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Free Marketing Wisdom — Get It While It’s Hot

Free Marketing Wisdom -- Get It While It's HotMarketingSherpa is sharing some wisdom again in its just-released 2009 Marketing Wisdom report.The report features 94 useful real-life lessons learned last year by marketers just like you, each conveyed in a single paragraph. Great example of creative crowdsourcing too!

I’m a big fan of this report, read it annually and urge you to download it today, for free. Here’s what you’ll get out of it:

  • Succinct, engaging first-hand accounts of marketing techniques that work — from colleagues in nonprofit and business world.
  • Diversity of goals, perspective and experiences.
  • Easy-to-scan content, indexed by tactic, organization and contributor name.

As a bonus, the submissions provide an overview of trends in marketing. This year, the editors point to “email is not dead,” “clarity on the effectiveness of social networking” and the persistent importance of SEO (search engine optimization) as the big three trends.Is that what you’re seeing?

Dive in today and let me know what you learn and put to work.

P.S. Now here’s a bit of my wisdom! When a powerful tagline is joined to a compelling mission…nothing is impossible! Download the free Nonprofit Tagline Report for must-dos, don’t dos, case studies and 1,000+ nonprofit tagline examples!

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Nancy Schwartz on February 9, 2009 in Nonprofit Communications, Recommended Resources, Special Opportunities, Unique Approaches | 0 comments
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Change.Gov is Up — Obama Shares Vision, Plans & Hopes, Wants to Hear Yours

Change.Gov is Up -- Obama Shares Vision, Plans & Hopes, Wants to Hear Yours

Less than 48 hours after winning the election, the Barack Obama transition team has launched Change.Gov.

Like many sites, it’s a work in progress. For example, I see “content to come” as the only element on the America’s Service Plan page (at 11/6, 7pm eastern).

Frankly, it’s good to see that authenticity. After all, I’m sure there’s not an organization out there that’s  launched a 100% complete, 100% error free site, especially in two days. The way that Obama’s team shows their humanity is engaging. They’re not afraid of being real, like you and me, and that makes us feel closer to them. Win!

I’m also pleased to see continuity in message and values (yes, a President can have a brand), with citizens asked to share our visions, stories and perspectives on key issues. I’ve just submitted my vision and will let you know how it’s followed up. I know it will be.

The Obama team really shines in putting Web 2.0 to work. When I provided my email and zip code (not sure what for), I was thanked for “helping us remake Washington.” And there’s a blog too, complementing the user-generated content (visions, etc.). It’ll be interesting to see who blogs, if comments are accepted, etc. Just another way to read the new administration.

But what’s most exciting is my gut feeling that they’ll move beyond the sharing of visions and stories (which I’m sure will be shared back) and join these folks up with the 3.1 million campaign volunteers of MyBarackObama.com as some kind of mind-blowing citizen advisory board. That’s real community, and I can’t wait to see it take shape.

P.S. Learn how you can craft a compelling story for your org in 8 words or less. Download the free Nonprofit Tagline Report for must-dos, don’t dos, case studies and 1,000+ nonprofit tagline examples!

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Nancy Schwartz on November 6, 2008 in Campaign Marketing Models & Tips, Nonprofit Communications, Social Media, Unique Approaches, Web 2.0 | 4 comments
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You’re (In)Famous, and So Am I: MoveOn’s Personalized Video Paints Dark Future for Non-Voters

You're (In)Famous, and So Am I MoveOn's Personalized Video Paints Dark Future for Non-Voters

You've probably already received 10 emails about this "vote-or-else" campaign from MoveOn.org, but I have to chime in with my admiration. It's irresistible.

MoveOn.org has outdone itself with this funny, engaging but ultimately, extremely thought-provoking video news report from the future.  And the video and news site are peppered with the “suspected non-voter’s” name(mine, or yours). It's the ultimate in targeting. Take a look.

Even better, MoveOn.org makes the experience easy to share by filling in a simple form with your friends' contact info. You can make 'em laugh and make 'em think, in a second.

So vote, or else…

P.S. Learn how to craft the marketing message that matters most — your tagline. Download the free Nonprofit Tagline Report for must-dos, don't dos, case studies and 1,000+ nonprofit tagline examples!

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Nancy Schwartz on October 23, 2008 in Campaign Marketing Models & Tips, Nonprofit Communications, Unique Approaches, Video, Viral Marketing | 1 comment
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Here’s How a Committed Base Markets Your Org or Cause: YesWeCarve.com

Here's How a Committed Base Markets Your Org or Cause YesWeCarvecomI was delighted to learn about YesWeCarve.com, a funny but powerful pumpkin-carving campaign launched by Obama supporters.

The four imaginative individuals who got this going aren’t campaign staffers, but passionate Obama-ites who brainstormed this delightful way to spread the message via a far-too-commercial holiday.

Now everyone I know is passing this site around, discussing which design to use and planning to deliver an inspiring message on Halloween eve that’ll leave candy corn in the dust. Now that’s a powerful viral marketing base!

Here’s what your org has to have if you want your base to do the same:

  • A clear, inspiring impact in the communities you serve
  • The ability to stay real and reliable, consistent in your org "personality" and presence
  • Strong, iconic messaging (easy to remember, repeat and riff on).

With these three key factors in place, your base will have what it needs to get inspired and spread the word.  Now back to choosing our stencil design….

Tip of the hat to Celeste Wroblewski.

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Nancy Schwartz on October 21, 2008 in Campaign Marketing Models & Tips, Nonprofit Communications, Unique Approaches, Viral Marketing | 0 comments
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Rainforest Action Network Grabs Headlines — Connects Its Work w/Financial Crisis

Rainforest Action Network Grabs Headlines -- Connects Its Work wFinancial CrisisMy husband Sean, who works down in the Wall Street area, called in yesterday with this hot story: The Rainforest Action Network(RAN) had hoisted a huge "FORECLOSURE" banner, printed on a 150 square foot American flag, over the Wall Street bull. About 50 protesters and an interested crowd had gathered, including several media reps. Sean’s photos here.

Frame or be framed, as they say. RAN did a fantastic job in framing their campaigns as attacking the foundation of the current financial crisis. You see, RAN is generally perceived as a typical environmental organization. But for some time now, the org has broadened its focus to include a socially just and ecologically sustainable economy. It’s just that most people don’t think of RAN that way.

With today’s dramatic action, RAN linked its Global Finance and Sustainable Economies campaigns to a broader
concept of sustainability. In connecting its work with the financial debacle as follows, RAN grabbed headlines and boosted awareness of its focus, work and impact:

It is critical that we look beyond the bailout to the underlying cracks this crisis has exposed in our financial system. We have an unprecedented opportunity to rebuild our economy and establish a financial system that operates within ecological limits. It’s time for Americans to demand structural solutions that put families before financiers and the planet before profits.

Linking your org’s work and impact with page one news works time and again to boost media coverage. Make that connection clear to your media contacts who cover those issues/stories. It’ll increase awareness and engagement among your entire base while charging up your staff like the Wall Street bull.

P.S. Learn how to craft a compelling story for your org in 8 words or less. Download the free Nonprofit Tagline Report for must-dos, don’t dos, case studies and 1,000+ nonprofit tagline examples!

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Nancy Schwartz on October 2, 2008 in Advocacy, Branding and Messages, Case Studies, Nonprofit Communications, Unique Approaches | 0 comments
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On-the-Spot Marketing Works Every Time–The Ultimate in Targeting (Case Study)

On-the-Spot Marketing Works Every Time--The Ultimate in Targeting Case StudyThis magnet was centered on the fridge door of our Cape Cod rental. You couldn’t miss it even if you wanted to: Vacation over? Got extra food? Donate to Pantry Partners for Cape Cod Families in Need.

What a great example of smart, simple, inexpensive marketing by Pantry Partners, a young nonprofit now active in 12 Cape communities. Putting your call to action on the spot, when and where people are doing something related, works. I registered Pantry Partners’s request every time I opened the fridge, and you know where our remaining groceries went when we headed home.

Another beautiful example, which I forgot to photo document, is the row of small flag positioned alongside the tidal flat boardwalk at the Wellfleet Bay Audubon Society. These flags, posted at the level to which the water will rise (far above the boardwalk and most of the flora and fauna) call attention to the threat of a rising sea level in an immediate and graphic way.  Not quite as effective as the food drive fridge magnet, since most folks will walk that way only once on a trip, but high-impact nonetheless in making what is frequently an abstract concept extremely concrete.

Brainstorm on what marketing your org can execute “on the spot,” and let me know how it goes.

Get everything you need to know on nonprofit marketing via the in-depth case studies and articles featured in Getting Attention e-updates. You’re missing out on key guidance if you read this blog, but not the e- updates. Subscribe today!

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Nancy Schwartz on September 3, 2008 in Case Studies, Nonprofit Communications, Unique Approaches | 0 comments
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Reminders of Old Times Resonate in Tough Times

Reminders of Old Times Resonate in Tough TimesYesterday’s Get to the  Point! (Marketing Prof’s deliciously pithy daily bite on high-impact marketing) pointed to the resurgence of nostalgic references (both narrative and graphic) in these tough times.

The e-alert highlighted for-profits who are using old commercials and/or cultural references–including VW’s focus on the lovable bug, and McDonald’s returning to its classic Big Mac anthem (“two all-beef patties…..), but there’s a great opportunity to integrate these reassuring elements into your nonprofit marketing too.

Of course, it’s always more challenging to market a program or an issue, vs. a consumer product for which  buying is largely emotional. And its important for most nonprofit organizations to emphasize their innovation, not their traditionalism, but look back into your org’s past to see what treasure you may find.

Do you have:

  • A photo of a classic celebrity (Dean Martin, Jacky O) at a long-time-ago fundraiser?
  • An old brochure showcasing programs that are no more, but have been replaced by new ones addressing the same core issues in more effective ways (ideal to link the new and old)
  • An antique special event photo featuring attendees decked out in the duds of the day?
  • A donor or volunteer who hasn’t been active for quite a while, but might respond to an alumnae campaign?
  • A memory to share about the way your org used to do things, tied to a certain time, that is so different now (even how you used to reach your base via operator, vs. email now)?
  • A story to tell about the way your org used to do things, that is the same now, and working extremely effectively (ala some things never need to change)?
  • An idea for a refreshingly-different fundraiser (anyone for the roaring 20s)?

These are just a few ways for your organization to look back while continuing to move forward, providing satisfaction and reassurance in these uncertain times.  What strategies can you add to the list?

Get everything you need to know on nonprofit marketing via the in-depth case studies and articles featured in Getting Attention e-updates. You’re missing out on key guidance if you read this blog, but not the e-updates. Subscribe today!

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Nancy Schwartz on August 12, 2008 in Branding and Messages, Nonprofit Communications, Strategy, Unique Approaches | 0 comments
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Packing for Vacation? Don’t Forget Your Out-of-the-Office (OOO) Email

Packing for Vacation Don't Forget Your Out-of-the-Office OOO EmailWould you take off for two days or weeks without changing your voice mail message, leaving incoming callers who don’t receive a call back uncertain whether you’re still on staff with your organization, or still alive? Assuming your answer is no, then why not offer the same courtesy for folks getting in touch with you via email?

Too frequently, email coming in when you’re away falls into a black hole. The situation is made even worse by the sheer volume of email, which often overwhelms on return to the office. The result is frequently annoyance and skepticism that you (and your organization) are doing your job well.

Don’t forget that individual interactions (online, in phone, in person) are the grassroots of organizational marketing. The personal is the organizational in shaping impressions of your organization and motivating a desire to engage with you.

But there’s an easy solution — the out-of-the-office (OOO) email autoresponder (automatically-generated email). An effective out-of-the-office email includes:

  • Your dates away from the office, and whether its a business or pleasure trip
  • Whether or not you’ll be checking email and/or voicemail
  • Backup contact(s), with all contact info, to handle urgent needs (if possible)
  • A bit of yourself–Make it sound like you, rather than a robot. I received an out-of-the-office email this morning referring me to two of my contact’s colleagues. She’s on vacation but assures me, with her trademark enthusiasm, that her colleagues are “resourceful and fabulous, so you will be in good hands.”

A secondary benefit for recipients of your OOO email is that it resets their expectations of response, and serves as a cue to check back in with the you on your return to the office (knowing, as I do, that’ll you’ll have a thousand emails to review).

Don’t forget to ensure your colleagues organization-wide put OOO voicemails and autoresponders to work. Remember, everyone is your organization is a
communicator. Help colleagues do it right, through suggestion, example and maybe ten minutes of training. When they do so, they’re reflecting most positively on your organization. There’s no better branding than that.

P.S. More tips on making your org’s staff the best marketers possible here, from Convio’s Connection Cafe.

Get everything you need to know on nonprofit marketing via in-depth case studies and articles featured in Getting Attention e-updates. You’re missing out on key guidance if you read this blog, but not the e-updates. Subscribe today!

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Nancy Schwartz on July 31, 2008 in Nonprofit Communications, Unique Approaches | 1 comment
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Budget-Strapped For-Profits Seek Guidance from Resourceful Nonprofit Marketers

Budget-Strapped For-Profits Seek Guidance from Resourceful Nonprofit MarketersTalk about turning convention on its ear!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked to speak about putting for-profit marketing strategies to work for nonprofits. But now that the economy is in the dumps, and everyone’s challenged by too-small marketing budgets, perspectives are changing.

Get this: I just got a request from the South Florida chapter of the American Marketing Association to present on putting nonprofit marketing strategies to work for for-profits.

The best nonprofit marketers are innovative, scrappy, resourceful and persistent; qualities that should be shared by all marketers so they can do the most with whatever budget they have. I’m pleased to see that recession-based budget cuts are propagating that understanding.

Now how much should I really tell?

Get everything you need to know on nonprofit marketing via in-depth case studies and articles featured in Getting Attention e-updates. You’re missing out if you read this blog, but not the e-updates. Subscribe today!

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Nancy Schwartz on July 30, 2008 in Nonprofit Communications, Trends, Unique Approaches | 1 comment
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Interactive Timeline Compelling Alternative to All-Video-All-the-Time (EDC Case Study)

Interactive Timeline Compelling Alternative to All-Video-All-the-Time EDC Case StudyHow quickly hot new channels get cold. Not to suggest that video is old, but there is a lot out there. And when the nonprofit marketplace is full of video, it can be very hard to get attention.

That’s why I was particularly intrigued by the multimedia timeline served up by Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC) to spread the word on its impact over its 50-year lifetime:

Strategy
On the occasion of its 50th year, EDC wanted to build something that captured the spirit, depth and breadth of its work; that would enable its landmark programs to “come alive” in a way that a print compendium would not. Adding the interactive dimensions of Web 2.0, voice, and some real footage really made that happen. EDC dug into its archives, conducted and taped interviews, and wrote succinct summaries that capture voluminous bodies of work.

“The timeline serves an archival purpose for EDC, in that we have finally tracked down and collected the valuable information and bits of original materials that had been so dispersed over 50 years. Now we have this collection describing our landmark programs – finally – all in one place,” says Alison Cohen, media relations manager at EDC.

Roll Out
The timeline was launched at the annual meeting with more than 400 employees present. EDC created a recognizable icon symbol for the timeline and, following the annual meeting, and it on the EDC Web site, announcing it to its 1000+ employees around the world. The icon is also featured in all online and print publications, including the Annual Report.

Supplementary components include a postcard in the shape of the icon, which will be sent to EDC’s mailing list, and a seven-minute video (link at upper left corner of timeline page) profiling EDC leaders.

Impact
The response has been extremely positive from employees and colleagues. To date, the timeline has been viewed by over 1,000 site visitors, and generated wonderful accolades.

“The timeline is great for internal use, exciting current employees and staff new to the company, and as a recruiting vehicle for HR (for example, they can use the spin-off postcard at job fairs). It is equally effective for external use, letting potential funders know the scope of our work and allowing staff to showcase particular programs at conferences or as part of presentations,” reports Cohen.

Strengthen your nonprofit brand with the Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Report. You’ll get a free copy when you subscribe to the Getting Attention e-newsletter (featuring in-depth articles and case studies on nonprofit marketing).

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Nancy Schwartz on July 16, 2008 in Branding and Messages, Case Studies, Nonprofit Communications, Unique Approaches, Video | 3 comments
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