4 Marketing Mistakes I Made in My First 18 Months

The close of 2017 means that I've been in business for 18 months now. Whew—what a ride! Some days it feels like an eternity, and other days it feels like I just opened my shop. And I still get asked a lot what it's like to be an entrepreneur, or generally, "How's business?" My answer is always that it depends on the date and time that you ask me because it's an emotional rollercoaster! There are moments when I think I'm killing it, and moments when I wonder what the heck I'm doing. And I've been told by others that those feelings just sort of stick with you. Great . . . 

But as I'm reaching the end of my first full year with Signify, I wanted to share some of the marketing mistakes I've made and lessons I've learned so that, no matter what stage your nonprofit or social enterprise is in, you can learn from them.

The vast majority of my clients have very little training in marketing, so these are the things I'd want to share with them if we were sitting down over coffee. 

My guess is that none of them will truly surprise you. They wouldn't have surprised me. And, in fact, I already knew to avoid them, and maybe you do too. But sometimes we just need to hear them at the right time. I hope this is your right time.

Marketing Mistake #1: Not starting my email list soon enough 

I'd been warned. I'd been warned multiple times in multiple places and from multiple people, and I waited anyway.

Something you should know about me: I'm a perfectionist. I'm also a cultivator, which is a pretty word for the fact that I become obsessive about research so I can learn #allthethings before making a decision. I'm not prone to inaction, but I wanted to figure out all the ways something can be done, and then take bits and pieces to form my own process. I actually like that I behave this way, but as you can guess, it's time-consuming.

I didn't launch my online presence for Signify until seven months after I started my business. I wasn't in a hurry, and I had projects to work on in those early months, so it wasn't a big deal. However, I should have started my email list well before I had a website to show off.

I've been freelancing since 2003 without a website. I've always relied on relationships and word-of-mouth referrals, and most of the time, I had a full-time job anyway, so it was just extra money. I've also had different types of jobs, and even volunteered in different places, too. So, I had contacts from lots of different industries and organizations.

And what I should have done is begin emailing all of those people individually and consistently along the way telling them what was coming, and asking if they'd like to be on my email list.

But I didn't.

I was busy with other things, and thought I'd make time for it later. However, I was so overwhelmed by all of the launch work for my website and social profiles that I took shortcuts when it was "time" to build my email list. I just didn't want to ask people to be on a list for something they couldn't actually see online. #fail 

I'm sure what I'm saying makes sense to you on both sides of the coin. But the result of waiting was that my list growth has been slow, and I'm still waiting to do some of those individualized and customized things I put off for later. Ugh. Can't I buy more time on Amazon yet???

So, the advice I'd give you is to always be focused on building your email list. Social media algorithms change, but landing directly in someone's inbox is prime real estate. When you have something to say, this helps ensure it's heard. 

(Of course, I shouldn't have to tell you, but I will: you also have to talk to your list. Find a consistency that works for you and reach out. Those people have agreed to be on your list, so don't squander that opportunity. There's always something to say.)

Marketing Mistake #2: Too many social profiles too soon

I'd never call myself a social media expert, but I have a pretty darn good handle on it. I know the what, when, why, and how of social media. But it sure eats up a lot of time!

I knew I should be on Facebook because that's where my audience is primarily. And I wanted to be on Twitter (because I like it). I also knew I wanted a Facebook Group to share resources more frequently, and help connect people to each other. So, those three profiles.

Plus, I use my own Instagram account. And I thought I should revive my LinkedIn now that I'm a business owner.

Then, in the spring, people kept telling me how great Pinterest was for business, so I bought a course, and hopped on there too.

Are you following all of this?

Some days I have trouble following it myself. Six accounts. And you can name a few others that I have chosen not to be on.

All-in-all, updating these guys takes a couple of hours minimum per week. Scheduling doesn't take that long since I know what I'm doing, but it's social media, and you should also be, well, social. A couple of hours may not sound like a lot until you find yourself needing more hours to get things done (like pretty much all of us).

Let's also state that I'm a solopreneur in a new business. Those are two other kinks to work out.

What I should've done is start with Facebook, and maybe add in a new profile every couple of months when I've found my rhythm and best practices. (PS: You don't have to add new profiles.)

But what I have done is get some help so I can focus more on tasks that can only be done by me, and/or that are more revenue-focused. The first way I did this was to invest in a social media scheduling tool, so that I'm posting multiple times per day on auto-pilot. Then I can jump in personally as I'm able to add more value and personality.

The other thing I did was ask my friend Jen, who is a social media manager, to do some freelance work for me. She is actually the one who got me set up with SmarterQueue, and has also been helping me determine a better strategy as well as dealing with some of the other little tasks I haven't had time for right now.

Unfortunately, I can't hire a social media manager permanently at this time. Maybe some day. But in this busy season, it has been a dream to have the extra help, and well worth the money. And now I know better what to do when she's not around. Even on a tighter budget, consider getting some help in busy seasons so you can focus on more important tasks, projects, and initiatives. (These are some of the same reasons that people hire me, so it makes perfect sense!)

Marketing Mistake #3: Postponing Content Creation for My Launch

I love launches. That's one reason they are my signature service. They're fun and exciting, and there's so much to show off. They're like the first flurries of winter.

So, like anyone would be, I was excited about my own online launch. But, they're also a lot of work, aren't they? I had to write emails, blog posts, social media posts, website content, and on and on and on.

And just like building my email list, I waited until my launch was right around the corner to really start doing anything about it. Why? I had other projects to work on. From the moment I said I was ready to take on clients, I had clients. So, I started prioritizing paying work over something that was months away. And after all, I wasn't paying myself to create content for Signify. 

So, it just kept getting bumped back. I started working with my website and branding designers in November, so that got things moving a little. But the launch was February 1, so January was when everything went into overdrive. And I was exhausted by the time I launched! Plus, now I had to learn to create content for Signify while working with paying clients. That's definitely something I should've eased into.

The moral of the story? Start working on your plan and productivity. Use a planner or free software like Asana (I love it!) to set deadlines and keep you on track so that when you do find 15 spare minutes, you can check something else off your list. 

There are so many facets to content creation, and you can use little bits of time here and there to move projects along. Small momentum is still momentum. Plus, you might actually get a good night's sleep during the launch.

Marketing Mistake #4: Not enough focus

While I do manage to get a decent amount of things done, I'm no where as productive as I'd like to be. I definitely have days where I look back and wonder what I've accomplished, or have spent a full day watching TEDTalks or webinars, or sorting through email. It happens to the best of us, and I'll probably never shake it completely.

But one of my main goals for 2018 is to figure out a better way to focus, and figure out what I need to be focusing on at any one time. Let me explain.

There are two things any business owner will tell you to do: make money and expand your reach. So, I have clients to pay my bills, but because I work mostly on projects, I have to continually acquire new project work. Well, I also need to expand my reach to find new clients so that I can continue to make money. Kind of a chicken and egg scenario.

There are also a million strategies to take on either route. So, when I have consistent income coming in, I'll work on expanding my reach. But then the pendulum swings, and I need to shift efforts. So, it's constantly going from one to another, and then trying one of the millions of strategies as well. 

This example may look similar for you, or not. But if not, you can probably fill in the blanks pretty easily. The point is that I'm guessing you, like me, switch up your efforts a lot. And I don't think is helping either of us.

I jump into everything with two feet, but I constantly act like I have 40 pairs of feet to jump in a bunch of different strategies with. This isn't good, and honestly, this is what I've been struggling with the most as this year comes to a close. 

But what I'll tell you, and what I'm telling myself, is that the only way to make significant, lasting progress is through focus. This may come as the result of a change in strategy, or getting help, or cutting things out of your schedule or life. For me, it's meant a combination, and I still have a lot of work to do.

However, I do recognize the problem. And I am making the effort to fix it. I know it will be a process, but I'm on the path.

So, as we come to the end of December, and start peaking into January, what does regaining focus look like for you? Where can you change your strategy, get help, or cut back? These are the things that will lead to growth. 

It may seem counter-intuitive, but the easiest thing to do (and the thing most of us do), is to add. If we can see that something isn't working, or not working fast enough, we try something else. But we don't stop Strategy A, we just try sticking Strategy B on top of it. This won't work. We know instinctively, and through trail-and-error, that it won't work. It's time to do something different. I am, and I hope you will too.

One final note: Besides the lessons themselves, the other big takeaway is that even marketers make plenty of marketing mistakes. This should cheer you up! We're all just out here learning, and trying to share what we know. Take heart. Learn from my mistakes. And I hope and pray that next year is your best yet.

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I'm Kristi Porter, and I started Signify to provide writing, consulting and strategy services to nonprofits and for-profit organizations with a social mission, primarily through copywriting, marketing, and business communications. I believe that cause-focused organizations like yours are the future of business. You're proof that companies can both make money and do good. And I'm here to help you get noticed and grow. When you succeed, we all win.

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The Key to Maximizing Your Year-End Fundraising Efforts

Today's guest post comes from Cindy Wagman, President of The Good Partnership, which is on a mission to make great fundraising achievable for small nonprofits. Since we are entering prime fundraising season, I wanted Cindy's perspective on how to make the most of year-end efforts. And she's got some great advice for you!

Oh, hi!

If you’re like most of my clients, you’re the Executive Director for a small nonprofit and you’re juggling a million balls, trying to keep up with the increased holiday workload. On top of that, you need to take advantage of year-end fundraising. You’ve probably seen the infographics on Pinterest that show how much money comes in through donations to charities at year-end. Feel like you’re missing out, or behind the 8-ball?

Take a deep breath and grab a coffee or tea, and I’ll give you a few pointers on how to focus your year-end fundraising to maximize results with the least amount of effort.

 

Campaign vs. Appeal

First thing’s first. You need to think of year-end fundraising as a campaign, or mini campaign. It’s not just one direct mail package or one email asking for support. It’s also not a bunch of random asks that don’t have anything to do with each other. A campaign is cohesive and multi-channel, multi-touch. But, that doesn’t mean overwhelm. In fact, a campaign can help eliminate some of the overwhelm because it gives you a clear plan with a lot of messages that can be repeated, over and over.

At minimum, I want you to do a three-part email series with an ask in EACH one, some social media posts and, if you do traditional direct mail, at least one letter. If someone makes a donation, you can remove them from the subsequent communications.

Your Theme

Now that you have an outline of what you’re sending, you need to know what messaging to include. Pick one theme for your campaign and then have that theme run throughout all of your materials. Build on the story through your emails and social media posts, and keep in mind that it takes someone 8-10 times of seeing the SAME message to really internalize it. Don’t worry about repetition. Seriously, don’t worry about repetition.

 

Your Writing

So, there are some best practices when it comes to fundraising writing. Effective fundraising writing is not necessarily “good writing” and usually isn’t what we personally “like." But it works. It should be casual and friendly, with a specific and personal call to action. I’ve actually written a whole blog about just that, which you can read here.

 

Your Thank You

Your thank you is as important (or more important) than your ask.

Your campaign doesn’t end with a gift. In fact, what you send after someone donates is as important or more important than what you send in asking for it.

Create a thank you letter that directly reflects the ask. It should build on the same story as the rest of your campaign and give donors a sense of meaning for their contribution.

Also write a thank you call “script” (something short, sweet, and informal) and have your staff or board call to thank donors when they give.

Somewhere between three and six months after your campaign, create a short but meaningful donor update building on the same messaging as your campaign, to let your donors know what progress you’ve made thanks to their support.

 

Focus

It may seem like this is a lot to do, but if you focus it on one campaign with consistent messaging (and understanding that people need to see repeat messages for it to sink in), you can actually minimize your work and maximize your impact.

Here’s a quick checklist for your year-end campaign:

• One theme/story to use throughout your campaign

• 1 letter (if you usually do letters), 3 emails, and a handful of social media to support the campaign

• A thank you letter and phone call script

• A 3-6 month update

You’ve got this! One final tip is to turn off your cell phone and notifications, sit down for a couple hours, and get this all written and drafted in one sitting. Batching work can often save many hours of switching back and forth.

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Cindy Wagman is President of The Good Partnership, which wants to make great fundraising achievable for small nonprofits. She loves fundraising because she gets to see the most generous side of people, and helps match their passions with real action.

After 15 years as an in-house fundraiser, she left her 9 to 5 and created The Good Partnership to help the organizations that were closest to her heart. These were organizations that were driving change, and aligned with her priorities for her community, our society, and the world. She wants to help you be your authentic fundraiser and lead the change you want to see in the world.

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I'm Kristi Porter, and I started Signify to provide writing, consulting and strategy services to nonprofits and for-profit organizations with a social mission, primarily through copywriting, marketing, and business communications. I believe that cause-focused organizations like yours are the future of business. You're proof that companies can both make money and do good. And I'm here to help you get noticed and grow. When you succeed, we all win.

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Ask the Experts: Podcasting Trends and Strategies

Each month, I invite guest contributors to speak about timely, relevant, and sought-after topics that are important for cause-focused organizations like yours to be aware of as you grow. For November, I've invited my friend, Sarah Bragg of the Surviving Sarah podcast, to tell us all about the how, why, trends, and strategies of podcasting. I know a lot of you listen to podcasts, and maybe even wonder if you should start one. Here's what Sarah has to say.

Q. What are the latest trends in podcasting?

A. Five years ago, many of us couldn’t name a podcast, or maybe we didn’t even know what a podcast was. And now, 350 new podcasts start every day. There are currently over 250,000 unique podcasts on iTunes and 42 million Americans listen to a podcast each week. That last number represents 15% of the population and, for comparison sake, only 3% of the population goes to the movies each week.

As content consumers, we are hungry to find ways to consume content in a faster way, and podcasts resolve that tension for us. We no longer have to sit in front of a screen to read or even watch something. We can now consume content while exercising, running errands, folding laundry, or hiding in the closet from our kids.

As you can see from these stats, podcast consumption is a steady growth of opportunity to reach and influence your audience.

Q. What is the biggest mistake you see people making in regards to podcasting?

A. I think that one of the biggest mistakes I see people make in the podcast industry is jumping in without ever clarifying the "why." They fail to ask some important questions in the beginning. Is this just a hobby or will you treat it like a job (even if it doesn’t pay yet)? Either answer is fine, but it defines your approach. What is your purpose in starting the show? What do you want the audience to receive as a result of listening to the show? Many people fail to sit down and think through the nature of their show. Without clarifying those answers, some shows trail off after some time because even though hosting a show can be convenient, it is also time consuming.

Knowing the answers to those questions pushes me to create content in certain ways. It helps me think through why I do what I do; what kind of ads I’ll allow on the show; and encourages me when comparison wants to steal my joy.

 

Q. What is your best piece of advice to people thinking of starting a podcast?

A. One of my favorite podcasts is Off Camera with Sam Jones. Each week, Sam sits down with a different celebrity to hear their story of how they started and how they came to where they are now. And one of my favorite episodes is his interview with Will Ferrell. At some point in the interview Will said, “Forgetting to have fun is the first step towards disaster.” That was it for me. Podcasting is meant to be fun, encouraging, and entertaining. It’s an easy platform to literally speak into someone’s life. And yes, we need to clarify why we do it, but we also need to remember to have fun. I’ve been podcasting for two years now. I don’t get a full-time salary, but I still have fun each time I sit down to have a conversation around my table.

 

Q. What is one thing readers can take action on this week?

A. No matter which end of the spectrum you are on, decide this week to investigate some podcasts. As leaders, innovators, and people who care deeply for others, podcasts are great for you personally. There are many shows out there that can encourage you through their stories of starting social enterprises or nonprofits, or of working to make a difference in the world. Allow their stories to inspire what you do.

And podcasts can also be a piece of your marketing puzzle. Maybe you can speak into a certain niche, so starting a show might be beneficial. Or maybe advertising on certain show would help get your business in the ears of new listeners. Or maybe you could be a guest on a show in order to promote what you are doing. The possibilities are endless.

 

Q. Anything else we should keep in mind?

A. If you are thinking about starting a podcast, my friend Jacey Verdichio created an excellent resource to walk you through everything you need to know from clarifying your why to launching in iTunes.

Terrific information. Thanks, Sarah!

And if you're in need of a few more convincing stats on podcasts, check out this infographic. It's pretty compelling!

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Sarah Bragg launched a successful podcast, Surviving Sarah, in 2015 where she invites guests to join her around her kitchen table to talk about surviving life so that women will be inspired, informed, encouraged and entertained. 

In addition to that, she is an author, speaker and content director for Orange. She and her family reside in Marietta, GA.

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PIN THIS POST FOR LATER:

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I'm Kristi Porter, and I started Signify to provide writing, consulting and strategy services to nonprofits and for-profit organizations with a social mission, primarily through copywriting, marketing, and business communications. I believe that cause-focused organizations like yours are the future of business. You're proof that companies can both make money and do good. And I'm here to help you get noticed and grow. When you succeed, we all win.

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12 Epic Marketing Ideas Your Nonprofit or Social Enterprise Will Want to Copy

If you’ve got something new to promote, like an event, product, fundraising campaign, book, awareness campaign, or course. . . . pay close attention. We’re about to discuss 12 epic marketing ideas your nonprofit or social enterprise will want to copy.

Before we do that, though, let me make a couple of things clear.

Creating and promoting something new, also referred to as a “launch” in the marketing world, can present its own opportunities and challenges.

On one hand, they're often exciting, and a great chance to build buzz and get people's attention. On the other hand, they're usually short-lived, so you have to make them count because they may only happen once, annually, or at most, a couple of times per year. So, you need to maximize your time and effort with strategies and tactics that support your social impact goals.

There are definite trends you want to ride when it comes to launches (ex: email sequences and social media blitzes), but you'll also need to be creative. Innovative ideas are more likely to make people take notice—and bring in the sales and donations you want. 

Below you'll find 12 unique marketing ideas for your next launch. But, here's my caveat: don't just copy and paste. Put your own spin on them. They'll only be successful if they align with your mission.

(PSST: This post is part of a series about launch marketing for cause-focused organizations. Read Part 1 and Part 2. Or take it to the next level with my launch strategy guide.)

Nonprofit or social enterprise Event Marketing

Idea 1: Meet Ups

I was the Event Marketing Director for The Orange Conference for almost six years. And during that time, one of my favorite event marketing strategies was to host local meet ups all over the country. The catch: we didn't have staff all over the country. So, we let people in our tribe host them for us.

We hosted several meet ups here in Atlanta, where the nonprofit is headquartered, as well as in locations across the US where we did have staff. But there were a lot of places we obviously couldn't reach on our own, and our fans were more than happy to jump in.

They wanted to meet others like them in their hometowns, and we were thrilled they wanted to connect with each other. So, we provided downloadable flyers, social media images, guidance, and even allowed each gathering to give away a ticket to the upcoming event.

Whether people came to win a free ticket or to network with peers, these meet ups built community among the people who showed up—and got people excited about our event. Plus, it was a really fun way to empower our fans.

It also goes to show you that launch events don’t have to be a huge production.

Idea 2: Membership

It can be very difficult to get and sustain momentum for your nonprofit or social enterprise when your entire business model rests on one, big event. Yellow Conference is one of those. Yes, they have a regularly-updated blog, social media, and things like that, but in a sea of events, blogs, and social media accounts, your message can get lost or forgotten, even by your fans.

One of the ways they fight through the noise is the Yellow Collective. It originally began as a subscription box, which I thought was very clever for their business model. In its second year, it has evolved into a membership group that includes many of the original elements: in-person, at home, and online resources. And it also includes discounted tickets to their annual conference.

They've done a really great job at keeping their community connected throughout the year so that, when it's event launch time for their next conference, their fans are already primed and waiting.

Fundraising Campaign marketing

Idea 1: Get Out of the Office

Sometimes all you need is a change of scenery. For Atlanta Dream Center's "48 in 48" fundraising campaign, the founder of the nonprofit lived on the streets for two days. One of their three, primary ministries focuses on homelessness, so it made perfect sense with their mission.

And because the founder actually had the past experience of being homeless himself, it magnified and personalized the cause. He made the issue relatable and gave first-hand insight. Leading up to the event, a lot of buzz was generated among their supporters because it was not something you expected to see from a nonprofit founder.

During the 48 hours, he also did multiple Facebook Live videos so that people could follow his experience, and that generated additional donations once people saw it in action. He talked about his life, what he was seeing, and interviewed others on the streets with him (with permission, of course).

It was a brilliant way to shed light on their mission, and give people an up-close encounter they might not have otherwise.

Idea 2: Shared, Uncommon Experiences

Similarly, Nicholas House has an annual fundraiser where their supporters can sleep outside in an effort to raise awareness about homelessness. Each participant is asked to raise $2,500, taking some of the annual fundraising responsibilities off of the organization itself.

What I liked about this nonprofit’s event, in particular, is that my friend who participated is a board member. Often, events like these attract more adventurous high school and college kids. But seeing adults and their families involved was special.

Yes, the environment for this fundraiser was more controlled than the example above, but it was a more approachable way to bring others in who may not ordinarily be up for that type of experience.

And having individuals raise support on their behalf provides more "social proof" for the nonprofit because someone else is doing the talking. My friend’s fundraising letter conveyed her heart and excitement for their work—and that's not something you can force or buy.

 

Book marketing

Idea 1: Blog Book Tour

Unless you have the full might (and budget) of a traditional publisher behind you, it can be difficult to get the word out about your new book. And, even so, today's publishers want authors to take an active role in their own marketing. Enter the blog book tour.

My friend Katrell, who owns Dr. Bombay's tea shop here in Atlanta, participated in one of these for her book. She didn't have a big name or a big audience, so this was a fantastic way to spread the word without traveling around the country to book signings and interviews. Even though it was set up by her publisher, it would be relatively easy to pull off for just about anyone.

For a blog book tour, you'd simply set up a series of book reviews, guest posts, or author interview posts during a defined time period leading up to the book release, such as one to four weeks. This strategy definitely helped expose her to new audiences and sell books.

(Psst: You can also do this with podcasts!)

Idea 2: Galley Copies

If your social impact organization has one or more large events each year, you probably already know that it's best to release new products there, while you have a captive and engaged audience. But once-in-a-while, the timing just doesn't quite work out.

This was the case for the latest book by Growing Leaders about inspiring and mentoring today's students. So, what they decided to do was to give all 200+ attendees at their annual conference a galley copy of the book.

This opportunity allowed them to promote the book and build interest for it's release the following month. They also had a special pre-launch price with bonuses, which were designed to further entice attendees.

Nothing replaces a face-to-face pitch, and by giving out galley copies, they were still able to capitalize on a live audience for future sales.

Awareness/Community-Building Campaign MARKETING

Idea 1: Recreate an Experience

Some causes are sensitive in nature, and require you to protect those you help by offering them anonymity. This could include victims of sex trafficking, domestic violence, or issues involving children. Not only do you want to avoid capitalizing on someone else's tragedy, but you want to keep them safe.

Street Grace launched Suburban Horror Story as a way to accurately portray the issue of sex trafficking for the community without disclosing names and faces. You could watch videos online that were recreations of actual events, and also learn more about the issue. They also had guided "tours" to houses where arrests had been made to show real-life scenarios, as well as talk about warning signs and the experiences inside.

This gave those in attendance (donors, potential donors, and media) an up-close look at the problem, and showed them how they could be involved in the solution. It was a very effective way to talk about the people behind the issues without actually involving victims.

It’s a captivating idea on it’s own, but the quality (and frankly, scariness) of the website did a lot to stir up interest for people to take a tour, learn more, get involved, or even donate to the nonprofit.

So, make sure that even when you're promoting an in-person event, the promotional materials, like the website, do a good job of drawing people into your cause. This site did a fantastic job. They could've just splashed up a single page with stats and a description, but they definitely took it further to great results.

Idea 2: Take Advantage of (or Declare) a Holiday

I've talked about the idea of taking advantage of holidays—both official and unofficial—on this blog and my newsletter before, but it's always important to bring it up again. Because there are so many to choose from!

People love celebrating special occasions, so take note of any that you can work into your launch marketing plan. It often gives you a new way to talk about what you're doing.

There are, of course, plenty of legit options like Christmas, Halloween, and Fourth of July that might play nicely with your marketing and promotion. And how about #GivingTuesday to kick off your year-end giving campaign? Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Black History Month, and White Ribbon Against Pornography are a few others.

However, there are plenty of wacky or unofficial observances as well. For example, you can try World Kindness Day, Adopt a Rescue Pet Day, Digital Detox Day, or Read a Book Day. There is literally a day, week, or month for just about anything you can think of.

There may be even times when you need to create your own holiday. When I worked at Captain Planet Foundation, we created a Captain Planet Day. We had a formal ceremony down at Atlanta's City Hall, received a proclamation, and the whole nine yards. It was to celebrate a milestone in the foundation's history, but also garnered attention for the organization as we kicked off promotions for the annual fundraiser.

SOCIAL IMPACT Product MARKETING

Idea 1: Giveaways and Contests

My friend, Jen, just wrapped her first successful Kickstarter for her physical product called the Hope Deck. One of the strategies she used to get attention for her campaign was by doing free giveaways on influencer social media accounts.

She used both existing relationships and good ol' fashioned research to locate a handful Instagram accounts that fit her target market and were interested in doing a giveaway. Jen allowed them to give away a couple Hope Decks in exchange for pointing them to her account or campaign page. It was that easy.

This allowed her to easily expand her audience, and when she started promoting her campaign, she had a lot more eyes on it. And it made a difference! 

Idea 2: Giveaways for Reviews

I'm surprised at how little this strategy is used, so I thought I'd bring it up. I think most of us feel we need to bootstrap everything and get by on our own, but why? Getting help is often way better.

Now, I do know that people often launch in a rush or last minute and that may be a factor. (That is definitely one way to sabotage your launch!) 

But when you can get someone else to talk about your launch—you should!

Yes, sometimes you may have to pay or ethically bribe people to review your product, but again, use existing relationships and do your research for free or budget-friendly opportunities. There are so many blogs, magazines, newspapers, social media accounts, and YouTube Channels. A few of those leads are likely to respond and participate.

A client and I recently talked about this because she's releasing a very cool new product that creates culturally smarter kids. She thought that she would have to pay for people to review or talk about her product, but I named a handful of people in just a few minutes who would do it for free because of the product’s target market and social impact focus.

Put your thinking cap on, or ask around, and I bet you'll come up with your own list, too.

Tip: We often want to target the Oprah's of the world so we can make it to the top faster, but these folks are just plain hard to reach. Find people with a few thousand followers, or depending on your product, up to 100K followers. Often the "littler guys" (micro influencers) don’t get contacted as often, would love to participate, and have very engaged fans who would love to hear about your product.

nonprofit or social enterprise Course marketing

Idea 1: Facebook Groups

Facebook groups have become ALL. THE. RAGE. over the past couple of years. But course creators are cleverly using them to their advantage now as well.

Typically, they are meant to accompany an online course, or at least that's how I see a lot of them playing out. Especially when the courses are written or video-based, this allows the creator to interact with the students, and students to interact with each other. I am a member of a couple of these, and they're really fun.

But there are other ways to use them as well. Take the Myth of Balance, for example. Originally, it was released as a book. It's very short and practical, but the transformation isn’t in the information—it’s in the action.

So, the author created a Facebook Group to serve as the outlet for the course, which he calls a workshop series. He can release worksheets, conduct Facebook Lives, ask people about their progress, and coach them through obstacles right there in the group rather than having to build an online platform for the course (and pay those fees). Much easier and more DIY.

In the Myth of Balance launch, we used a lot of traditional marketing techniques to get the word out initially. Most other course creators do the same. But the difference in having a Facebook Group is that you don't have people going through the course on their own and then moving on with their lives.

Instead, you have people interacting with the course creator and other students, getting results due to the community and accountability, and afterward, you literally have a group of evangelists to help you promote when you're ready to relaunch!

Idea 2: Involve Others and Let Them Promote

Putting a course or curriculum together is no joke. I plan to do it in the future, but find it overwhelming to even think about. And then, when you have your shiny, new course, you still have to get the word out! It's a long process.

But the folks at Plywood were really smart. They have a lot of knowledge and know-how on their staff. However, they also know that one of their strengths is their ability to connect people and showcase others.

So, for their video-based curriculum course, they featured not only the founder, but individuals from their community. Each module features an interview with a different nonprofit or social enterprise leader putting that week's lesson into action.

Besides making content creation easier, Plywood now also has a group of people willing to help promote the course because they’re featured in it! The founders in the videos are well-known in the Atlanta area, with their own distinct audiences, which helped get the word out quickly about this curriculum.

By now you'll definitely notice a theme about recruiting others to help you spread the word. It's just one of those techniques that can look different each time, and is always effective.

What about you? What unique launch marketing ideas have you come across?

(PSST: This post is part of a series about launches. Read Part 1 and Part 2. Of if you’re ready to take it to the next level, check out my launch strategy guide, Promote With Purpose.)

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I'm Kristi Porter, and I started Signify to provide writing, consulting and strategy services to nonprofits and for-profit organizations with a social mission, primarily through copywriting, marketing and business communications. I believe that cause-focused organizations like yours are the future of business. You're proof that companies can both make money and do good. And I'm here to help you get noticed and grow. When you succeed, we all win.

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