Selling.Good.Works.

Chris Houchenswww.ChrisHouchens.com@shotgunconcepts

Fundamentals of Marketinga Non-Profit Organization

Marketing is not a

dirty word.

Non-profits have “customers”

Non-profits are a “business”

Non-profits need “marketing”

There are over

1,500,000non-profit organizations in the United States

Source: National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS)

You and your cause are

insignificant

(to most people)

Marketing is not a dirty word

• Marketing is an attention-grabbing tool• Marketing is persuasion tool• Marketing is an information tool

Marketing?

• To communicate a consistent intended message to a specific intended audience.

• Marketing is NOT just advertising.• Marketing is NOT just PR.• Marketing is NOT just sales.• Marketing helps CREATE the sales

opportunity.• Successful marketing develops long term

relationships

Great Marketing…

• Begins with the Product

• Driven by Message

• Sustained through the Relationship

“Tastes likeChicken”is NOT a

compliment

Marketing messagesshould be conversations,

not announcements.

Typical Non-Profit Message Cycle

Send usmoney

Have you heardwe need money?

We needmoney

Effective Non-Profit Message Cycle

Send usmoney

Here’s the storyof what we do

Here are the resultsof how your money helped

How what we doaffects you

Keys to marketing message success

• Respect the audience– Ask for the audience’s attention first– Share relevant information with a relevant

audience

• Communicate truthfully

BRANDAny organization’s

most valuable asset

Successful non-profit brands have a face

Case Study: Brand Kentucky

• State was spending $2.5 million annually for separate & overlapping ad agencies and marketing campaigns

• Governor proposed an unified state brand• Goal: Provide an unified message for tourism & economic

development• Citizens voted for logo at welcome centers & online

Case Study: Brand Kentucky

=

As viewed from the other 49 states,

Brands are created by the consumer, not the marketer!

Logo ≠ Brand

Branding SuccessMicrowave vs. Slow Cooker

Non-profit Branding Strategies

• Abstract ideas are hard to sell– Tell stories

• Develop a unified consistent look• Maintain a core message

Public Relations

• What is P.R.?– Unpaid coverage of your business in the media– NOT – Public perception (that’s your brand)

• A PR program is PART of your marketing strategy....... not the other way around

• Best Part - $$ - FREE - $$• Worst Part – Lots of time and work• Extremely effective & credible• OVERALL GOALS of a PR Program:

– Establish credibility and Become a “source”– Free Coverage

PR Hints and Tips

• Press Releases– Is it News or an Ad?

• Media Opportunities– Media List / Contacts– Media / Press Kits

• Persistence with media is the key• MUST be ongoing and active

Non-profit Marketing Troubles

• Money• People

– Limited marketing knowledge / experience– High turnover rate = loss of relationships

• Multiple messages to multiple audiences– Coordinating delivery of those messages

• Focus on the mission rather than the marketing

• Apathy

Working with a small (no) budget

• More than half of all non-profits have annual budgets less than $200,000

• Solutions:– Make every dollar work (marketing plan)– Media Relations / PR– Become a pro-bono marketing client– Guerilla Marketing

Low Cost “Guerilla” Marketing

• #1 Method - Word-of-Mouth / “Buzz”– Referrals from customers, friends, vendors, etc

• Brochures / Posters / Printed Literature• Build marketing into current paper trail

– Business cards, fax sheet, letterhead, e-signatures• On-Hold Message• Community Events / Trade Shows• Articles / Publishing• Ad Specialties / Gifts• Cross Promotions / Alliances• Networking• Seminars / Workshops• Public Relations - Press Releases - Media Show

People Problems

• Majority of non-profits have less than the equivalent of 2 full time employees

• Average non-profit employee only stays with the organization for 1.5 years

• Majority of non-profit work is done by volunteers

Alliances

• ONLY when 1+1=3– Other non-profits– Schools– Businesses– Government– Media– Chambers of Commerce– Civic Groups

Dealing with Multiple Audiences

• The BIG 3 target markets for non-profits– Clients / Constituents– Donors– Volunteers

• Other important groups– Media– Staff– Board Members– Government / Lobby– Other?

• Each group needs attention in the marketing plan

Databases are your friend

• Deal with multiple audiences & items– Segmentation

• Donors• Events• Other

• Methodology– personal– mailings– calls– electronic

• Research leads to positive market development

Only 46% of non-profits have a strategic or business plan.

A Marketing Plan...

• Defines Marketing Costs• Shows Marketing Value• Defines Mission / Provides Focus• Written Game Plan• Evolving Document

A Marketing Plan isOn Paper…On Purpose

Essential elements of a Marketing Plan

• A bare bones marketing plan should include:– Who / what you are (brand)– Where you want to go– How you’re going to get there– Who do you want to talk to? (target market)– Budget– Simple summary of strategy– Timetable of Actions

• Less is (sometimes) more

Where’s your web presence?

WebsiteEmail

FacebookTwitter

SearchResults

ViralVideo

Online (digital) giving keeps growing

• 2001 -- 9/11– 20% of giving was online

• 2004 -- Asian Tsunami– 33% of giving was online

• 2006 -- Hurricane Katrina– 50% of giving was online

• 2010 -- Haiti– 81% of giving was online or digitally based

Fundamental E-Marketing

• Online Spending– Budget for Website– Banner Ads– Contextual Search Advertising– SEO – Search Engine Optimization

• E-mail Marketing– Phishing / Spam– Permission-Based

• Blogs / Social Media

What do you mean bySocial Media?

• Blogs• Microblogs

– Twitter

• Video– Google & YouTube– Revver

• Social Networks– MySpace– Facebook

• Wikis• Photo

– Flickr– Photobucket

• Virtual reality– Second Life

• Social / News Bookmarks– Digg– Reddit– Del.icio.us

Community / user generated content

BrandStrategy

PREfforts

Advertising

CorporateMessages

Media&

Press

Gatekeepers

Consumers&

Public

WordOf

Mouth

Traditional Marketing

Social Media Marketing

BrandStrategy

PREfforts

Advertising

CorporateMessages

Consumers&

Public

WordOf

Mouth

Social Media are

NOTmass media.

Warhol Revisited

“In the future,everyone will be famous for

15 minutes.”

With social media,everyone is famous to

15 people.

Do NOT use Social Media asa press release machine

• Kaimana• Shanti• Aurora• Humphrey • Mikaela • Kaimana

Mr. Splashy Pants

Tracking / Effectiveness

"I know that half my advertising works...I just don't know which half." John Wanamaker (1838- 1922)

If this is true of your business...

STOP ADVERTISING

We’re not finished…

• Biggest opportunity for FAILURE is right after the marketing begins

• Inform all your touchpoints– everyone who gets a paycheck from you – all volunteers!

• Develop a tracking system

Takeaways

• Non-profit marketing is not evil• Craft marketing messages that appeal to

what the market wants to hear; not what you want to say

• Develop a marketing plan• Cultivate the brand• Get online• The challenge is worth it

Thank YouConnect with Chris &

read his marketing blog:

www.ChrisHouchens.com

Follow Chris on Twitter:

twitter.com/shotgunconcepts

Find Amazon links &more about the book at:

www.BrandZeitgeist.com

Find these slides online at

www.slideshare.net/shotgunconcepts