As 2012 begins, it is the perfect time to look back to move forward.

What worked? What didn’t? What could have been even better?

Be sure and invite board members as well as staff to look back to 2011 with you so you can productively move forward.

Make the session upbeat. Celebrate your successes and learn from your challenges.

I’ll help you start with a few opening questions. These are based on lessons I learned over the past year – and beyond.

Did you -

1. Create/update your strategic marketing plan? Did you really use it?
2. Base all your marketing communications messages on your mission? Or did you go off message?
3. Cull/update your database? Identify from whom you had not heard?
4. Reach out to donors and volunteers and thank them – and then thank them again?
5. Stay the course and build on your successes, or were you swayed to deviate from your project plans? If so, did it work?
6. Capitalize on your branded special events or try something new? Were you as successful?
7. Build-in evaluations throughout the year? Create benchmarks to ensure quality?
8. Ensure that you know your audiences and that your audiences know you?
9. Invite new voices to participate in your brainstorming?
10. Launch a social media campaign? How did it work, how can it grow?

Please stay in touch. Let me know what’s on your mind and how I can help you launch a very successful 2012!

You can always reach me at deborah@creative-si.com or visit our Facebook page .

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

“If you don’t know where you’re going it doesn’t matter which way you go!”

While putting together my PowerPoint slides for an upcoming marketing session at GCN’s Nonprofit University, I had an ‘aha’ moment. I clearly saw that positioning was key to virtually everything we were going to discuss in the session.

A positioning statement is a tight, focused description of the core target audience to whom a brand is directed, and it provides a compelling picture of how the nonprofit wants its targeted audiences to view them. A well-constructed positioning statement brings focus and clarity to the development of a marketing strategy and tactics. Note: Brandeo is an online marketing resource and provides an excellent description of positioning and what is needed to craft a positioning statement.

I truly believe that the only way to be heard above the noise, and to create and sustain what your audiences think about your organization is to position it correctly.

A couple years ago, I worked with a dynamite team on AMA Atlanta’s pro bono project. The Team conducted a SWOT analysis, reviewed and critiqued all written materials provided by the nonprofit client and the website, and conducted audience discovery calls.

The audience discovery consisted of 11 interviews from members, funders, sponsors, partners and a legislator.  Looking at the interviews by audience segment, it became clear that their Funders found the message and purpose of the organization to be clear and concise, and felt that they were valued partners. However, its sponsors/members/partners and the legislator believed the client needed a clearer message statement. They wanted more involvement with the organization to feel included as a valued stakeholder. The organization had an opportunity to gain additional funding through its members/sponsors/partners by having a clear message and involvement with this core group.  There was also much to gain on the advocacy front with these segments knowing the defined mission, vision and services.

After analyzing the results of the SWOT and Audience Discovery calls, the team decided to create a Vision Statement, two positioning statements [The client separated its advocacy and program/services into separate units] and to provide a list of marketing communications opportunities in the short term.

If you would like more information on positioning and audience discovery calls please contact me at deborah@creative-si.com.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Your special event is planned. Now, the critical question is - how do you  increase your attendance?

Everyone points to the benefits of social media to drive your attendance. Social media is a vehicleyou use to enact your strategy. You can increase the value of your special event by integrating social media into your marketing strategy.

But, before you develop your strategy, ask yourself these questions developed by Stacey Ruth, a marketing consultant with Atlanta-based Actio Marketing :

1. Are your attendees active in any of the social media (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube or blogs/forums)?
2. Do you have an awareness problem, and are you trying to reach large number of attendees quickly (and perhaps inexpensively)?
3. Do you have someone on your team with enough time on their hands to populate a social media site effectively? (That means building content that can be pushed out every day in most cases.)
4. Do you have knowledge (or access to someone with knowledge) of best practices for the social media platform you want to apply? Social media is not an “if you build it, they will come” scenario. There is a definite approach to each social network that is uniquely effective — and any number of approaches that are equally ineffective!
5. Would you like to build an extended life to your event and create a community around it? 

If you answered yes to more than one of the above questions, social media including Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter, is worth integrating into your event marketing strategy. However, don’t overlook the value of tried-and-true ‘social media’ platforms including Word Of Mouth marketing or WOMM.

Word-of-mouth marketing (WOMM), is an unpaid form of oral or written promotion—in which satisfied “customers” or your organization’s ambassadors tell other people how much they like your nonprofit and invite them to participate in your event. Word-of-mouth is one of the most credible forms of advertising because people who don’t stand to gain personally by promoting something put their reputations on the line every time they make a recommendation, according to Entrepreneur.

Bottom line – know your audiences before you invest the time and energy as part of your event marketing strategy. Use your social media strategy as a way to involve your board and volunteers.

Any questions about specific social media vehicles to use for your event? Be sure and contact me at deborah@creative-si.com.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

“In the complicated world of nonprofit organizations, it can seem like everything goes wrong at once.”

Barbara Kibbe and Fred Setterberg, Succeeding with Consultants

I know when I take on a new assignment I am going to step on some toes. After all, I am usually hired to work with nonprofits facing challenges – a struggling board, a scheduled special event without implementation plans, an organization without a strategic plan or a rainmaker founding board member who decides to leave, but won’t let go.

Many times, the stressors are external – loss of funding, harsh political climate or a lack of buy-in from donors on signature projects.

Be sure and conduct a thorough situation analysis to begin. Identify challenges to focus your work. Here are 10 key questions to guide the process:

1)      Does the organization have a fundraising plan that identifies different sources and funding activities?

2)      Do all the board members contribute money?

3)      Is there a donor management program in place?

4)      Is there consensus about the organization’s vision and mission?

5)      When is the last time the bylaws were updated?

6)      Are marketing and development programs based on services and programs instead of the mission?

7)      Does the community know the nonprofit?

8)      Is the IT infrastructure adequate?

9)      Is there an updated strategic plan and is it followed?

10)   Does the organization have published ethical guidelines for governance and fundraising? Are they followed?

So, be prepared to ruffle some feathers. And, be prepared to read the warning signs when it is time to go.

But, before you leave, be sure and share the nonprofit’s successes that were accomplished while you were there.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

It All Starts With Thank You!

“Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.” GB Stern

Sounds like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? Well, it is unfortunate how many nonprofits do not fully thank their donors.

Of course we thank them, you say.

But, are you sure?

I don’t believe for a second that the lapse is intentional. Now that I’m back on the other side of the fence responsible for implementation, I know how easy it is to inadvertently mess up.

The DeKalb Police Alliance like many organizations does not have a contact management database. All work to this point is done off of spreadsheets. So tracking is all but impossible.

This is not an unusual problem Most CRM databases are expensive. With donations down it is hard to justify the cost, especially when licenses and training on the system are not transferable from one staff person to another.

Then a colleague  suggested I check out Salesforce.com for the Alliance. I knew I didn’t have the budget and could not justify even a seemingly inexpensive CRM program.

Imagine my surprise and delight to learn that Salesforce.com has a Foundation.

“Salesforce.com set out to change the way companies think about philanthropy ten years ago, and today more than ever it continues to define us as a company.” Suzanne DiBianca, Executive Director Salesforce.com Foundation.

The Salesforce.com Foundation is based on a simple idea: Donate 1% of salesforce.com’s resources to support organizations that are working to make our world a better place.

I strongly suggest you check it out –www.salesforce.com/foundation.

Thank you for all you do for your community. And, thank you for following my blog.

 Now, if you’ll excuse me I need to get back to thanking our donors.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites