With the start of the new decade, non-profits, schools and local governments should take a fresh look at their marketing strategies to determine if they’re current practices keep them relevant in this new age. When administrators and managers are so busy keeping operations running smoothly, it’s easy to put your outreach objectives on autopilot. Times have changed though, and what worked yesterday won’t work today.
When you take a look at your current marketing plan to see what needs to be updated, what should you be looking for? Start with this checklist:
Connecting The Dots
In order to see measurable objectives and goals met, organizational leaders must create a comprehensive marketing plan and execution strategy. This dynamic document connects the needs of your agency to effective marketing tools that have been proven successful in this new day. A solid marketing strategy first identifies the target audience and then determines the best ways to reach them, be it online or with more traditional methods.
What Exactly Are You Trying To Communicate?
Take a critical eye to any previous communications, be it advertisements, website copy, social media posts or blogs. Are they expressing a single, core message in a clear, engaging way? Before any outreach work begins, agency leaders must agree on what exactly should be expressed. The most memorable messaging is centered on values, but supported by data.
Also, don’t forget to prioritize the target audience. If the message doesn’t resonate, it will be impossible to cut through the overwhelming amount of media that bombards us daily.
Becoming A Thought Leader
To stand out from other agencies and gain respect, work to position your agency as an thought leader and expert in your field. Just because your agency or government department leads in your domain doesn’t mean your organization is top-of-mind to your stakeholders.
Position yourself as the expert by knowing the trending topics, having something to say about them, and knowing how to get your thoughts and ideas to your target audiences.
Every blog and social media post should be filtered through this lens. Sharing useful content will enhance your message’s ability to go get organic reach, so be strategic.
Do People Even Care?
Sometimes it’s not so much what you say, but how you say it. While clear messaging is crucial for success, so is utilizing modern methods for outreach. Your agency could connect with a more diverse and broad audience if you incorporated video in your strategies, even very short videos. Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram love video, so you’ll get a bump simply because they want more video on their networks.
If you’re worried that all of this will take up so much time (that you don’t have), there are tools available that allow for cross-posting to help reduce the demand. Apps like Buffer and Hootsuite may be something you’ll want to look into.
Working with marketing professionals, like the ones you’ll find at Creadio, can also take a load off your shoulders, ensuring your marketing strategies include the most up-to-date and engaging methods so you achieve the results you seek.