GOOD MARKETING » guerrilla-marketing

Niche-slap the Competition: Why doing less means more for your nonprofit

Chris Forbes — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 15:14:40 +0000

Many nonprofit leaders think adding new programs and services makes them more competitive. They try to imitate the latest trends they see other nonprofits following, jumping on almost any new bandwagon. They mistakenly believe doing more will mean getting more from their supporters and attracting new segments of clients.

The problem with “more-is-better thinking” is, it usually ends up creating mission drift in your organization and saps your nonprofit’s ability to maintain doing what you already do well. Take a look at what your organization does, can you explain it in a few seconds, or do you need 45 minutes and a nonprofit jargon dictionary to describe it? If that’s the case, then maybe you are doing too much.

You can distinguish yourself from your competition better by doing less [...]

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Why Nonprofit Guerrillas Do Primary Research

Chris Forbes — Thu, 12 May 2011 15:08:25 +0000

The book you need most for your nonprofit isn’t available at your public library or local book store; it is one you need to write yourself. You can write the book on the people you want to reach by doing original research. Doing primary research isn’t just a nice idea, it is vitally important to the success of your organization. Primary research doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg, but it is not free. To be effective, your organization will have to make an investment in it.

Here are a few benefits gained from doing primary research:

Helps you while defining the purpose of your marketing. Listening can keep you from making stupid mistakes. Ask your spouse. Gives you a realistic picture of your present situation. Identifies and [...]

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10 Social Media Strategies That Work for Nonprofits

Chris Forbes — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 00:53:12 +0000

There is no such thing as a “silver bullet” social media tactic that will save your organization. Every situation varies depending on the nature of your work and your intended outcomes. Volunteer mobilization strategies don’t have the same as issues fundraising or advocacy online. But there are some strategies for using social media that apply in most situations for maximum guerrilla impact. Below are 10 strategic principles you can use to get the most out of your social media outreach. 1. Message: In order for your message to have any impact for your cause, it has to contain your message. As in all advertising, a funny or interesting video, even if it becomes a very popular online phenomenon, if it doesn’t get people to take action, it is useless to [...]

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Use Imagination to Frame Your Nonprofit Marketing

Chris Forbes — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 19:16:48 +0000

One personality trait you need in great measure as guerrilla marketer is imagination. Nonguerrilla marketers make the mistake of thinking imagination means being the most creative. Even the most expensive advertising agencies can miss this point. It is not how creative and slick you can be that makes the most impact for your message. There are plenty of snazzy ads that don’t work. There are numerous commercials that are entertaining or funny that can’t sell anything. It’s not the most artistic advertisement that makes the difference—it is the one that gets the most response.

Guerrilla Marketing Thought: Very often it is how you frame and solve the problem of getting the attention of the people you want to reach that makes the difference. That takes imagination not art.

Take a [...]

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