Marketing plays an important role in the success of all businesses, and nonprofits are no exceptions. Nonprofit organizations that invest the time and resources into creating an effective marketing strategy will achieve their goals more easily than their counterparts that neglect marketing. Here are five reasons marketing is essential for a nonprofit’s success.
#1) Storytelling
Marketing allows nonprofits to tell their story, which in turn attracts donations. As explained by Huffington Post, storytelling is essential for nonprofit organizations. If your target audience doesn’t know what you do or why you do it, they won’t donate. Through marketing, nonprofits can share their story, encouraging prospects to donate.
#2) Beat the Competition
A sound marketing strategy can also help nonprofits differentiate themselves from their competitors. Statistics that more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations operate in the United States. With so many nonprofits vying for donors’ wallets, it’s difficult for smaller, newer nonprofits to succeed. Thankfully, a well-planned marketing strategy can help nonprofits overcome the competition and win the hearts of donors. Whether a nonprofit is facing one competitor or 100, marketing can help them succeed.
#3) Builds Trust
When done correctly, marketing can make a nonprofit organization more trustworthy in the eyes of its target audience. If a nonprofit’s website ranks high in Google, for instance, prospects will assume it’s a legitimate, trustworthy organization. On the other hand, prospects probably won’t trust a nonprofit that lacks a strong online presence and marketing strategy. This is just one more reason marketing is essential for a nonprofit’s success.
#4) Brand Exposure
Marketing, of course, increases brand exposure for nonprofit organizations. According to Forbes, brand recognition is key for a nonprofit’s success. If helps prospects remember nonprofits and what they do; thus, contributing to the nonprofit’s long-term success. If prospects don’t remember a nonprofit’s brand, they’ll probably donate to a different organization.
#5) Attract Donations
Perhaps the greatest benefit of marketing for nonprofits is increased donations. Using traditional offline tactics as well as online tactics, nonprofits can pitch their cause to prospects in hopes of attracting donations. Many nonprofits rely on donations to stay afloat. Without them, they’ll be forced to shut down. This problem can be avoided, however, by implementing a strong marketing strategy.
As you can see, marketing is an essential component in running a nonprofit organization. It allows nonprofits to tell their story, overcome competition, create a trustworthy image, improve brand exposure and attract donations.