The Key to Better Promotions? Integrated Efforts.
Your nonprofit has an upcoming event or fundraiser that you need to start promoting.
Do you go all-in on social media? Do you focus entirely on printing flyers? Or do you put everything into email marketing?
There are so many different ways you can tackle your promotion efforts… but the truth is that picking just one promotion method can do more harm than good.
The risk of going too narrow with promotions
Say you decide to promote your next event exclusively on social media.
That’s a good way to reach people who already follow you. It’s a less good way to reach people who aren’t following your social media or who turn to your email newsletters for their updates.
The best way to approach promotions is to create an integrated marketing plan that keeps things consistent across channels — and here’s how each of those channels works best.
Social Media Marketing
Social media promotions are about keeping your nonprofit top of mind with photos and videos. our promotional posts on this platform should inform, educate, tell a story, and remind your followers what your nonprofit does and why. Social media platforms also make it easy for followers to engage, ask questions, and share your posts (do some promoting for you).
Remember: social media isn’t the best way to ask for donations, registrations, or email sign-ups, because you can’t easily add links to posts or direct people to other places. After all, apps are designed to keep people on them.
Email Marketing
Email promotions are about sharing specific information and details about the event or fundraiser in question.
Your promotional emails should give your audience high-level information, like what the event is, why it’s happening, and why they should care. It should also have a clear call to action that leads to wherever people can sign up, donate, or apply to volunteer.
With email promotions, it’s important to keep your content focused and on track. Give the important details, but avoid getting too “in the weeds.” You can’t share every little detail, but you can give direct links to learn more on your website.
Print Materials
Print marketing materials like flyers and brochures are about giving your audience information, but ultimately getting them to take action.
Your print materials should send people back to your website for next steps, like donating, downloading a volunteer application, or registering for an event. You can do this with a URL that they can type in or a QR code (but the QR code is definitely faster).
While you can make new flyers for every event, the most efficient way to handle print materials is by making them evergreen — no specific dates, times, or staff names. That way, you can just update the website page your QR code directs to instead of printing new materials.
Make sure everything points back to your website
No matter what promotion methods you decide to use for your next event or fundraiser, they should all lead back to your website.
Your nonprofit’s website is the most accessible marketing channel. Everyone can look up information on your website, without having to sign up for a social media account or join a mailing list they’re not sure they want to be on.
Plus, keeping your website updated and organized is just good practice! It builds trust with your supporters, gives you a platform to share transparency updates (like 990s and annual reports), and is way easier to update than anything that’s already “out in the wild.”
An integrated promotion plan that’s anchored to your website helps you ensure your messaging is consistent — no matter where somebody sees it.
Next steps:
- Review your website for correct and up-to-date information.
- Look at your last month of social media content. Is that information easy to find from the home page of your website?
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Check all of your links
- Does your website have social media links? Do they work?
- Does your social media bio link to your website? Does that link work?
See you in two weeks!
Catrina
