Smart Marketing for Small Nonprofits

Celebrate Fall in Your Marketing

Fall arrived a short time back and I think after such a difficult spring and summer, we were all ready for it. It always feels like a season of renewal and hope, something we all really need in 2020. That makes it a perfect time to shift gears in our marketing outreach and lean into optimism as we work towards a transition from urgent to optimistic.

Saving Time and Grief with Creative Briefs

While we understand the idea of planning for an event or campaign, we often aren’t that great about mapping out what we need from our marketing creative teams, and that can cause wasted time and effort not to mention frustration for everyone involved. But this can be avoided with the “creative brief.”

Getting ‘Geeky’ with Google Analytics

When measuring how your marketing is doing, you can drown in all the data. Take Google Analytics - there are literally hundreds of metrics to choose from to see how your website is doing. But not all numbers are equal, and in this episode I give you the top Google Analytics numbers to follow and how they will help you improve your website and your digital marketing results!

How To Eliminate The Marketing Force That’s Holding You (and your nonprofit) Back

There is something big that holds many marketers back from being the absolute best they can be and making the biggest impact they can for the nonprofits they serve. In today’s world when so many nonprofits are in need of support - maybe now more than ever - it’s crucial that we get anything that’s holding you back out of the way. In this episode I’m going to give you three steps you can take to eliminate this big marketing barrier once and for all.

New Donor Digital Marketing Funnel

Lately, it’s been hard enough for us to keep our current donors engaged, much less put together campaigns to attract new supporters to our cause. But winning over new donors is vital to  the health of your nonprofit. The key is to have a strategy that is as inexpensive as it is effective. That’s where the strategic new donor marketing funnel comes in.

What To Do Before, During & After Your Facebook Live

Most of us have become pretty comfortable with being on camera as a good chunk of our professional - and personal - lives have moved online. So now seems a perfect time to take advantage of this new-found familiarity with live streaming on Facebook for your nonprofit. This episode covers some strategic approaches to what you should do before, during and after your Facebook Live to maximize its impact for your organization.

Your Nonprofit Marketing Funnel Fix

I’ve seen it too many times - a well designed campaign for fundraising, an event or volunteer recruitment that has super emails and good social media posts, but then drives people to a landing page that doesn’t finish the job. Learn how to take interest and turn it into conversions with a strong (but simple) landing page.

Top 10 Social Media Posting Tips for your Nonprofit

Ever feel like your social media posts are becoming mechanical and automatic? Sometimes shaking up your approach will help you recapture your mojo when it comes to crafting compelling posts on whatever platforms you are using. Today’s podcasts had 10 tips to help you jazz up your social media presence and keep it fresh for yourself - and your readers.

Marketer on a Mission: Google AdGrant Expert Steven Aguiar

Google AdGrants are more popular than ever for nonprofits, as we work to find new digital ways to expand awareness and drive donations for our organizations. Google AdGrant expert Steven Aguiar, founder of Good Goes Further, discussed the application process and the work you need to engage in once you win your grant. It takes persistence and it takes management, and Steven shares his best practices to maximize the benefit of your Google AdGrant.

An Essential Mid-Year Marketing Review for Your Nonprofit

In a typical year, I’d suggest that you hold a mid-year review of your marketing goals and strategies just to check in on how you are doing and make sure you are on track. This year that review is absolutely imperative as so many events have probably disrupted your best laid plans of January. It’s time to take a breath, review what you had planned, see how far you’ve come despite all the craziness of 2020 and then adjust so you can make the most of the rest of the year.

How To Mobile Optimize Your Nonprofits Marketing

According to the World Advertising Research Center, in five years, 75% of all people will access the Internet through their smartphones by 2025. Which is why it’s imperative that all your digital resources - website, e-communications, text and social media - are mobile-friendly. And that means more than just making sure the platform you are using is responsive. Text, images, form fields - it all matters when you are measuring a space in pixels instead of inches.

‘Micro’ Monthly Giving Campaigns. How to Re-engage Donors in Uncertain Times

As you work to shore up your nonprofit’s financial position, it might be time to look at your lapsed donors and see if you can re-engage them with your organization. Today we talk about a re-engagement strategy that speaks to this time: invite them to participate in a “micro” monthly giving program, which would allow them to support a cause they have a history with without breaking their budgets.

Making Your Nonprofit an 'Ally'

Many nonprofits are trying to speak to this moment and align ourselves and our organizations with the nationwide protests for diversity, equity and inclusion. In short, we are trying to figure out how to be an ally to the Black community, but aren’t quite sure if we should or how to go about it. Fortunately, there are some wise people out there who have thought about it. Today I share their insights and some personal observations from the past few weeks.

The Power of Peer-to-Peer Fundraising in Uncertain Times

It's been a heartbreaking time. But amid the turmoil, there have been stories of people coming together - to fight for justice, to help others, to try to show we are better than the news of the past two weeks. Right now your nonprofit serves two roles: the first is its stated mission and the second is to serve as a place where supporters can take a stand and show what they believe in and value. Which means it’s a powerful time to consider launching a peer-to-peer campaign to advance your cau...

What Draws People To Your Cause?

It’s time to get back to nonprofit marketing basics and that means building engagement. The phrase might be overused, but it’s hard to overestimate how important it is. And there are so many digital options to use as you try to attract new supporters and draw your audiences closer to your cause. Today’s podcast talks about strategies you can implement right now to educate, inform and inspire people to help you move your mission forward.

What Your Nonprofit Needs To Make It Through This Rocky Recovery

A lack of confidence in your nonprofit’s future can be as damaging to your organization as the very, very real challenges posed by both coronavirus and the economic fallout that followed the disease. Here are 5 thing you need to make sure you don’t underestimate and have confidence in as we go through this rocky period of recovery.

Why Your Nonprofit Needs to Pursue Publicity Now

It might be tempting to think that now is not the time to reach out to the media for coverage of your nonprofit, but nothing could be further from the truth. But COVID-19 does mean that you need to adjust your approach to meet the times. Cindy discusses how in this episode.

Marketer on a Mission: Liz Willets from Aweber

From personalization to automation to segmentation, email communications have evolved tremendously in the past few years. Today Liz Willits of Aweber goes through the strategies that your nonprofit can employ to make sure that your email communications reach their intended audiences and inspire your audiences to click and convert.

Nonprofit Marketing after COVID-19

Amid all the Covid-19 craziness, M+R released its Benchmark Report on digital marketing for nonprofits. This episode is about the main takeaways from the 2020 report and how it points the way both for us in the coronavirus era and in the future, as we work to emerge from the pandemic stronger than ever.

Not Too Late to Participate in #GivingTuesdayNow

#GivingTuesdayNow is right around the corner and your nonprofit should be there. This day of global giving and unity is the financial and feel-good event we have all been needing during the coronavirus pandemic.

My Top 10 [COVID-19 Era] Fundraising Ideas

Lately, I’ve been hearing from many nonprofits looking for alternative ways to fundraise during this time of social distancing. So after some research and brainstorming with the team, we are proud to present this top 10 list of virtual fundraising options that we think you could use now (out of necessity) or in the future (because they are pretty cool).

My Best Low Cost Email List Building New Donor Attraction Strategy

For the past few weeks, I’ve focused on how you need to pivot your communication strategy with your existing email subscribers, but there’s another piece of this puzzle: attracting new supporters to your cause. Today we go over one of my favorite low-cost strategies to get new subscribers, who ultimately may become supporters of your organization.

9 Emails Your Nonprofit Can Send During a Crisis

Your nonprofit needs to be emailing more often during this time of uncertainty, not less. Email is every nonprofit’s biggest asset right now and open rates are increasing during this time of stay-at-home and social distancing. And even if you aren’t on the front lines dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, you have stories to tell and inspiration to share - not to mention support to ask for.

Testimonials Easy as 1-2-3

I like to look at nonprofit testimonials as the seasoning to your marketing messaging. It’s rare that they can make a full meal, but they add flavor because their third-party validation gives more power to your stories of how you are making the world a better place. Today we go into who you should get testimonials from, what they should say and how to use these powerful quotes once you get them.

How To Move In-Person Fundraising Events Online

There is one big hit that many nonprofits are facing right now - the cancellation or postponement of events that they were counting on to raise needed support to continue their missions. From Spring Galas, to fundraising walks and runs, notices of postponements and cancellations keep pouring in. Nonprofits are being forced to make what might feel like untenable decisions. But the good news is that there is a Plan B - a way to fill the fundraising gap digitally.

COVID-19 Communications for Your Nonprofit

Your  nonprofit is needed more than ever right now, whether you are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response or your work has been limited by the coronavirus. Now is not the time to shy away from marketing and even fundraising. You’ve got to show up in these uncertain times with clarity, confidence and sensitivity because waiting is not an option. Here’s how.

Marketing Your Mission In Uncertain Times

Never stop communicating. In times like these, marketing is a tool you should be reaching for to keep the lines of communication open with your supporters. It’s a time to clarify what your organization is doing, how it’s responding to the crisis at hand and what is needed to keep moving forward. But it’s also a time to reach out and find out how they are doing as we navigate in these unprecedented times. But it does require shifting gears.

Need Bigger Sponsorships? Try This.

Regardless of your nonprofit’s size, you are an excellent candidate to win large corporate support for your cause. It’s a matter of finding the right businesses to approach, doing your research and ensuring that you structure the partnership in such a way that both you and the corporate sponsor get a measurable result from the partnership.

Your Small Nonprofit’s Biggest Asset

Every small nonprofit has a superpower - being small. Your size gives you amazing flexibility and speed, cutting down on red tape as you work to make the world a better place. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges. In today’s podcast, Cindy talks about why you should “embrace the small,” and solutions to the top three marketing problems she hears about from smaller nonprofits.

Why Instagram Is Worth Your Nonprofit’s Time

Whether you are just starting out on Instagram or have made it a big part of your social media outreach, Cindy has some strategies to make the most of your posts on one of the fastest  growing platforms in the U.S.

How You Can Captivate with Content

What exactly is content - and how can you make sure that your nonprofit’s content is effective in educating, informing or inspiring your audience. Here’s a simple 3-part formula that ensures you are creating captivating content that gets results.

[Woman on a Mission] Laura Gisborne, Limitless Women

Cindy interviews author and serial entrepreneur Laura Gisborne, who is showing women leaders how to honor themselves and their talents and make more of an impact in their work. Although much of her consulting involves women in the private sector, the advice she shares is equally applicable in the nonprofit world.

Lessons Learned For A Better 2020

While most nonprofits are looking ahead to spring functions and fundraising fun, it’s worth taking a look at some EOY giving statistics - and three things that will make the difference for your nonprofit in 2020.

Marketing & Psychology - Why Giving Feels So Good

Why does giving feel so good? Today we explore what psychologists think is the answer to that question - and how nonprofit marketers can tap into and honor those altruistic impulses that scientists believe are hard-wired into our psyches.

The Marketing Metrics That Matter Most

Don’t fear the metrics. Measuring the performance of your website, emails and social media posts doesn’t have to be an exercise in futility. The trick is to know which metrics matter - and what you can do if your nonprofit isn’t measuring up. This episode looks at the metrics your nonprofit should review for website, email and social media performance and strategies to boost those numbers.

What Nonprofits Can Learn From This AMAZING Speech

On this day celebrating his birth, Cindy’s talking about Dr. Martin Luther King’s powerful speech at the March on Washington - what is now known as the “I Have a Dream Speech” - and how it can inspire nonprofit marketers as they tell the stories of their organizations.

Your Nonprofit Can’t Ignore THIS in 2020!

Convincing you that monthly giving programs are worth doing isn’t hard - report after report shows the ROI is great, it provides predictable funding, and it’s a powerful donor retention tool. But you have to do it right. In this episode, Cindy walks you through the why - and how - to launch or revamp a recurring donation program.

Want Better Email Open Rates in 2020? Make It Personal.

One way to make it more likely that your emails are seen (and opened) this year is to employ personalization. Personalization makes your emails feel more like one-to-one conversations instead of a generic, mass communication. But it’s more than just adding your recipient’s name to your greeting or subject line. Explore the power of personalization in this week’s podcast.

My New Year's Wish for You and Your Nonprofit

It's the end of the year rush - New Year's plans, last minute scramble for year-end donations, plus planning for a brand new decade. Take a little break with Cindy's short podcast that's all about her hopes for you and your nonprofit in 2020 (with some practical tips to make the New Year even better, of course).

What Should Be In Your 2020 Nonprofit Marketing Plan

In the midst of your end-of-year fundraising efforts, take a break (and a deep breath!) and join Cindy as she talks about what a successful marketing plan looks like for next year. She’ll have a 5+1 guide for planning and maintaining a 2020 plan to reach more people more effectively. Get caught up in the promise and excitement of the New Year here.

Woman On A Mission: Martha Mertz, Athena International Founder

Cindy has a wide-ranging conversation with the amazing Martha Mertz, who founded ATHENA International as a way of recognizing women leaders who not only excel in their careers, but contribute to the community and mentor or serve as a role model for other women.

Create Captivating Annual Reports Digitally

Although not as popular as they once were, annual reports are a great opportunity to tell your story in a way that makes it super easy to understand your mission and generate new support for your cause. But you can update the traditional end-of-year recap by relying more on digital solutions like interactive website-based reports and video. Not only will it freshen up your annual report, it will make it easier to leverage it to numerous communication channels.

2020 Social Media Marketing Motivation

Today, the podcast dives into 2020 social media trends - the stats and facts you need to know, where you might need to shift your emphasis and what things you can let go of in the coming year. Turn social media into one of the brightest, best and most versatile tools in your marketing toolkit for 2020! Plus we’ll talk about some recent changes in Facebook and Instagram that you should be aware of right now.

How To Launch and Market a New Major Donor Society

What you can do to successfully start a new major donor society or club and generate interest for others to join at higher giving levels.

5 Marketing Tips To Keep Major Donors

Like many other things in life, fundraising tends to follow the 80/20 rule. The top 20% of your donors are probably contributing close to 80% of all your fundraising. (In fact, there are some well-respected fundraisers who will argue it’s more like 90/10.) And not only are your major donors writing the largest checks, they are also some of the most consistent supporters of your organization. Today’s podcast focuses on the specific marketing efforts your organization can do to keep these spec...

Increase Your Nonprofit's Search Engine Ranking

How to use alternative descriptions or ‘alt tags’ on website images to increase your websites search engine rankings.

Increase Your Nonprofit's Search Engine Ranking

How to use alternative descriptions or ‘alt tags’ on website images to increase your websites search engine rankings.

Why Your Nonprofit Needs SEO

There’s no denying that Google is most everyone’s guide when it comes to finding what they want and need online. And when people are thinking about a particular cause - like the one your nonprofit focuses on - you want your website to be one of the first pages that comes up when they do a Google search. But to do that you have to optimize your website for search engines, i.e., practice good SEO.

#58 Is the Problem Your Donation Page?

Is the Problem Your Donation Page?

There’s no denying that Google is most everyone’s guide when it comes to finding what they want and need online. And when people are thinking about a particular cause - like the one your nonprofit focuses on - you want your website to be one of the first pages that comes up when they do a Google search. But to do that you have to optimize your website for search engines, i.e., practice good SEO.