From surviving to thriving: The 8 steps to marketing your not for profit

Information for everyone!

Is this your approach to branding?

From surviving to thriving : The 8 steps to marketing your not for profit in an

increasingly competitive environment


Step 1. Don’t be an ostrich You’ve got to think about branding and marketing whether you like it or not. And, whether you’ve got budget or not. You can run marketing campaigns on a shoestring if you have to.


Step 2. Think like a business Service provision and the human response is still an essential part of your focus. But you’ve got to shift your thinking to one of attraction, retention and engagement in an increasingly competitive market.

This can be challenging – particularly because we are talking about real people with real needs, not just numbers on a spreadsheet. If you’re not thinking – and marketing – like a business already, you need to change your approach.


Step 3. Resource marketingYou can’t market properly if you don’t have the right person (or people) to:

develop and implement your marketing plan

identify your audiences

shape and communicate messages for those audiences on an ongoing basis.

If you’re on a shoestring, this can be a volunteer, if you get the right volunteer. If you’ve got room in your budget for marketing, use it well and you will reap the rewards.


Step 4. Identify your audiencesIn marketing speak, identifying your different target audiences is called segmentation.

By segmenting your audiences, and targeting your marketing efforts at those audiences, you’ll get better results.

Avoid the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.


Step 5. Develop the right collateral Review your brand if necessary. Get a great website.

Use a call-to-action on your website. Ask people to sign up to receive an important and highly useful piece of collateral – such as an e-book, template or tool.

Review your website based on evidence from Google Analytics. What are your target audiences looking for?

Review printed materials based on the audiences you have identified. Identify the purpose of each publication and consolidate if you can.

Whatever strategy you use, follow up.


Step 6. Prioritise quality Word of mouth can make you or break

you.

Your staff are your best ambassadors.

The quality of your services should support and enhance your marketing efforts.


7. Communicate Communicate, and then communicate some more. Do this in an effective way with everyone who comes in contact with your organisation. Resource ongoing communication.

Communicate on a regular basis.

Use social media. Regularly.

Use email marketing.

Don’t let your website become

tired, static or out of date.


8. Think about accessibility Use accessibility to connect with your target groups. Don’t

miss out on the opportunity to connect with people with disability, who make up 18% of our community.

The literacy levels in our community are lower than you might think. In Australia, more than 40% of the adults in our community have literacy levels below what is considered enough to get by in everyday life.

There are technical requirements for web accessibility. You should consider whether or not your website can be used by people with disability.


Case study: SASIBefore


After

www.sasi.org.au


What did SASI do right? They recognised that their brand no longer resonated with

the community.

They put some dollars into branding and resourcing communications. Not a lot of dollars, but enough to overhaul their brand and make a huge difference to the way they connect with their various audiences.

They communicate regularly and consistently.

They built recognition and visibility in the community.


Case study: DSA

Visit our website to read the case study of the new brand for Down Syndrome Australia and learn how a brand can change everything.


The Information Access Group The Information Access Group is a full service agency that specialises in accessibility. The services we offer include:

•branding, marketing and communications support•editorial services, including plain language and Easy English•graphic design •accessible website development •research and focus group testing •training and consultation.

We work with a range of clients in the government,

disability and community sectors.


Contact details

www.informationaccessgroup.com

(03) 9585 2299

[email protected]

Marketing

From surviving to thriving: The 8 steps to marketing your not for profit