Hiring a fractional CMO for your nonprofit marketing could be the smartest move you’ll make. We understand that underlying doubt you already feel about the previous statement, but allow us to set your mind at ease. Fractional CMOs and nonprofits are actually perfect working relationships, and we think you’ll agree when you see our reasoning.
Marketing Is Crucial
Whether your nonprofit is a global entity or has a significant domestic following, one thing is clear: in order to survive, you must spread the word. By reaching your current audience on a regular basis and attracting new target audience members through your marketing efforts, you can accomplish several things at once, including:
- Keeping your organization top-of-mind
- Educating the public on your organization’s mission
- Making your audience aware of new initiatives
- And, most importantly for your organization’s survival, creating opportunities to raise funds
Without marketing, you miss out on all the chances to educate potential donors, supporters, and beneficiaries of your nonprofit. And without donors, supporters, and beneficiaries, there is no nonprofit.
Strategy Is Necessary
As a nonprofit owner or director, you may have attempted marketing activities in the past, perhaps with little to no result. Sometimes, however, even a cobbled together attempt can achieve results that drive your nonprofit forward, and perhaps even at a speed that delights you.
The truth, however, is that a solid marketing strategy can bring bigger, better, more consistent returns on your investments of time and money. By first determining the goals you’d like to accomplish, setting those goals forward as non-negotiable, and then determining the steps you must take to achieve those goals, your investment will pay off in ways you never achieved with your previous marketing attempts.
Expertise Is Key
Hiring a part-time social media marketer is not the way to go when so much money, publicity, and opportunity is on the line. To develop a strategy that will move your organization forward, you must have someone with marketing expertise at the helm. That can’t be you, even if you’re a marketing expert, because you have a nonprofit to run.
An expert marketer will understand the various marketing tactics available and how each will better your organization’s reach and return on investment. Traditional, digital, and out-of-home strategies can all work together with sharp branding and clear, precise content that drives traffic to your website and funds to your organization.
It’s important to note that developing traditional and digital marketing strategies and executing them usually requires more than one person on a part-time basis. Which brings us to our next point…
A Team Is Critical
If you’re starting to realize just how much work goes into creating and executing a successful nonprofit marketing strategy, then you probably understand how many people with various areas of expertise this might take.
It’s simply not realistic to expect one person to handle all your digital marketing needs—SEO, paid ads, social media, blogging, website copy—while also organizing any traditional marketing needs, such as print, television, and radio appearances. In order to adequately market your nonprofit, you need a marketing team. Doesn’t your cause deserve the very best?
A Fractional CMO Is the Answer
If you’re overwhelmed by everything necessary to market your nonprofit, that’s okay. As we said, you have other things to worry about. However, one of those things you must worry about is budget. How can you hire a marketing team with an expert at the helm to handle these things when you have donors and supporters to answer to regarding your budget? For 45% of nonprofits, a lack of budget is the top challenge they face when marketing.
The answer is a Fractional CMO. The right Fractional CMO can help you on a part-time contract basis, with no need for the benefits a full-time marketing executive would require. Many Fractional CMOs also have their own team of experts at the ready, all with the experience you need to spread the word about your nonprofit through digital and traditional marketing activities.
Your nonprofit will enjoy the marketing it deserves without a major dent to your budget. If that sounds like it works for you, then reach out and let’s discuss.
