How Successful Executive Directors See Marketing (And Why It Matters)
Are your nonprofit’s marketing efforts truly moving you forward? Or are they just something that gets checked off the daily “To-Do” list?
The most successful nonprofit organizations I’ve worked with see their marketing (and brand) as part of the bigger picture… but that perspective doesn’t just stop with the marketing team.
It goes all the way up to the Executive Director.
EDs with a marketing mindset understand that a strong brand is crucial to nonprofit success because it can help with everything from building trust and connecting with your audiences to growing your programs and services and getting sponsors for events.
The nonprofits with the strongest brands are usually the ones with brand-focused EDs, and here’s what that mindset boils down to.
They see marketing as an investment, not an expense
The EDs who help their team’s marketing efforts move the needle are the ones who understand marketing is an investment, not just an expense.
They know that growing their organization’s programs and services requires reaching more people, and reaching more people means putting time, effort, and funds into marketing.
Keeping your organization visible across different channels, communicating the impact you have on your community, and telling a compelling story about your “why” is how you earn trust and funding and the strongest nonprofit brands are backed by EDs who support that 100%.
They know that building a brand means building relationships
Brand-focused EDs also understand that building a brand can’t be done without building relationships, because they’re two sides of the same marketing coin.
So, they share stories that truly connect with their audience. They invite supporters to be involved however they can. And they stay in touch consistently (outside of donation asks).
Relationship-building also looks like asking for feedback on how things are going and how to make them more meaningful. EDs that prioritize branding know that a good relationship is a two-way street, and the relationships you’re building should benefit the other person, too!
They understand marketing needs to be expert and strategic
For nonprofit marketing to be successful, it needs to be strategic and expert-driven and EDs that prioritize brand-building know those tasks can’t fall to volunteers or students.
That’s because marketing is more than just posting a graphic, sending an email, or printing a flyer - things that can easily be done by someone who isn’t as ingrained in the organization.
Knowing how to send the right message to the right audience, figuring out which social media platform is worth the effort, investing in ads based on metrics… these are all things that take a marketing expert. And a brand-focused ED won’t hesitate to let those experts take charge.
They put consistency at the forefront of everything they do
EDs with a marketing mindset also know that the key to maintaining a strong nonprofit brand is consistency and that’s where creating systems comes in.
Brand-focused EDs ensure their team has a system (or systems) for consistent marketing, making it easy for internal teams, volunteers, donors, and community members to participate.
These systems might look like creating a central Drive to streamline the photo collection process, or an easy-to-use form to get event testimonials. No matter what your systems look like, the best EDs know they’re a must-have for strong, streamlined, and intuitive marketing.
So, what’s next?
Take a look at how your organization approaches marketing, whether that’s at the ED level or just within your marketing team. Ask yourself:
Are we approaching marketing as a long-term investment in our brand?
Are we prioritizing relationship-building as much as campaign-building?
Are we letting the marketing experts handle the strategy and execution?
Are we putting consistency above all else (and are we making it easy)?
If you can’t confidently answer “yes” to every question, then it’s time to get inspired, take action, and start moving things forward and I can help!
Clever Ideas Marketing® works with nonprofits and community organizations to increase awareness and reach with consistent and effective marketing. Schedule a free call here.
