Why Branding and Marketing Matter (Even When Budgets Are Tight)
It often feels so hard to invest in ourselves. I’m guilty of it personally. I don’t know how it got this way, but it feels indulgent and self-serving to do the things that make me healthier, emotionally, physically, and mentally. Go for a walk midday? Unheard of! Take 15 minutes to breathe between back-to-back meetings. A waste! You know that story.
But here’s the reality: Pausing to invest in yourself sustains you and makes you stronger.
Now, let’s translate that to our work. Those bad habits that prevent us from supporting ourselves often get translated into how we manage our organizations.
Every dollar that doesn’t go directly into programs or services can feel like a wasted dollar, and back-end operations that don’t directly serve our clients often aren’t grant funded or reimbursable.
But doing the things on the back-end are vital to achieving your mission, and that is certainly true about marketing and communications, departments and investments that are often the most underfunded and under-utilized.
And I’ll be frank. Not investing in your brand, marketing and communications is just plain bad-decision making.
If no one knows who you are, what you do, or why you matter, you won’t raise the funds you need to keep your mission alive. Branding and marketing aren’t just “nice to have” extras. If you want to be perceived as a credible, impactful organization that attracts donors, volunteers, and partners, you need to invest in how you tell your story.
Branding vs. Marketing: What’s the Difference?
Branding is who you are. It’s your nonprofit’s identity - your mission, values, and the way people feel when they interact with you. Think of it as your nonprofit’s personality. Marketing, on the other hand, is how you communicate that identity to the world. It’s the strategies, campaigns, and tools you use to share your story, attract support, and build relationships. Branding builds trust, while marketing spreads the message.
Myth #1: If Our Work is Good, People Will Find Us
Think again. The nonprofit landscape is crowded. Attention spans are getting shorter every day (every minute!). Even the most impactful organizations get lost in the noise if they don’t communicate their story, mission, and value effectively. You need to consistently show up where your supporters are - whether that’s social media, community events, their inbox, or their mailbox. Awareness doesn’t happen by accident; it happens by design.
The goal of a marketing team is to make sure the right people hear the right message with the right call to action at the right time in the right place. Without this, you’re relying on luck… and you can’t afford to build your future on hope alone.
Take the time to identify your target audience. Who are they? What do they care about? Where do they spend their time? How do they like to consume information? What do you want them to know or do? Once you put yourself in their shoes, you can more effectively build a marketing strategy to reach and engage them. And remember, your target audiences can include future, present and past clients, media, political advocates, staff, board, future, present and past funders…you get the picture. Think broadly!
Measure, measure, measure. Google Analytics is free. Every social platform has insights to show you what is working and what isn’t. Try different tactics and make the time to go back and evaluate the results.
Myth #2: "We Can’t Afford to Invest in Marketing."
The truth is… you can’t afford not to. Marketing doesn’t have to cost you 20% of your annual revenue. Be strategic. Be resourceful. Above all, be consistent. Start small and be sure you’ve got your bases covered. You need a clear brand identity (logo, colors, messaging), a functional and compelling website, and a social media presence that reflects your work.
Even a modest investment in email marketing, key collateral, and donor communications can go a long way in building relationships that lead to long-term support.
Canva is a super user-friendly design software that can take your graphics and videos to the next level. Stop using powerpoint for your social media posts and collateral. Canva’s free version has the basics you need - and the paid subscription is extremely affordable.
Consider using a scheduling platform so you can plan your content in advance and tee it all up to be published automatically. If your organization uses a CRM like hubspot, use the tools embedded there to a) keep it simple and b) keep your analytics centralized in one place.
Myth #3: We Can Just Rely on Word of Mouth
Word of mouth is incredibly powerful, but it’s not a strategy. You can’t control when (or if) people talk about your nonprofit, and you certainly can’t build a sustainable fundraising pipeline on the assumption that they will. Even with the strongest board members, word of mouth is not a solution.
With a reasonable investment in your brand and marketing strategy, you can take the reins and create opportunities for engagement. The more you communicate with your audience, the more likely they are to share your message with others.
Gather testimonials to share on your website & social media. Video is a powerful medium, but even compelling quotes can pack a punch. Now you’re taking control and bringing the word of mouth to your audience yourself.
People need to hear a message multiple times before they absorb it. They need to be asked a question multiple times before they even consider taking action. Don’t be afraid to share your message… and then share it again… and once more for good measure.
The Bottom Line
At the end of the day, marketing is about making sure more people know about - and care about - your mission. It’s about building trust, increasing credibility, and strengthening & expanding the community around you. It’s what turns one-time donors into lifelong supporters, volunteers into ambassadors, and partners into champions of your cause.
You’re already doing incredible work. Make sure people know about it.
Need help getting started? Let’s talk.
