Careers Business Ownership 5 Ways to Market Your Nonprofit Print Business Ownership Industries Nonprofit Organizations Retail Small Business Restauranting Real Estate Landlords Import/Export Business Freelancing & Consulting Franchises Food & Beverage Event Planning eBay E-commerce Construction Operations & Success Becoming an Owner By Joanne Fritz Joanne Fritz Joanne Fritz is an expert on nonprofit organizations and philanthropy. She has over 30 years of experience in nonprofits. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on 11/20/19 Marketing for a nonprofit is similar to promoting any business—do it well, do it professionally, and the public and media will love you. If you're just starting out or not familiar with marketing, then creating a nonprofit marketing strategy can seem like a daunting task. You can approach it by focusing on five interconnected areas first: branding, online presence, social media, fundraising, and media relations. Make a Mark Through Branding Alistair Berg/Digital Vision/Getty Images If you thought branding was only for corporations, think again. Building a brand is an essential component to creating an effective marketing strategy for any nonprofit. Some of the great, iconic brands of our lifetimes have been nonprofits: the American Red Cross, the March of Dimes, and the Salvation Army, to name a few. You can build a brand for your nonprofit as well. Creating an exciting mission statement and identifying the essence of your organization's culture are the first steps to doing this Get Online or Get Left Behind Oxford/E+/Getty Images There are more ways to promote your nonprofit online than just sending some emails, and a modern, dynamic website is key to doing that. Your website should be updated with fresh, compelling content on a regular basis. Online donations are also a great opportunity to grow your nonprofit, and your website should be set up to properly welcome and encourage donations. Set a Social Media Strategy PeopleImages.com/DigitalVision/Getty Images People of all ages have been changing how they interact with and donate to their favorite causes, and social media platforms have become a common place for people to do so. For that reason, social media also needs to be an integral part of your nonprofit's online presence. Be sure to set up accounts and content strategies across social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn to reach a wider audiences, and create Media Relations Still Matter Paul Bradbury/OJO Images/Getty Images Good media relations are at the heart of any nonprofit's effective promotional efforts. Learn how to use media contacts to your benefit. Also make sure you know how to successfully pitch stories and news to various media outlets by using storytelling best practices, whether you're promoting an annual fundraising event or handling an organizational crisis. Fundraising and Marketing Go Together Camille Tokerud / Getty Images Donations are essential to keeping any nonprofit going, and any of your organization's fundraising efforts need to have a marketing and promotion plan, whether you're running planned giving programs, annual fund campaigns, events, or cause-related campaigns. In fact, fundraising, public relations, and marketing all work together.