Joan B. Marcus Communications

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Eight Habits to Boost Marketing Results (Nonprofit Edition)

Date : 2007-10-02

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Eight habits that can boost your marketing results

Regardless of the size of your marketing budget, you can make every dollar count by cultivating these savvy habits.

1. Be consistent. Every organization should have a strong, succinct marketing message — 25 words or less — that clearly indicates the need your agency addresses and the solutions you provide. Use this message or “elevator pitch” consistently in your marketing tools as well as when you are networking. Everyone associated with your organization — staff, board and volunteers — should know your message and use it.

2. Be succinct. Keep your message short and to the point.

3. Be persistent. Marketing is not a once and done event. It is a cultivation process through which you build relationships by staying in touch, addressing needs and anticipating future ones. Plan to contact target audiences on a regular basis. The number of times per year will vary depending upon your organization but should be no less than six “touches” annually.

4. Listen. If you want to know what donors and volunteers want, listen to what they have to say. Give them an opportunity to speak, whether it’s through surveys or one-on-one meetings.

5. Personalize your approach. Everyone likes to feel important and in marketing, the personal approach is your opportunity to create that feeling. Know your audience so you can communicate targeted messages. On an individual level, send handwritten notes for birthdays or special achievements. Email articles that might be of interest. These are all important ways of staying in touch with minimal time and resources needed on your part.

6. Get organized. If you want to make the most of every opportunity, get organized. Use — don’t lose — that stack of business cards you’ve collected. Capture contact information in a database and keep it up to date. Create a system to follow up on donor or volunteer prospects who want you to contact them at a later date.

7. Diversify. While this may sound more like financial advice, it’s important to effective marketing as well. There are many different ways to get your message to your audiences and the more channels you use, the more people you will reach. The key to diversification is to know your audience and how they like to receive information.

8. Be passionate. Believe in what you do. If you want people to believe in your organization, you must believe in it.

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