INDUSTRY INSIGHTS YOUR PEERS ARE READING
We’re wrapping up our Storytelling Series based on the marketing book, Made to Stick (Amazon link) by Chip Heath and Dan Heath today. We have broken down the Challenge Plot and the Creativity Plot and how nonprofits can use them in their stories. Today we look at: The Connection Plot Of the three different story plots, this one is the hardest to pull off. If you don’t get it right, your story will sound sappy or manipulative. MORE
Queen and Crescent Hotel Bar. New Orleans, LA Happy Friday! Are you ready for the best articles, posts, tips, and more from around the world of marketing and fundraising? This week, we’ve got the state of social media, storytelling, and creating the perfect video. MORE
In previous posts, I’ve shared with you the twelve most common nonprofit marketing and communications goals and the twelve most common nonprofit marketing and communications strategies. Today let’s talk about the types of objectives you should have in your communications plan. Objectives are the SMART steps you take to achieve a strategy, and at Nonprofit Marketing Guide, we prefer to define SMART as Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Resourced, and Time-Bound. MORE
Guest Post By John Haydon You already know that Facebook Live lets any nonprofit live-stream fundraising events , breaking news, impact stories, and more, directly from their Facebook Page. But did you know that Facebook lets nonprofits add a donate button to their Facebook Live broadcast ? MORE
I could sure use the weekend! But before we head our separate ways, here are the best articles, posts, tips, and more from around the world of marketing and fundraising. This week we will spark joy, kill Facebook, and make less money than men. MORE
A few weeks ago I shared Why Stories Are Important for Nonprofits and promised some more ideas on how to actually write those stories. In their marketing book, Made to Stick (Amazon link), Chip Heath and Dan Heath identify three different types of inspirational stories: the Challenge Plot, the Creativity Plot and the Connection Plot. They each have very basic elements that anyone can use especially if you are just starting out with storytelling. MORE
Curious if your salary as a nonprofit communications director is in line with what others are making? There’s a huge range depending on the size of your nonprofit and where you live. Check out the salary data for U.S. MORE
As I watch nonprofits embracing content marketing as a strategy, I see a few places where they just aren’t quite getting it right. I think that’s because they are ignoring five truths about successful content marketing. TRUTH 1: Good content marketing is more about the objective than the content itself. Content is just content. What makes something content marketing is your ability to use content to achieve a marketing objective. So you have to pick an objective! MORE
Happy New Year! Let’s kick off the end of the first week of 2019 with the best articles, posts, tips, and more from around the world of marketing and fundraising. ENDS TONIGHT! Today is the last day to get the 2019 All-Access Pass for only $499. MORE
Cochon Butcher. New Orleans, LA Did you have a good week, friends? It’s been a hectic one around here, but I still, of course, gathered the best articles, posts, tips, and more from around the world of marketing and fundraising. MORE
Guest Post By John Haydon Instagram Stories create an extra layer of visibility for your nonprofit – whenever you want that visibility. Like Snapchat and Messenger Stories , Instagram Stories last for 24 hours. And like Snapchat, stories are told in a series of pictures and videos. MORE
Katelyn Baughan. If you haven’t set up some type of welcome series for new donors, you are missing out on a great chance to build a relationship. MORE
We want to add a new member to the Nonprofit Marketing Guide crew. Please share this with your freelance graphic designer friends! Nonprofit Marketing Guide LLC is seeking a graphic designer for a variety of projects, including Graphics for email promotions, landing pages, and online advertising Iconography for sections of our website and various training frameworks Graphics and themes for PowerPoint decks Design and layout of e-books Our preferences are to work with a designer who is. MORE
Emoji! These little symbols are exploding in number and placement in our digital lives. Wired called them “the first language born of the digital world.”. MORE
If you are on Instagram or Pinterest at all, you can’t help but run into a lot of hygge-inspired photography. The photo at the top of this post isn’t mine, but the smaller ones below are.) MORE
Volunteers can often be great spokespeople for nonprofits that are looking to tell their stories in the media. Creative Commons photo courtesy of DC Central Kitchen). Nonprofits face an uphill battle when they pitch stories to the media. MORE
Emily Roush-Bobolz. Thanksgiving may be next week, but year-end is a great time to thank your supporters. If you don’t think you can pull together a thank-you video quickly, Emily Roush-Bobolz, Communications Manager at the Hemophilia Federation of America shares how she did just that. MORE
Back off, Old Man. It ain’t your time yet. How annoying is it that department stores skip over Thanksgiving and go right to Christmas? MORE
When we first started the #NPCOMMLIFE series , we heard from several of you needing help with your to-do lists. To-do lists are supposed to make our lives easier, but they can quickly become another hassle when you have so many options out there. Kivi and I have tried A LOT of shared to-do lists including Remember the Milk , Basecamp , and Asana. We have now settled on Google Keep since we also use other Google business products. It’s working… so far. MORE
Jay Love Collecting data is an important part of your job as a nonprofit communicator. But if you aren’t organizing it in a way that is useful, you may be wasting your time and not being as effective as you could be. MORE
It’s no fun when someone unsubscribes from your email list. But let’s face it. it’s actually much better for your sender reputation to have them unsubscribe than it is for them to never open another email or even worse, to hit the spam button. MORE
Goals are powerful, especially if you choose only a few. A laundry list is almost impossible to stay focused on. But if you choose two or three realistic, specific goals, and write them down, you are likely to achieve them. But first, make sure you set goals for what matters most. MORE
Bourbon on Rye. Lexington, KY Did y’all have a good week? I hope so! Let’s dive right into the best articles, posts, tips, and more from around the world of marketing and fundraising. Today I share Facebook stats and news and how to get responses to your emails. MORE
The 2019 Nonprofit Communications Trends Report found that the most successful nonprofit communicators were putting significantly more emphasis on content marketing than less effective organizations. For the most effective nonprofits, 24% consider content marketing an essential strategy, with only 5% saying it’s a low priority. MORE
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Jeff Eaton Many nonprofit communicators have a similar complaint about the news media. It goes something like this: “We have great stories, but nobody covers us.” MORE
Jessica Wuensch Welcome to the latest installment in our series on the “Day in the Life” of nonprofit communicators! This series lets you describe your workday in your own words. MORE
I’ve been doing a lot of reading and research lately on what the next iteration of social media might look like for nonprofits. How will the main social media platforms that nonprofits use, especially Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, change in wake of. Privacy and data scandals and overall creepiness ? Admissions that social media platforms are designed to be addictive ? Studies linking social media use and depression, especially among teens and young adults ? MORE
We really push for you to create a shorter, more visual nonprofit annual report here as opposed to long print reports. Shorter annual reports don’t take as many resources, can be shared more easily, and will be read more often. But whether you have an infographic, a video, a 4-page, or a 40-page annual report, there are five elements essential to a successful nonprofit annual report. MORE
Using photos or graphics in your communications is an important strategy. But there are times and places where you have to rely on words alone to create a scene and engage your reader. Microcontent, as defined by Jakob Nielsen, is short content that needs to be immediately clear and inviting to a reader, and which still make sense when removed from its original context. Many writers use adjectives and adverbs as their go-to way to create a picture in a reader’s mind. MORE
The Depot. Auburn, AL Happy Friday, good people. Do you want the best articles, posts, tips, and more from around the world of marketing and fundraising? Of course you do! This week I have more trends for 2019, marketing to millennials, free tools for nonprofits, and Ryan Reynolds. MORE
Most nonprofit communicators consider themselves to be good writers. But what really sets apart the great writers in the nonprofit world is mastery of seven distinct types of copywriting. Microcontent Microcontent refers to the short but powerful pieces of copy you find in headlines, subject lines, captions, and tweets. Storytelling Nonprofit storytelling refers to narratives about participants and supporters that include characters, descriptive details, emotions, and plot. MORE
Here’s what’s happening at Nonprofit Marketing Guide this month: Online Training: LAST DAYS! Save $200 on the Annual All-Access Pass until Friday, January 4th Get access to all of our training webinars, online courses, Private Facebook Group and more for 365 days! MORE
Photo credit: gotcredit.com For many smaller and mid-sized nonprofits, media relations isn’t a stand-alone function. It’s an activity that is part of someone’s job — or it’s something that is tag-teamed by multiple people. Often, that’s all you need. MORE
If you aren’t reporting your communications results regularly to your management and board, you need to start. Below I’m sharing a quick video with some stats from our 2019 Trends Report, but I think you’ll also find these resources helpful too: Not sure what you should measure? Start the discussion with these five questions. One of those questions is about objectives for your communications plan. You have more options for objectives than you might think. MORE
The Louis. Birmingham, AL March is here! Let’s kick the new month off with best articles, posts, tips, and more from around the world of marketing and fundraising. This week we have graphic design tips, Instagram help, and Netflix. MORE
Just when and how your nonprofit communications team should grow depends on lots of factors. But one of them is the overall size of your organization. MORE
In previous posts, we’ve shared the most common marketing and communications goals , strategies , and objectives for nonprofits. Today, let’s complete the list by talking about tactics. Tactics are the tools you use to pursue the objectives associated with your strategy. Tactics include both communications channels like email, PR and social media, as well as specific types of content like storytelling or infographics. MORE
Meril’s. New Orleans, LA Sadly I am not at the Nonprofit Technology Conference in Portland this year. But that doesn’t mean we have to miss out on everything. MORE
An editorial calendar is an essential tool for all nonprofit communications directors. We know that the most effective nonprofits use one consistently and that 80% of nonprofits use some sort of editorial calendar. MORE
Venkman’s. Atlanta, GA Happy, happy Friday, friends! Are you ready for this week’s best articles, posts, tips, and more from around the world of marketing and fundraising. MORE
“A story is a fact, wrapped in an emotion that compels us to take an action that transforms our world.” – Richard Maxwell and Robert Dickman in The Elements of Persuasion Starting in March, I will share more on how to write stories, but today we get down to the basics in case storytelling isn’t a priority at your nonprofit: Why Stories Work Easier to remember. MORE
Nonprofits love Canva for creating quick, good-looking graphics. Don’t you wish there was something just as quick and easy for video? I know I do. Yes, I have video editing software, but sometimes it’s overkill and takes too long to work through. MORE
Here’s what’s happening at Nonprofit Marketing Guide in March: Online Training: March 7: For Nonprofit Communications Staff Only: How to Create Your Professional Development Plan Find out how to create a professional development plan that puts you on the path to success. MORE
What software is everyone else using for an editorial calendar? I answer in this quick video. What software should you use for your nonprofit editorial calendar? Find out what everyone else is using for their nonprofit's editorial calendar software. Posted by Nonprofit Marketing Guide on Thursday, March 7, 2019 Can’t see the video player? You can watch it on Facebook here. Download your free copy of the 2019 Nonprofit Communications Trends Report too. MORE
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MARCH 18, 2019
Jessica Wuensch Welcome to the latest installment in our series on the “Day in the Life” of nonprofit communicators! This series lets you describe your workday in your own words.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MARCH 12, 2019
Guest Post By John Haydon Instagram Stories create an extra layer of visibility for your nonprofit – whenever you want that visibility. Like Snapchat and Messenger Stories , Instagram Stories last for 24 hours. And like Snapchat, stories are told in a series of pictures and videos.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
FEBRUARY 27, 2019
Photo credit: gotcredit.com For many smaller and mid-sized nonprofits, media relations isn’t a stand-alone function. It’s an activity that is part of someone’s job — or it’s something that is tag-teamed by multiple people. Often, that’s all you need.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MARCH 15, 2019
Meril’s. New Orleans, LA Sadly I am not at the Nonprofit Technology Conference in Portland this year. But that doesn’t mean we have to miss out on everything.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
FEBRUARY 28, 2019
Here’s what’s happening at Nonprofit Marketing Guide in March: Online Training: March 7: For Nonprofit Communications Staff Only: How to Create Your Professional Development Plan Find out how to create a professional development plan that puts you on the path to success.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MARCH 22, 2019
Venkman’s. Atlanta, GA Happy, happy Friday, friends! Are you ready for this week’s best articles, posts, tips, and more from around the world of marketing and fundraising.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JANUARY 24, 2019
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Jeff Eaton Many nonprofit communicators have a similar complaint about the news media. It goes something like this: “We have great stories, but nobody covers us.”
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
FEBRUARY 13, 2019
Guest Post By John Haydon You already know that Facebook Live lets any nonprofit live-stream fundraising events , breaking news, impact stories, and more, directly from their Facebook Page. But did you know that Facebook lets nonprofits add a donate button to their Facebook Live broadcast ?
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MARCH 20, 2019
We’re wrapping up our Storytelling Series based on the marketing book, Made to Stick (Amazon link) by Chip Heath and Dan Heath today. We have broken down the Challenge Plot and the Creativity Plot and how nonprofits can use them in their stories. Today we look at: The Connection Plot Of the three different story plots, this one is the hardest to pull off. If you don’t get it right, your story will sound sappy or manipulative.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
FEBRUARY 19, 2019
Curious if your salary as a nonprofit communications director is in line with what others are making? There’s a huge range depending on the size of your nonprofit and where you live. Check out the salary data for U.S.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JANUARY 29, 2019
An editorial calendar is an essential tool for all nonprofit communications directors. We know that the most effective nonprofits use one consistently and that 80% of nonprofits use some sort of editorial calendar.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JANUARY 16, 2019
We really push for you to create a shorter, more visual nonprofit annual report here as opposed to long print reports. Shorter annual reports don’t take as many resources, can be shared more easily, and will be read more often. But whether you have an infographic, a video, a 4-page, or a 40-page annual report, there are five elements essential to a successful nonprofit annual report.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
FEBRUARY 20, 2019
“A story is a fact, wrapped in an emotion that compels us to take an action that transforms our world.” – Richard Maxwell and Robert Dickman in The Elements of Persuasion Starting in March, I will share more on how to write stories, but today we get down to the basics in case storytelling isn’t a priority at your nonprofit: Why Stories Work Easier to remember.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MARCH 8, 2019
I could sure use the weekend! But before we head our separate ways, here are the best articles, posts, tips, and more from around the world of marketing and fundraising. This week we will spark joy, kill Facebook, and make less money than men.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
NOVEMBER 27, 2018
If you are on Instagram or Pinterest at all, you can’t help but run into a lot of hygge-inspired photography. The photo at the top of this post isn’t mine, but the smaller ones below are.)
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MARCH 11, 2019
When we first started the #NPCOMMLIFE series , we heard from several of you needing help with your to-do lists. To-do lists are supposed to make our lives easier, but they can quickly become another hassle when you have so many options out there. Kivi and I have tried A LOT of shared to-do lists including Remember the Milk , Basecamp , and Asana. We have now settled on Google Keep since we also use other Google business products. It’s working… so far.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MARCH 1, 2019
The Louis. Birmingham, AL March is here! Let’s kick the new month off with best articles, posts, tips, and more from around the world of marketing and fundraising. This week we have graphic design tips, Instagram help, and Netflix.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
FEBRUARY 26, 2019
Just when and how your nonprofit communications team should grow depends on lots of factors. But one of them is the overall size of your organization.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MARCH 6, 2019
A few weeks ago I shared Why Stories Are Important for Nonprofits and promised some more ideas on how to actually write those stories. In their marketing book, Made to Stick (Amazon link), Chip Heath and Dan Heath identify three different types of inspirational stories: the Challenge Plot, the Creativity Plot and the Connection Plot. They each have very basic elements that anyone can use especially if you are just starting out with storytelling.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JANUARY 3, 2019
In previous posts, we’ve shared the most common marketing and communications goals , strategies , and objectives for nonprofits. Today, let’s complete the list by talking about tactics. Tactics are the tools you use to pursue the objectives associated with your strategy. Tactics include both communications channels like email, PR and social media, as well as specific types of content like storytelling or infographics.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
NOVEMBER 14, 2018
Emily Roush-Bobolz. Thanksgiving may be next week, but year-end is a great time to thank your supporters. If you don’t think you can pull together a thank-you video quickly, Emily Roush-Bobolz, Communications Manager at the Hemophilia Federation of America shares how she did just that.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MARCH 21, 2019
I’ve been doing a lot of reading and research lately on what the next iteration of social media might look like for nonprofits. How will the main social media platforms that nonprofits use, especially Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, change in wake of. Privacy and data scandals and overall creepiness ? Admissions that social media platforms are designed to be addictive ? Studies linking social media use and depression, especially among teens and young adults ?
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
FEBRUARY 15, 2019
Bourbon on Rye. Lexington, KY Did y’all have a good week? I hope so! Let’s dive right into the best articles, posts, tips, and more from around the world of marketing and fundraising. Today I share Facebook stats and news and how to get responses to your emails.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
SEPTEMBER 11, 2018
Emoji! These little symbols are exploding in number and placement in our digital lives. Wired called them “the first language born of the digital world.”.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
FEBRUARY 22, 2019
The Depot. Auburn, AL Happy Friday, good people. Do you want the best articles, posts, tips, and more from around the world of marketing and fundraising? Of course you do! This week I have more trends for 2019, marketing to millennials, free tools for nonprofits, and Ryan Reynolds.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
OCTOBER 22, 2018
Katelyn Baughan. If you haven’t set up some type of welcome series for new donors, you are missing out on a great chance to build a relationship.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MARCH 14, 2019
If you aren’t reporting your communications results regularly to your management and board, you need to start. Below I’m sharing a quick video with some stats from our 2019 Trends Report, but I think you’ll also find these resources helpful too: Not sure what you should measure? Start the discussion with these five questions. One of those questions is about objectives for your communications plan. You have more options for objectives than you might think.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JANUARY 8, 2019
Most nonprofit communicators consider themselves to be good writers. But what really sets apart the great writers in the nonprofit world is mastery of seven distinct types of copywriting. Microcontent Microcontent refers to the short but powerful pieces of copy you find in headlines, subject lines, captions, and tweets. Storytelling Nonprofit storytelling refers to narratives about participants and supporters that include characters, descriptive details, emotions, and plot.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MARCH 7, 2019
What software is everyone else using for an editorial calendar? I answer in this quick video. What software should you use for your nonprofit editorial calendar? Find out what everyone else is using for their nonprofit's editorial calendar software. Posted by Nonprofit Marketing Guide on Thursday, March 7, 2019 Can’t see the video player? You can watch it on Facebook here. Download your free copy of the 2019 Nonprofit Communications Trends Report too.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JANUARY 23, 2019
The 2019 Nonprofit Communications Trends Report found that the most successful nonprofit communicators were putting significantly more emphasis on content marketing than less effective organizations. For the most effective nonprofits, 24% consider content marketing an essential strategy, with only 5% saying it’s a low priority.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JANUARY 18, 2019
Cochon Butcher. New Orleans, LA Did you have a good week, friends? It’s been a hectic one around here, but I still, of course, gathered the best articles, posts, tips, and more from around the world of marketing and fundraising.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
OCTOBER 2, 2018
Nonprofits love Canva for creating quick, good-looking graphics. Don’t you wish there was something just as quick and easy for video? I know I do. Yes, I have video editing software, but sometimes it’s overkill and takes too long to work through.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JANUARY 4, 2019
Happy New Year! Let’s kick off the end of the first week of 2019 with the best articles, posts, tips, and more from around the world of marketing and fundraising. ENDS TONIGHT! Today is the last day to get the 2019 All-Access Pass for only $499.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JANUARY 21, 2019
We want to add a new member to the Nonprofit Marketing Guide crew. Please share this with your freelance graphic designer friends! Nonprofit Marketing Guide LLC is seeking a graphic designer for a variety of projects, including Graphics for email promotions, landing pages, and online advertising Iconography for sections of our website and various training frameworks Graphics and themes for PowerPoint decks Design and layout of e-books Our preferences are to work with a designer who is.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JANUARY 25, 2019
Queen and Crescent Hotel Bar. New Orleans, LA Happy Friday! Are you ready for the best articles, posts, tips, and more from around the world of marketing and fundraising? This week, we’ve got the state of social media, storytelling, and creating the perfect video.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
NOVEMBER 29, 2018
Volunteers can often be great spokespeople for nonprofits that are looking to tell their stories in the media. Creative Commons photo courtesy of DC Central Kitchen). Nonprofits face an uphill battle when they pitch stories to the media.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
NOVEMBER 20, 2018
Jay Love Collecting data is an important part of your job as a nonprofit communicator. But if you aren’t organizing it in a way that is useful, you may be wasting your time and not being as effective as you could be.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
NOVEMBER 13, 2018
Back off, Old Man. It ain’t your time yet. How annoying is it that department stores skip over Thanksgiving and go right to Christmas?
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
SEPTEMBER 6, 2018
It’s no fun when someone unsubscribes from your email list. But let’s face it. it’s actually much better for your sender reputation to have them unsubscribe than it is for them to never open another email or even worse, to hit the spam button.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
DECEMBER 6, 2018
In previous posts, I’ve shared with you the twelve most common nonprofit marketing and communications goals and the twelve most common nonprofit marketing and communications strategies. Today let’s talk about the types of objectives you should have in your communications plan. Objectives are the SMART steps you take to achieve a strategy, and at Nonprofit Marketing Guide, we prefer to define SMART as Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Resourced, and Time-Bound.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JANUARY 2, 2019
Here’s what’s happening at Nonprofit Marketing Guide this month: Online Training: LAST DAYS! Save $200 on the Annual All-Access Pass until Friday, January 4th Get access to all of our training webinars, online courses, Private Facebook Group and more for 365 days!
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JANUARY 2, 2018
Goals are powerful, especially if you choose only a few. A laundry list is almost impossible to stay focused on. But if you choose two or three realistic, specific goals, and write them down, you are likely to achieve them. But first, make sure you set goals for what matters most.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JANUARY 9, 2019
Using photos or graphics in your communications is an important strategy. But there are times and places where you have to rely on words alone to create a scene and engage your reader. Microcontent, as defined by Jakob Nielsen, is short content that needs to be immediately clear and inviting to a reader, and which still make sense when removed from its original context. Many writers use adjectives and adverbs as their go-to way to create a picture in a reader’s mind.
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