3 Outreach Marketing Tactics to Expand Your Nonprofit Programs Visibility

As a nonprofit professional with more than ten years of experience in program delivery and service, I understand the value of outreach marketing and, if done well, have seen success in finding people that need the services.

Before we dive into the three marketing outreach strategies I am sharing with you - I want to take the time to define what marketing outreach is and how it relates to finding the right people to participate in your programs.

Outreach is about reaching out to find the people who need your programs and services.

Marketing is the method used to help you get to them.

When you can understand the interconnected relationship between outreach and marketing, then you’ll be able to elevate your program recruitment efforts to a higher level.

Overall, outreach marketing allows you to leverage your current marketing tactics to promote your program in traditional (canvassing, table-set ups, direct mail) and non-traditional methods (social media, billboards, ads, radio).

So, now that we have this out of the way. Here are the three outreach strategies you can use to increase your nonprofits program visibility and market them to the right people in the communities you serve:

1. Create a one-stop event(s) – most nonprofit programs have various processes to enroll participants making it challenging to complete all necessary paperwork in one scheduled visit. These processes can cause organizations to miss opportunities, especially if the participant doesn’t have the resources to come back to complete the remaining intake items. To prevent this from happening, a nonprofit organization can create a one-stop event. What is a one-stop event? It is an event that allows prospective participants to learn about the organization, its programs, and services and register on-site. To make it engaging and appealing, you can provide food, music, and other entertainment that is of interest to your target population.

2. Canvass “footwork” in the area (s) you service – Social media has become a tool to connect with people and share information. However, not everyone is on social media or has the technological resources to obtain information promoted online. So, it’s best to do both. Promote on social media platforms and also print flyers or postcards to distribute to people on the street. Remember, even if the person you provide the flier doesn’t need the service, they may know someone that does. Note when canvassing, it is advised not to leave fliers inside a mailbox. Similarly, if you are placing flyers on cars, make sure you wear a branded t-shirt or badge that identifies who you are and your organization.

3. Collaborate with organizations – partnerships are often seen as competitive, especially with a nonprofit organization with a similar mission. However, it need not be in this perspective. You can seek partnerships with nearly any organization with a high population of individuals you are trying to serve. For instance, if your nonprofit provides mental health services, you can partner with local clinics or hospitals to create a referral partnership. These types of referral partnerships will develop mutual marketing outreach efforts that can expand your brand mission.

As I mentioned, I am a nonprofit professional with more than ten years of experience in program delivery and service. I have witnessed the value of outreach marketing and its successes in helping to attract the right people to your programs. As you review some of the tactics listed above, I trust that you will too. And, if you are already doing these things, kudos. I would love to hear how it is going.

Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or Instagram at @iworknonprofit to let me know your thoughts or if you need more information. I am happy to lend my expertise.

Best of luck!

This story appeared on ENPWRU.