Communications
Communications consultants and firms offer a wide range of tools to help you tell your story and explain why what you do is important. They can help you rev up your communications efforts to be more persuasive, influential, or targeted.
You can create materials and communications piece by piece, but having a comprehensive, integrated communications strategy can make your communications more powerful and organization messaging consistent across platforms.
- Kivi's Nonprofit Marketing Guide
- Smart Chart 3.0
- Who's in Charge of Communications These Days?
- Nonprofit Communications: Are they helping you build relationships?
- Four Questions Mission-driven Communicators Need to Ask
- Nonprofit Communications Plan Template
Marketing
If you need to promote your services or an advocacy position, start by doing some research. Research does not have to be expensive or complicated. If you want to make sure your clients understand your services, ask a few clients to read your draft brochure and give you feedback. Give your pitch to a friend who doesn’t know much about your issue to see if you are getting your message across without jargon.
If you have the time and money, research that is more comprehensive will help you hone your message. The more robust the research, the better you can target your messages. Will Rogers said, “people's minds are changed through observation and not through argument.” What story, image, or experience will make your case for you?
Be sure your marketing ties into your business plan and to your case for funding. You not only want to have a consistent clear message to the community, but you want to have your ducks in a row for those within the organization.
- Not Just for Madison Avenue: The Basics of Nonprofit Marketing
- Marketing Plan Template [Word download]
Social Media & Public Relations
Public relations and social media can help you spiff up your organization’s image — or do damage control when something bad happens. PR consultants can build multi-pronged, multi-layered campaigns that can sustain your organization's visibility.
Social media puts free or low-cost tools in your hands, and lets you move at the speed of the Internet. Just be sure you are clear about who you want to reach and what you want them to know. And no dilly-dallying! Make sure you can deliver the quick responses social media users expect.
For more social media resources, including the Social Media Audit, or check out our Tech Knowledge Center.
- Social Media for Nonprofits - Part 1 [PDF download]
- Social Media for Nonprofits - Part 2 [PDF download]
- A collection of social media articles by Groundwire