How To Cover Your Marketing Basics Without A Budget

title_blog11
December 14, 2016 |

title_blog11When it comes to creating a budget for your nonprofit, marketing is an integral component. We know that nonprofit budgets are tight, and you need to save money anywhere you can. We’ve put together a list of some marketing basics that you must include when starting your nonprofit. Plus, we’ve added some DIY alternatives you can try:

    1. A logo. Your logo is an essential part of your nonprofit’s branding and is the piece that people are most likely recognize and remember. The logo should be designed in simple, clean type that is easy to read. If you can’t budget for a designer to create a custom logo, a quick one can be created on websites like VistaPrint or Canva.
    2. Business Cards. A crucial part of marketing is getting your name out there with print materials. The most basic print material that you can have in your nonprofit’s toolkit is business cards. You can find relatively cheap and easy-to-design options on sites like VistaPrint or Moo. Make sure the cards include your branding colors and/or logo and all relevant contact information.
    3. Website. There may be some things that you can skip when first starting your nonprofit, but a website is not one of them. It not only provides you visibility, it gives you credibility as a real nonprofit organization. It is a place where potential donors and volunteers alike can go to obtain information about who you are. First, buy a domain and hosting through sites such as GoDaddy or HostGator. If you don’t have room in your budget to hire a website designer just yet, create a temporary site by downloading a premade template using Wix, SquareSpace or WordPress. Be sure to test your website on mobile!
    4. Mailing list. Another integral part of your marketing basics should be getting your email list started. You can purchase a custom email domain from your website provider (like Wix) and set it up through a mail service such as Constant Contact or MailChimp. Both are free for a limited amount of contacts and allow you to quickly begin communications with your donor base.
    5. Update your social media profiles. At the minimum, you should update your LinkedIn profile with your nonprofit’s information and create a company page for them there. You should also considering creating a Facebook page for your nonprofit and updating those profiles with relevant information and photos. Make sure to limit your social channels when just starting to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

 

Going forward, it’s incredibly important to build marketing into your budget. Marketing is what convinces your audience to support your mission and drives donors and volunteers to you that many other ways of outreach just can’t. Although these basic steps are great for just getting started, when you’re ready, your nonprofit should consider getting professional branding, website design and social media management. When you’re ready to update your nonprofit’s marketing, contact us here!