team members. If your team is imbued with a growth mindset, they’ll be more likely to develop the skills to learn new and emerging marketing strategies rather than burning out or feeling discouraged.
Strategic Mindset
If you have all of the tools and skills in place, but nobody to coordinate the overall flow and strategy, your marketing will likely fall flat. Ensuring that you have someone overseeing the work of your staff members, crafting a long term strategy, and reviewing what’s working will make sure that your campaign is effective. This part is essential.
How a Fractional CMO Can Help
Building a successful marketing team for your nonprofit means striking a balance between execution, strategy, and healthy attitudes and mindsets.
If you have all of the elements we discussed in place but you don’t have anybody to coordinate an overall strategy, goal setting, or guiding the efforts, then you run the risk of wasting valuable time and resources on scattered efforts that don’t produce a strong ROI.
What’s really important is having someone to guide the team. Someone with strategic oversight who can see the whole picture and put it all together.
As a Fractional CMO, I work with nonprofit teams to make sure all of the pieces are in place to run successful marketing campaigns.
I help organizations look at your current team to identify the skills and resources you already have, and suggest ways to fill in the gaps. I then help you not only craft your marketing strategy, but make sure that your team is equipped and able to execute it day-to-day.
It’s really about striking the perfect balance between high level strategy and staff to execute the strategy. I can help empower your team at all levels with the strategic marketing vision that sets you on the path to increased impact.
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If you’re ramping up your marketing efforts and would love a little high level strategic support specifically tailored to nonprofits and mission driven businesses, contact us at Wayward Kind! Let’s see what we can do together!
