Your Non-Profit’s Guide to Marketing

As a non-profit organization, you face unique challenges when it comes to marketing. You need to generate awareness for your cause, attract donations, and engage volunteers, all while working with a limited budget.

That’s why it’s important to have a solid non-profit marketing plan in place. By understanding your audience and using the right marketing channels, you can reach your goals and make a difference.

For everyone from large, established non-profits to small, local organizations, Dreamscape Marketing can help you take your marketing to the next level. Through industry-leading SEO, website design, social media, email marketing, and call tracking services, we can help you achieve your goals and make a lasting impact.

Marketing your non-profit organization is about more than bringing in revenue. It’s about making a difference. Work with a team who understands your mission and who delivers real results. We invite you to reach out to our team for a complimentary consultation.

And as you get started, the guide below will help you understand some of the essential building blocks of a non-profit marketing plan.

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Table of Contents

What Sets Non-Profit Marketing Apart

It’s clear that the approach to marketing for a non-profit organization is different from that of a for-profit business. A few ways that non-profit marketing is unique include:

Focusing on your mission

Your digital marketing strategy should always be focused on furthering your mission. Every decision you make, from the topics you write about to the partnerships you form, should be in service of your organization’s goals.

Engaging your supporters

One of the best things about working for a non-profit organization is the engaged and passionate supporter base. Your marketing efforts should engage your supporters and keep them updated on your work volunteer opportunities

Building relationships

As a non-profit, you likely have strong relationships with other organizations in your field. Your marketing strategy should focus on leveraging those relationships to benefit both parties.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

As a non-profit organization, you know that generating awareness for your cause is essential to your success. And one of the best ways to do that is through search engine optimization (SEO).
SEO is the process of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). When potential donors or volunteers search for terms related to your organization, you want your website to appear as close to the top of the SERP as possible.

Having a strong online presence is essential for any organization, but especially for non-profits. Why? Because people are more likely to donate and get involved with organizations that they can easily find and learn about online.

If your non-profit organization doesn’t appear in search results, you’re missing out on a major opportunity to engage with the community.

That’s where SEO comes in. By optimizing your website for search engines, you can ensure that your organization appears in SERPs and reach a wider audience. Some of the biggest benefits of SEO include:

Generating awareness for your cause

Attracting more donors and volunteers

Engaging with potential supporters

Building trust and credibility

Improving website traffic

Lowering marketing costs

While seeing results from SEO can take time, it’s one of the most cost-effective marketing tools for non-profits. And once you start to see results, the benefits can be long-lasting.

Content Marketing

One of the most important aspects of SEO is content marketing. Content marketing is the process of creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and engaging content to attract and retain an audience.

When it comes to non-profit content marketing, the goal is to generate awareness and engagement for your cause. The type of content you create will depend on your audience and your goals. But some common types of content for non-profits include:

  • Blog posts
  • Videos
  • Infographics
  • Social media posts
  • Whitepapers and eBooks
  • Press releases

Content marketing is an essential part of any SEO strategy. That’s because search engines like Google use the content on your website to determine your ranking in SERPs.

If you want your non-profit organization to rank higher in search results, you need to create high-quality content that’s relevant to your audience. Interesting, informative, and well-written content will not only help you rank higher in SERPs, but it will also help you engage potential supporters and donors.

Keyword Research

One of the best ways to create content that ranks higher in SERPs is to use relevant keywords throughout your website. Keywords are the terms and phrases that people use when they search for information online.

For example, if someone is searching for “ways to donate to charity,” they might use the keyword phrase “donate to charity.” Or, if someone is searching for “volunteer opportunities near me,” they might use the keyword “volunteer opportunities.”

When you choose the right keywords for your website, you can ensure that your content appears in SERPs when people search for those terms. And the higher you rank, the more likely people are to find and engage with your content.

Backlinking

While aspects of marketing like website design and content are the visible part of your digital marketing strategy, backlinking is the invisible part. Backlinks are links from other websites that point to yours, and they’re an important ranking factor for search engines.

The number of backlinks you have is one indication of the trust and authority of your website. So, the more backlinks you have, the higher you’re likely to rank in SERPs.

Some of the best ways to get backlinks for your non-profit website include:

  • Listing your organization in directories
  • Submitting articles to relevant publications
  • Creating partnerships with other organizations
  • Engaging in social media outreach
  • Reaching out to local and national media outlets

Google Business Profile

A key part of a robust marketing plan for a non-profit is claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile. Your Google Business Profile is a free listing that appears when people search for your organization.

When you claim your Google Business Profile, you can control the information that appears about your organization. You can also add photos, videos, and other content to help people learn more about your cause.

Reviews are also an important part of your Google Business Profile. When people see positive reviews, they’re more likely to trust your organization. So, it’s important to encourage your supporters to leave reviews, and for you to respond to reviews individually.

Your non-profit marketing plan isn’t complete without a Google Business Profile. So, if you haven’t claimed yours yet, now is the time!

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Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Campaigns

SEO is just one way to ensure that your content appears in search engine results pages (SERPs). Another way is through pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.

PPC is an advertising model in which you pay a fee every time someone clicks on your ad. These ads appear at the top of SERPs, and they can be a great way to get more eyes on your content.

These are especially effective because they allow you to target your audience very specifically. You can choose the keywords that trigger your ad, as well as the location and language. And tracking tools allow you to see how effective your PPC campaign is. Since you only pay when someone clicks on your ad, you can be sure that you’re getting a good return on investment.

Website Design

Your website is one of the most important tools in your non-profit marketing arsenal. It’s often the first impression potential supporters and partners will have of your organization, so it’s important to make sure that your website is designed for success.

There are a few key elements that every effective website should have. These include:

A clear and concise message

Your website should have a clear message that tells visitors who you are and what you do. This should be front-and-center on your homepage, and it should be reinforced throughout your website.

Easy navigation

Your website should be easy to navigate, so that visitors can find the information they’re looking for. This means having a clear menu structure and using descriptive titles and headings.

High-quality content

Your website should be filled with high-quality, well-written content. This will help to build trust with visitors and keep them engaged with your site.

Mobile-friendly design

It’s important to make sure that your website is designed for mobile devices. This means having a mobile-responsive design that automatically adjusts to display correctly on different screen sizes.

Attractive visuals

In addition to great written content, your website should also have attractive visuals. This includes photos, infographics, and videos.

Mobile Responsiveness

Having a website that’s optimized for mobile devices is critical in today’s market. More than 60% of internet traffic now comes from mobile devices, so it’s important to make sure that your website loads and displays correctly, and looks good, on mobile. There are a few things to keep in mind when designing for mobile devices. Quick loading times, simple designs, and easy-to-navigate menus are all important. And you’ll also want to make sure that any forms or conversion points are easy to use on a small screen

If your website isn’t mobile-responsive, you could be missing out on a lot of potential business. Not only will you lose out on website visitors, but you’ll also be at a disadvantage in search engine results, as the search algorithms favor mobile-responsive pages.

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Social Media

Highlighting recent events, telling success stories, and engaging with potential supporters on social media can be a great way to raise awareness for your non-profit.

Community is at the heart of non-profit organizations, so it’s important to use social media to build relationships with potential supporters. This means engaging in two-way conversations, responding to comments and questions, and sharing content that followers will find valuable.

You’ll also have the opportunity to establish your non-profit as a thought leader in your industry by sharing blog posts, infographics, and other types of content. And social media is a great way to promote events and fundraisers.

The platforms that Dreamscape Marketing can help you set up and run social media campaigns on include:

LinkedinInstagramSnapchatYouTube

In addition, your website should have social media buttons that make it easy for visitors to share your content. And don’t forget to include your contact information, including a link back to your website, in the profile for each account.

Retargeting

When someone visits your website, they’re not always ready to donate or take action. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t stay in front of them and continue to engage them with your non-profit.

Retargeting is a form of online advertising that allows you to show ads to people who have already visited your website. This is done by placing a piece of code on your website, which then enables you to show ads to these users as they browse the web.

Retargeting can be a great way to keep your non-profit top of mind, and it can be used to promote specific campaigns or events. Since you’re only targeting people who have already shown an interest in your organization, retargeting can be a very effective way to use your marketing budget.

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Media Production

While digital marketing is important, there’s still a place for traditional marketing tactics like print media. And in many cases, a combination of digital and traditional marketing can be the most effective approach.

For non-profits, print media can be a great way to reach a local audience. This could include things like quarterly magazines, flyers, posters, and postcards. And you can use these materials to promote events or fundraisers or simply raise awareness for your organization. Direct mail, in particular, can be a great way to reach potential donors.

These efforts can complement your digital marketing campaigns and help you reach a wider audience.

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Email Marketing

Email marketing is a great way to stay in touch with your supporters and keep them updated on your work and opportunities to engage with your non-profit organization. You can use email to promote events, share success stories, and ask for donations.

Used strategically, email can be a powerful tool for non-profits. But it’s important to make sure that your emails are well-designed and relevant to your audience with clear and easy to follow calls-to-action.

Hosting and Tracking

While your website is the foundation of your digital marketing plan, it’s important to have a plan for how you’re going to host and track your campaigns. Tracking your campaigns will allow you to see what’s working and what’s not, and it will help you adjust as needed.

Hosting

You’ve custom-designed a website for your non-profit, and now you need a reliable hosting solution to make sure it’s always available. Your hosting package should include regular backups, security features, and customer support.

At Dreamscape Marketing, we understand the importance of having a reliable hosting solution. That’s why we rely on two dedicated servers to host our clients’ websites. This ensures that there is always enough server space and bandwidth to accommodate high traffic levels.

Call Tracking

It’s important to track the performance of your marketing campaigns, and that includes tracking phone calls. Call tracking allows you to see how many people are calling your organization as a result of your marketing efforts.

This information can be very valuable in understanding the effectiveness of your campaigns. And it can help you make decisions about where to allocate your resources. Setting up a unique phone number for each of your marketing campaigns is an easy way to track calls and get valuable insights into your marketing efforts.

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Analytics

Analytics are essential for understanding the performance of your website and your digital marketing campaigns. With analytics, you can track things like how many people visit your website, how they found it, and what pages they looked at.

This information can be very valuable in understanding your audience and making decisions about your marketing strategy. You’ll want to track:

Website traffic – How many people are visiting your website?

Referral traffic – How are people finding your website?

Pageviews – Which pages on your website are people looking at?

Time on site – How long are people staying on your website?

Conversions – How many people are taking the actions you want them to take on your website?

With analytics, you can track your progress and make sure that your marketing efforts are paying off.

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