Make Your Brand a Household Name

When you’re committed to making a difference, it’s easy to invest all your energy into programming, and put marketing to the side as a daunting task for the future. Marketing must be a priority, though, if you want to engage your communities of supporters and beneficiaries around the great work that you do. Take the time to do it right — before you go out and start spreading the word, you’ll want to make sure you have:

• A solid brand identity
• A clear sense of your target audience
• A set of impact stories to feature in your marketing collateral

Having this in place will help you get the word out in the right way, to the right people.

Assessment: are your materials (verbal & visual) consistent?

When people hear your organization’s name or see your logo, what comes to mind? In a perfect world, they immediately think of your organization’s core mission, vision, and values. But getting to this point is no easy task. It requires a strong brand identity, including a set of consistent messages and visuals across all communication channels that convey the spirit of your organization. Investing the time to build your brand will give you a solid foundation to go forth and get your name out there.

Need help with this? Get professional, pro-bono assistance on these projects: Mission, Vision, & Values, Brand Messaging, Logo Design & Visual Brand Identity

Who is in your target audience?

Once you have a strong brand in place, it’s time to figure out the best communication channels for it to go through — and this is dependent on your target audience. Knowing whom you’re talking to is half the battle. For example, if you’re trying to mobilize the support of millennials, you’ll probably want to opt for more social media posts and less direct mail. Whom you are marketing to should determine how you communicate with them. This kind of deep knowledge will yield the highest return on investment (ROI).

Need help with this? Get professional, pro-bono assistance on these projects: Market Analysis, Marketing Strategy

Do you have a vault of impact stories for your marketing materials?

Whether you’ve chosen to prioritize email marketing, print materials, or another communication channel, your marketing collateral should elicit an emotional response from your audience.. People are drawn to stories (a combination of narrative & imagery). This is an effective way to communicate your impact and a human connection. Consider these strategies to source your stories:

• Quotes & testimonials from emails, events, phone calls, etc.
• Online surveys

Last but not least, don’t forget to take pictures at every chance you get! Photographs will always help bring your stories to life.

Need help with this? Get professional, pro-bono assistance on these projects: Storytelling, Photography, Online Survey

Are you engaging your community regularly?

The last thing you want to do is bombard your supporters with weekly emails about your annual gala when they haven’t heard from you in 6 months. Making consistent, thoughtfully timed contact with your community will ensure your organization is always top of mind for those who are passionate about your cause. Social media (Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, Instagram) is an easy, quick way to stay top-of-mind for your supporters. Consider also sending out a regular e-newsletter with the latest updates from your organization. If you invest the time to craft a solid template, all you need to do is fill in the blanks about your organization’s:

• Activities
• Events
• Impact

Having this structure in place will be a great reminder for your team as well about the amazing work you do everyday!

Need help with this? Get professional, pro-bono assistance on these projects: Communications Strategy, E-Newsletter, Social Media Plan

Still not sure where to start? Want to learn more about utilizing Catchafire for your organization’s marketing needs? Reach out to our Nonprofit Advisors at help@catchafire.org.