Recurring Themes: The Case for Integrated Marketing Communications, Part 2

I, like many of you, read and post on the various fundraising discussion boards available via social-networking sites.

Recent discussions focus on a myriad of topics, but in the past two months, the recurring targeted topics seem to include the following: cold calling, converting supporters into superstars, the education angle, increased brand awareness, determining what is fundraising ROI, how to apply for grants, the correct use of social media, and planning and executing events. In part 1, I covered the first half of these themes. Here, I tackle the remaining themes.

ROI
Can you really know any effort’s ROI if you do not provide and use the correct measurement tools? Integrated marketing communications (IMC) is built from the ground up to measure, measure and measure some more your efforts across all media used. By using the latest software, IMC enables you to compare, dissect and reapply your results across your media, content or creative offering — 1+1 does not always add up to 2.

Apply for grants
At a recent fundraising conference, I attended a seminar on applying for grants — grant writing if you like. One of the speaker’s comments stuck with me and needs to be addressed. The comment indicated that success in being awarded grants is in part based on your ability to convince the grantor that you have the marketing wherewithal to make sure you use the money most effectively and can prove that the money will provide some positive results (see above). IMC is a natural. IMC offers more than 24 media types just about equally divided between digital and nondigital choices, many of which need to be used in unison to make the donor magic happen. Being aware of these choices and using the correct media and message for the targeted market reinforce your capability to make the most out of your awarded grants.