When it comes to marketing, nonprofits often get the short end of the stick. For more than 30 years, I’ve worked with nonprofits big and small and served on dozens of nonprofit boards. They typically have limited budgets and are understaffed. Oftentimes the development director or even the CEO does the marketing as an add-on to their main responsibilities. In many cases, interns and freelancers are heavily relied upon. While it makes sense to be cautious with expenses, nonprofits should avoid the pitfall of being penny-wise and pound-foolish and remember that best practices typically don’t cost more than poor practices.
How do you ensure you’re following best practices? Just like hiring an accountant to audit your books, having a skilled marketing professional assess your marketing and PR is a good investment. So, what does a comprehensive marketing audit cover?
Mission Confirmation
- Target audience analysis: An audit ranks your target audiences and shows how activity and marketing dollars are/should be allocated to achieve the mission.
- Checking for message clarity: Do you clearly convey your mission and call to action? Do you speak with one voice, or are all your materials a mishmash of looks and narrative? An audit details how consistent verbiage could increase the likelihood your audience will recall your message and ultimately act.
- Reviewing infrastructure: Your auditor will review your resources, both internal (staff and board members) and external (agencies and freelancers), and determine whether you are set up for success or failure.
Foundation Activity
- Website strength: Is your website compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, easy to navigate and built to drive people to your call to action? Almost every audit I’ve ever done has uncovered hundreds of broken links, poor ADA compliance and the need for more consistent copy and visuals.
- Social media impacts: Are you on the right platforms with the right message, and is anyone listening or engaging? Do you understand the difference between platforms, and proper posting and boosting strategies? Do you have a social media playbook so no matter who does the posts you sound like one voice? Remember, your CEO likely has a bigger following than your corporate page—because people prefer to follow people, so an audit will make sure best practices in thought leadership are being applied to the C-suite as well.
- Metrics dashboard: What are you measuring? An auditor will review your use of tools like Google Analytics to get insights into performance and inform your strategy.
Effective Execution
- Access to free money: Did you know that Google offers up to $10,000 per month in search ads to eligible nonprofits through its Google Ad Grants program? An audit can uncover whether you’re eligible and show you how to maximize this free resource.
- Calendar tips: An auditor can recommend message frequency. What are your peaks and valleys of effort? Does your calendar reflect your priorities or do you spend more time on the small stuff versus the big?
- Maximize sponsorships/partnerships: An audit will determine whether collaborations deliver value. It will offer a framework of best practices such as getting a list of attendees or negotiating for social media posts.
- Tool kits for partners: Many nonprofits have partners they work with to either implement their mission or refer them to grantors. An auditor will review these relationships to identify tools that can enhance partner relations and benefit both parties. For example, if you have a board of financial advisors who help their clients make charitable donations, your auditor may recommend giving them regular updates on your group, infographics, publicity opportunities and newsletter copy to keep you top of mind.
- E-blast success: Don’t let open rates fool you. If you are preaching to the choir, open rates don’t matter. A good audit ensures you’re adhering to best practices to yield greater click-throughs but also grades the strength of your target lists.
- Crisis readiness: What happens if your CEO steps down, your headquarters is destroyed by a natural disaster or you lose a major grant? Do you have plans in place to ensure continuity? Are they comprehensive? An audit will tell you for sure.
- Earned media: The power of third-party endorsements remains strong. An auditor will look at how much press you get versus competitors and what topics may be ownable.
If this seems like a lot of information, that’s because it is. A comprehensive audit is a collaborative process and typically takes six to eight weeks.
Selecting An Audit Partner
When selecting an audit partner, keep the following in mind: Your partner should have experience in audits specifically for nonprofits and be prepared to analyze the full marketing and PR spectrum. This means don’t do audits piecemeal where a digital agency does digital and a PR firm does PR.
Comparing tools is part of the analysis. Ask for case studies and references.
Lastly, know who is doing the actual audit. Agencies may have new business teams or will bring senior people to a pitch who won’t do the day-to-day work. Pick someone who has good chemistry with your leadership team. A good place to start your agency search is by asking board members for referrals.
The ultimate delivery is a report with clear actions detailing how to get your nonprofit to best practices in all areas. Costs typically range from $15,000 to $60,000, depending on the size and needs of your organization. Your return on that investment should be tenfold, as investing in marketing will get your nonprofit in front of more people (donors as well as recipients) and help you make a bigger impact in your community.
By committing to a marketing audit, you can ensure that your nonprofit is poised for sustainable growth and long-term success.