What's the best way to get people excited about the good work your non-profit organization and volunteers do for your community?
With everyone so busy doing the work of the organization it’s difficult to find the time and capacity for communications, marketing and promotion.
You might not consider communications or marketing until something comes up that requires action. Perhaps there’s a new event your organization wants to promote and you hear “we should have a web site” or “let's start a Facebook page”.
If you want to invest time (and perhaps hard-earned member or donor dollars) into new channels, you first need to know who you will be communicating to, what they need to know, how your message will meet their need and where they receive information. You may also wish to consider what else is going on in the community that could influence or impact your communications.
That’s why a good first step is to develop a marketing or communications strategy and here’s a template that can help.
This simple marketing planning template takes you through the steps to define your issue and the environment and context within which you are communicating. Then, determine your audience, your key messages and the best ways to deliver them. Whether or not you have a budget is an important consideration as well. Now you'll have enough information to decide what tactics to use.
Your marketing/communications strategy will provide lasting value if your objectives include increasing membership, engaging your members or attracting donations and grants. It is essential if you want to do any of the following:
With a better understanding of how to communicate and market effectively, you will make the most effective use of your limited resources. Having a solid plan ensures your budget is used effectively and gets results. The best value you receive is the way your organization is viewed by members and the community at large.
Download the free template here:
http://www.saseenos.com/free-guides-and-templates.html
With everyone so busy doing the work of the organization it’s difficult to find the time and capacity for communications, marketing and promotion.
You might not consider communications or marketing until something comes up that requires action. Perhaps there’s a new event your organization wants to promote and you hear “we should have a web site” or “let's start a Facebook page”.
If you want to invest time (and perhaps hard-earned member or donor dollars) into new channels, you first need to know who you will be communicating to, what they need to know, how your message will meet their need and where they receive information. You may also wish to consider what else is going on in the community that could influence or impact your communications.
That’s why a good first step is to develop a marketing or communications strategy and here’s a template that can help.
This simple marketing planning template takes you through the steps to define your issue and the environment and context within which you are communicating. Then, determine your audience, your key messages and the best ways to deliver them. Whether or not you have a budget is an important consideration as well. Now you'll have enough information to decide what tactics to use.
Your marketing/communications strategy will provide lasting value if your objectives include increasing membership, engaging your members or attracting donations and grants. It is essential if you want to do any of the following:
- Engage with an audience
- Get people to attend your event
- Build your reputation in community
- Communicate information from your board to your members
- Raise funds
- Persuade funding organizations to see value in your services
- Use your budget wisely and keep costs down
- Ensure effective use of limited time and resources
With a better understanding of how to communicate and market effectively, you will make the most effective use of your limited resources. Having a solid plan ensures your budget is used effectively and gets results. The best value you receive is the way your organization is viewed by members and the community at large.
Download the free template here:
http://www.saseenos.com/free-guides-and-templates.html
