7 Marketing Tactics for When You Don’t Have a Team — or Budget

Sometimes, for nonprofit teams, marketing can seem like trying to go viral using a flip phone. As many in the nonprofit sector know, many nonprofits are small. They operate with only or a few people on hand (and sometimes only one person). And through the kindness of committed volunteers. Still, we also know that marketing is essential for spreading the word about your good cause. So, how could small nonprofits with limited teams and budgets possibly compete for the attention economy where views, likes and shares are the essential marketing currency?

If your nonprofit is small and doesn’t have much bandwidth, there are certain things you can do, but first, you need to realize you’re not alone. If you can develop a quick strategy and stay the course, you can make a marketing impact and get the word out about your organization. So, for those nonprofit marketers and social media managers who do it all, here are seven tried-and-true methods for marketing that can and will allow you to spread the good word about your cause.

1. Lean Into User-Generated Content (UGC)

If you’re the only marketing pro on your nonprofit team, one of the toughest things to do is to get great content. But there’s a great place to go that you might not have considered. User-generated content (UGC) invites your donors, volunteers and partners to share their content about your mission on your platform. 

When nonprofits use UCG, it's an excellent way for others to see themselves as volunteers or donors to your organization. So, make it a point to regularly ask your champions for photos, personal articles and videos for you to share. 

2. Follow a Three-Post Weekly Marketing Plan

Manageable consistency is key to marketing. You don't have to do it daily. All you have to do is to do it consistently, and that's especially true if you're solo marketing. Remember, people prefer quality consistency over lots of quantity, which is average. 

One formula you should try and see how it performs for a quarter is to post on Monday (share anything with heart), Wednesday (give a video shoutout to a donor or volunteer), and Friday (go behind the scenes on the work you do. Don't make it flashy — make it real). 

3. Automate Wherever You Can

If you're low on money or staff, it's even more important to automate as much as you can in marketing. Fortunately, they are marketing tools that are free until you reach a specific threshold or low cost. Some even leverage the power of artificial intelligence. 

Take advantage of these tools to automate. If you save even 10 minutes from your day, that’s 10 more minutes you can use for something else. Lean into automation wherever and however you can. 

4. Repurpose Like a Boss

Be mindful of your content and get better mileage. Be creative with your content and consistently seek to make it high-quality because that's memorable. If you create a blog post each week, you can repurpose it to share on other marketing channels. For instance, share direct quotes on social media and turn images into a carousel. You can use it for email marketing and even record a video summary for sharing. One story goes a long way.

5. Swap and Collaborate

Swapping and collaborating are especially important when you're doing it all on your own. Look for nonprofit partners (e.g., organizations that align but don't compete with your mission). Then, ask them to share content with you to promote both organizations. For example, you can double the fun by co-hosting an Instagram Live, doing a joint fundraiser, sharing posts, or co-authoring a newsletter, book or resource for your community. 

6. Pick One Platform and Own It

Something to remember is that you don’t have to be on every social platform. Pick the best platform for your audience. Ask them if you don't know where most of your supporters are on social. Depending on your organization's audience, share content on only one of the top platforms: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn. Master what you need to know specific to the platform, post consistently and engage with followers. 

7. Ask Your Audience What They Want

When you ask your audience what social platforms they prefer, take advantage and survey them so you know what content will perform best. Ask your donors and supporters what they would love to know about your work. Consider questions such as the following:

• What kind of behind-the-scenes content would you love to see?
• Do you prefer to see images, videos or long-form content?
• Would you want to see short interviews with local community partners?

Essentially, crowdsourcing content ideas relieves the pressure on your marketing brain because you're giving people what they want to see. 

Yes, marketing isn’t easy, but you can do things even if you don’t have a team or a budget. Use some of the ideas in this article consistently and remember at all times to build relationships. With structure, heart, and informed content will allow you to spread the word about your mission. Marketing isn't magic, and there's no unknown alchemy in it. It's a process that will bring results if you do it with intention. 

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with NonProfit PRO. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of NonProfit PRO.