Insights

2018 will be full of new, cutting-edge marketing strategies for associations, but if you’re not at the forefront of the changes, you could be left behind. Whatever the next year holds, marketers need to keep up with the latest developments. In 2017, we’ve learned that every minute, 4.1 million videos are viewed on Youtube, 1.8 million Snaps are created, and 15,000 GIFs are sent via Messenger. And the numbers will only get bigger. The digital marketing landscape has become so busy, it’s increasingly difficult to focus your attention on what truly matters. Where should associations spend their marketing budgets, time and …

As 2018 approaches, there are a number of new marketing trends poised to make a significant impact on go-to-market strategy. Here are a few of the most important trends to look for in the coming year.

Non-profits and associations don’t have to see red during the holidays as long as they manage their staff right. At no other time of the year do companies have to field multiple requests for time off. Handle it wrong, and it could cripple the business at an otherwise busy time of year – not to mention it can hurt your culture and your employer brand. Today, workers view benefits and perks of the job as important as the actual wage they’ll receive. The way you handle time off requests directly affect the type of people seeking to work for you. Have restrictive …

Being a leader means spending a lot of time saying “no” to ideas, but leaders don’t always spend a lot of time also thinking about what that “no” requires of them. As a small way of fixing that, it might help to consider what’s running through the mind of those who’ve just had their ideas torpedoed. There’s a good glimpse into that in a recent Fast Company article titled “Your Boss Just Rejected Your Idea? Ask These Three Questions Right Away.” Bosses know when they’ve delivered a blow, and as an employee, you’re undoubtedly stung at least a little. Anything done immediately, however …

Why should your nonprofit invest in good design? Your mission is pressing, the needs are great — why spend money on design when it seems like it would be better spent on something that has a more direct effect on your customer. Here’s why. Good design is universally understood and people respond to it. Good design sells. Whatever you’re selling or promoting. We respond positively to the design and functionality of the latest smartphone, the buildings we live and work in, the car we drive, the clothes we wear, the chair we sit in — so why would good design not be …

Good design can change the world — or at least help nonprofits and social good organizations in the process. Whether it’s using a website to tell compelling stories or creating an innovative product, design and social change go hand in hand. Let the design tell compelling stories. Good design isn’t just visual — it’s informative, and often entertaining. That’s how design draws anyone in, in any sector, but it’s especially relevant for the social good space. The challenge for designers is to figure out how to weave the story that emotionally and visually connects with the audience in a clear, succinct and …

While most nonprofits rely on volunteers, small- and medium-sized nonprofits rely heavily on them, with some being 100% volunteer-run organizations. Their preference is to use direct mail, flyers, and other offline marketing tools. This is okay, but you want to balance your offline marketing efforts with online tools such as social media. Expanding Your Reach Is Easier Than You Think Engage with your target audience online. You have a better chance of reaching your audience around the world and not just organizations who are located in your physical area. It’s possible to find people and companies who believe in your …

Asking for donations from individuals and businesses can be a daunting task. Not only do you have to convince someone that your organization is doing something worthwhile, but you also have to try to persuade them that they should give some of their own money to help your efforts. In an effort to calm some of your nerves when it comes to asking for donations for your nonprofit, we’ve assembled a list of some of the best strategies to implement when you are making asks to individuals and businesses. Research Your Donors to Read Their Minds The words you want …

Social media is one of the fastest changing industries out there. Sometimes a cutting-edge technology changes the social game, or an old idea (e.g. virtual reality) gains viral popularly. Either way, the results always have a huge impact and 2017 has been no different. Here are five social media trends that will continue to dominate 2017 and 2018 undoubtedly as well. Video Content Video content has become a HUGE part of the modern user engagement on social; increasingly so in recent years. It’s not hard to understand why; the rich interactive content platform allows messages and stories to be communicated …

When it comes to hiring, nonprofits are still the top dog, but the competition is heating up, according to the latest edition of the Nonprofit Employment Practices Survey. Results of the 10th annual Nonprofit Employment Practices Survey indicate that while nonprofits have been hiring more aggressively than for-profits for the last several years and will continue to do so in 2017, the gap is now narrowing. According to the survey, 50 percent of nonprofits plan to hire in 2017 (down seven percentage points from 2016), while the corporate hiring outlook is the best it has been in a decade, with 40 percent …