Nonprofit organizations can benefit greatly from engaging with a quality marketing consultant.
What is a nonprofit marketing consulting service?
A nonprofit marketing consulting service is a specialized type of marketing service that provides nonprofits with the expertise they need to be successful at fundraising and community engagement.
Nonprofit marketing consultants provide nonprofits with a variety of services, including:
- Strategic planning – This includes developing a long-term plan for your organization, which can include everything from defining your mission statement to determining where you want to focus your efforts in order to achieve your goals. It also involves developing an annual budget based on these plans so that you have money available when it’s time for action!
- Communications strategy – This refers to how you communicate with potential donors and other stakeholders in order to share information about what’s happening within your organization as well as why it matters (and how much). It could include things like writing press releases about new partnerships or other major events happening within the next few months; creating brochures explaining why someone should donate money or volunteer their time; setting up social media accounts like Facebook pages or Twitter feeds–anything really!
A brief history of the nonprofit marketing consulting industry
The nonprofit marketing consulting services has grown significantly over the past decade. According to the Nonprofit Marketing Guide, there were more than 8,000 nonprofits in the United States in 2007 and more than 11,000 by 2011. This number is expected to continue growing as more people become aware of the benefits of donating their time and money to causes they believe in.
The nonprofit marketing consulting industry has also seen major changes recently due to technology advancements that have transformed how organizations operate on a daily basis–and it shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon! The recession hit this sector especially hard because many companies couldn’t afford external consultants during tough economic times; however now that things are starting to turn around again we’re seeing an increase in demand for services like ours (and yours!).
The business of nonprofit marketing consulting services
You might be thinking, “Marketing? That sounds expensive and time consuming!” And you’re right. Marketing can be both of those things. But it’s also an incredibly effective tool for nonprofits to use when they’re trying to grow their organizations, raise more money, or increase donor retention.
Don’t believe me? Let me give you some numbers:
- According to the 2018 Nonprofit Marketing Benchmark Survey Report by CauseAnalytics and GuideStar Research Services (PDF), 58% of nonprofits say they have experienced growth in total revenue over the past three years as a result of their efforts at fundraising via digital marketing channels like email campaigns or website optimization–and that number is rising each year!
- In addition, research from Blackbaud shows that donors who give once per year are 10 times more likely than non-donors or infrequent givers (those who give less than once per year) will give again within three months after making their first gift.*
How to choose a nonprofit marketing consulting service
When choosing a nonprofit marketing consulting service, it’s important to find someone with a proven track record. The best consultants are those who have worked with other organizations similar to yours and can show you the results they achieved.
It’s also important that your consultant be a good fit for your organization. When selecting an outside firm or individual, it is imperative that you share common goals and values with them so that there is mutual understanding between both parties involved in this partnership.
Finally, it’s crucial that you choose a consultant who is willing to work on an ongoing basis with your organization over time–someone who will become part of your team rather than merely providing one-time advice or services. This way there will be no gaps in service delivery when working together because both sides know what each other needs from start-up through implementation (and beyond).
Which services should you be looking for in a nonprofit marketing consulting company?
While you may not be able to afford all of these services at once, it’s important to know what they are and how they can help your organization.
Here are some of the most common marketing consulting services:
- Marketing strategy: A comprehensive plan for where your organization wants to go in the next few years, including an analysis of its current state and goals for growth.
- Branding: Creating an identity or image for your nonprofit that represents its mission, values, beliefs and goals–and then communicating that image through all aspects of communication (including website design).
- Digital marketing: Using digital tools like social media platforms and email newsletters to reach potential supporters or volunteers with engaging content that inspires action on their part (such as donating money or volunteering). This includes building a website if you don’t already have one! * Public relations (PR): Getting coverage from traditional media outlets such as newspapers and magazines; online publications such as blogs; radio stations; television shows; etc., so people know about what you do at the organization–and why they should support it financially!
What are the best practices for engaging with a nonprofit marketing consulting company?
- Choose a company that is a good fit for your organization
- Make sure you have the right budget
- Make sure you have the right expectations from them and what they will do for you
- Have a clear understanding of what they will do and how they will do it
Nonprofit organizations can benefit greatly from engaging with a quality marketing consultant.
Nonprofit organizations can benefit greatly from engaging with a quality marketing consultant.
Marketing consultants can help you get the most out of your marketing budget by maximizing the value of your investments and ensuring that every dollar spent is used wisely. By implementing their expertise and experience, they will help you create a strategy that will help you reach your goals, including improving brand awareness, increasing engagement with current supporters and attracting new donors or volunteers. Most importantly, they will also work closely with nonprofit leaders in order to develop an identity for the organization that reflects its mission while standing out among competitors in its category (e.g., animal shelters versus zoos).
Conclusion
We hope that this guide has helped you understand the value of a nonprofit marketing consulting service and how to choose one. If you’re still unsure about whether or not it makes sense for your organization, we encourage you to reach out for more information!