The Top 9 Nonprofit Marketing Tips and Trends for the Future

The landscape of the nonprofit industry is changing – there’s no question about that.

But what do the advancements in technology really mean, and how can they be embraced to fuel your mission?

While attending SXSW Interactive, I had the pleasure of sitting in on the Future of Nonprofits session and gleaned insight from a handful of experts, such as David Neff, Beth Kanter, Corey Pudhorodsky, Rob Wu, and Mark Horvath, into tech’s ever increasing impact in the nonprofit space.

Here are the top 9 nonprofit marketing tips and trends for the future:

1. Reach Gen-Z by getting content into smaller form factors. 

Mobile devices are the primary way tweens access the Internet, so your content needs to be adapted to fit the smaller screens.

That 19 page annual report PDF  isn’t going to stand out amongst the extreme amount of content accessible to them at their finger tips. Break up your content so that it is easier to digest and requires less time and attention.

2. The number of B Corps will rise. 

It may make more sense for arts and cultural organizations to register as a #BCorp versus a 501(c)(3).

These organizations don’t typically  have the same cause based stories that more traditional nonprofits may have. As a B Corp, they can still support the community but have more options to generate income.

3. Less fundraising, more marketing. 

Instead of immediately asking for money, nonprofits need to focus on marketing their stories. Use stories of impact and success to draw people in and give them something to connect to.

4. Bring media back to social media. 

Nonprofits need to produce better videos, photos and infographics that people consume and share quickly.

People love to share media, especially infographics, because this infotainment allows people to process detailed information more quickly, and it gets shared more than simple text and images combined.

5. Listen out for micro-trends and micro-interests with tools such as @socialmention. 

Find out what people are talking about within your field and who the key influencers are that are taking part in the conversation.

Contribute to the conversation in real-time by talking about the relevant topics.

6. Cultivate informal and network learning. 

Help the social media savvy millennials learn about your cause through your content, and target #philanthroteens to crowdsource motivation. This generation of philanthropic teens love to learn from their peers and their own discovery.

7. Capitalize on the joy of the internet. 

Shed light on your mission and story. You can build support by spreading stories of your mission’s success.

Even if your cause is difficult to talk about, focus on the joy that your impact brings. When appropriate, it’s helpful to find a humorous side.

8. Create more video content with @vineapp and @instagram. 

You don’t need big budget productions to show your authenticity and impact.

Take advantage of the free platforms available, and start sharing your story with the world.

9. Listen to the needs of your supporters to keep them happy. 

Measure your donor retention rates.

Then, develop a strategy to better optimize your relationship building tactics.

Keeping your supporters happy is about building meaningful relationships and ensuring they  understand their value to your organization.