A 5-Step Guide to Multi-Channel Marketing for Nonprofits

Does the phrase “multi-channel marketing” make you tired? 

When I gave a short overview of multi-channel marketing for nonprofits the other day, I asked how people on the webinar felt about the topic. “Tired” was the overwhelming response. “Overwhelmed” also came up pretty frequently. 

That’s understandable! If you’re like a lot of people I talk to, you don’t have a background in marketing. And, if you’re wearing multiple hats at your organization (and who isn’t these days?), getting a grasp on multi-channel marketing can feel like a tall order.

We’re here to help. Here’s an overview of what multi-channel marketing actually is, why it’s important for nonprofits, and how you can start practicing it without exhausting yourself in the process.

What Is Multi-Channel Marketing?

Multi-channel marketing is the practice of sharing your message with your community in lots of different places. Those places are called “channels.”

Email is a channel. Direct mail is a channel. Social media is a group of channels (Facebook and Instagram are separate channels, for instance). Brochures, text messages, phone calls, display ads, SEO—all channels!

The goal of using multiple channels is to get in front of your supporters in the places where they’re already spending their time, whether that’s online or through analog outlets. 

With a little planning, you can use multi-channel marketing to reach your community and build stronger relationships with them. It’s going to be a key part of everything you do, from building visibility for your organization to promoting events to raising money for your cause.

Why Multi-Channel Marketing Matters

How many times have you come across ads for Hello Fresh lately? 

If you’re like me, you probably see those ads on social media platforms, hear them in podcasts, encounter them on YouTube, and find them in your mailbox.

But why?

Whether you’re a for-profit company like Hello Fresh or a small nonprofit, repetition is the best way to ensure that someone remembers who you are and what you have to say. 

Most people need to see a message more than once before it sticks. In fact, research suggests it takes 18 to 20 points of contact to convert a new donor. 

But the world is noisy. The average person sees as many as 10,000 ads each day. We get hundreds of emails. We scroll through social media for hours every week. How can you reach someone 18 or more times in a way that stands out?

You repeatedly share your message in multiple places.

Now, that’s a simple concept. But simple doesn’t always translate to easy! Here’s a five-step process you can use to start practicing multi-channel marketing in a way that’s as easy as possible.

Step 1: Choose Your Marketing Channels

Let’s start with some good news: You don’t need to be on every single channel. You just need to be where your people are.

Start with where you know your community is active and willing to engage with you. 

Focus on building relationships with people where they’re already spending time, then add additional channels if you have the time and resources to manage them well.

If your supporters usually respond to you on email and Instagram, for instance, then engage with them on email and Facebook! Show up in your community members’ inboxes with a compelling email. Pop up in their Instagram feed or in their stories. 

The right mix will look different for every organization. But, wherever you choose to spend your time, your goal is the same. Find the places where your community is already paying attention and focus your attention there!

So, how do you figure out your audience’s favorite channels? 

Use the tools you already have to do some investigating! 

Social media insights, for example, can show you what platforms your audiences are using and when they tend to be most active. Your email performance reports can reveal which of your messages people open and when they’re most likely to engage. Tools like Google Analytics can help you see which channels are driving people to your website.

Step 2: Learn What Content Your Audience Likes

You don’t have to guess what kind of content your audience will enjoy. Your supporters are actually constantly telling you what they care about. They just don’t always do it directly! 

You can learn a ton from tracking which types of content they engage with the most. Some examples of engagement metrics you can (and should!) track are: 

• Which types of social posts get the most likes, shares, or comments? 
• Which email subject lines drive the highest open rates? 
• Which of the links in your newsletter get the most clicks? 
• What pages on your website see the most traffic? 
• Which campaigns or volunteer opportunities saw the most engagement?

Each of these data points is a clue. When you put them together, you get a clearer picture of what motivates your audience. That will help you plan and create content they actually want to see.

Want an example? 

Say you’re running a campaign to raise money for new vet equipment at your animal hospital. 

One appeal centers on a “day in the life” story about one of your veterinarians. Another is a more educational piece that shares how many animals you’ll be able to treat after you upgrade your equipment. 

The vet’s story outperforms the educational piece. That’s a clue that your audience responds better to human-centered stories, and that can help you plan to share similar content on your other channels and in future appeals.  

Step 3: Create Content They’ll Love

Once you know what kinds of stories, media, and other content resonate with your audience, you can start using that information to plan new content. 

Start with what you know. 

Do you know that your audiences love success stories? Write a blog post that tells the story of someone who’s benefited from your work. 

Are people really fond of educational materials? Write an informative article that teaches people something about your mission or programs. 

Have you been getting a lot of traction on posts about an upcoming event? Put together a behind-the-scenes video that gets people hyped about what you’re planning.

While you’re doing this, think about assets you’ll want to have handy to support that content. 

Photos are a given, but what else could you use? Could you create an infographic to go along with your educational article? Could you film a short video to support your impact story? Could you collect quotes and testimonials to accompany information about your programs? 

Step 4: Put Your Content On Your Website

Once you’ve written (or filmed) your content and gathered supporting assets, it’s time to put it on your website. 

Your nonprofit’s website is the central hub for your online presence! It’s where people will go to learn more about you, get familiar with your mission, and take action. 

Whether you’re going to invite someone to make a gift, buy a membership, volunteer, or simply read more about your work, you’ll want to point them to your website.

Make sure you’re adding all of your long-form content (like the client stories, articles, impact updates, and other content we just talked about) to your site. 

Once they’re live, it will be much easier for you to adapt them for other channels. 

Step 5: Adapt Your Content for Different Channels

Your long-form content is on your site, and you’ve got a bank of assets you can use to support it. Now, you need to adapt your content for sharing on different channels. 

Here’s an example of what that process looks like.

Let’s go back to the article about a day in the life of a veterinarian at your animal shelter. You’ve written up the story, which includes an invitation to donate to your campaign. Now you can:

• Share your article on Facebook and LinkedIn
• Share an excerpt and supporting photos on Instagram, then include a link in your bio so people can read the whole thing
• Make it the focal point of your website’s homepage
• Include a snippet in your newsletter and a button where people can read more
• Repurpose it as an email appeal
• Use it as the basis for a direct mail appeal

There are so many possibilities! 

And, remember, you want to share the same message repeatedly so people remember it. 

Don’t just post it to Facebook once. Share it several times! Include it in your newsletter and in your appeal and as the basis for a donation thank-you letter.

You worked hard on this content. Make it work for you!

Multi-Channel Marketing for Nonprofits in a Nutshell

Multi-channel marketing describes the simple concept of sharing your messaging in multiple places (“channels”) as a way to get people to see, remember, and act upon it.

It’s an important strategy! And, while multi-channel marketing for nonprofits is a whole discipline unto itself, you can get started by:

• Understanding your audience,
• Creating content they love, and
• Sharing that content on the channels where they spend their time.

The more you practice, the better and more successful you’ll be!

Support Your Multi-Channel Marketing Efforts With a Great Website

Can you easily update your website, add content, and share it with the world? If you can’t, Neon Websites may be what you need. Our platform is designed specifically for nonprofits that need a way to share their work with their community. 

Whether you need to update a homepage, create and share blog articles, or encourage people to get involved with your work, Neon Websites includes the tools you need to make it happen—no web development experience required. 

Want to see for yourself? Take this self-guided tour to get a feel for how it works!

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