An amazing opportunity came my way this year! I was invited to New Zealand to keynote a first-time conference for charities and associations, focused solely on marketing.
So off I went — along with my husband and almost-8-year-old daughter Charlotte — to inspire and guide Kiwis striving to meet many of the same marketing goals as we are in the U.S. In addition to the keynote, I led a small group of passionate nonprofit marketers in crafting their marketing plans and elevator pitch.
Beyond the beauty of the land,the Kiwi warmth, and the thrill of exploring a place for the first time, there was a wonderful bonus for me in having (or taking?) the luxury of diving deep into thought to shape my five hours of content.
Messaging that connects is my passion. I believe strongly that your organization crafts powerful messages that do connect, you’ll do much better at motivating your community to act. So to prepare, I absorbed (or re-absorbed, in some cases) this set of 11 incredible resources, which helped me push myself way beyond what I knew already.
The process was exhilarating (it’s tough to get time out from the to-do list) both intellectually and creatively. It was like a spa for my nonprofit marketing mind and I now have many new ideas to try, fresh ways of looking at what I thought I knew cold and many conversations I want to have.
Dig into any of these resources to learn about how our wants, decisions and responses work, and how to shape your messages to meet those patterns:
- 2011 Edelman Trust Barometer
- Don’t Think of an Elephant!: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate–The Essential Guide for Progressives, George Lakoff
- How We Decide, Jonah Lehrer
- Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Robert B. Cialdini
- Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath
- Neuromarketing (blog), Roger Dooley
- Numbed by Numbers (article), Paul Slovic
- Story Telling as Best Practice, Andy Goodman
- The Upside of Irrationality, Dan Ariely
- Words That Work: It’s Not What You Say, It’s What People Hear, Dr. Frank Luntz
What should I dive into next? Please share resources that have been a spa for your nonprofit marketing mind.
Note: The book hyperlinks are partner links.