As human beings we are social creatures with an inbuilt urge to belong to something – to be part of a group or community. Doing good is a community that most of us would like to belong to. However, even in the area of doing good, competition is now stronger than ever, with our brains receiving a constant bombardment of messages.
So how can your not-for-profit organisation stand out from the crowd?
The starting point is to invest in your organisation’s ‘brand’ development. Your ‘brand’ – put simply – is how you are perceived in the marketplace. It’s what people say, feel and think about your organisation when they receive your emails, correspondence, visit your website or come into contact with members of your organisation.
Laying the foundation for your brand
A strong brand has to start from within. At the heart of your organisation is its mission, uniqueness and personality. By identifying these, you create a shared focus for your community – both within and outside of your organisation. This shared focus gives clarity to what your organisation stands for – which can then be communicated effectively to your stakeholders and audience.
Building your language platform
Knowing your audience, what they want to know and addressing the concerns they may have, are all critical factors to consider before tailoring your organisation’s ‘key messages’ and the language or tone-of-voice to use. This knowledge will maximise the success of your marketing spend.
Building your design platform
Design is an emotive, powerful tool, which if used effectively will differentiate and convey your ‘key messages’ to your audience. Design is also the visual aspect of your brand. It forms the link between your story, your communications material and the expected experience when engaging with your organisation.
Print, website, e-newsletter, social media?
There are so many communication options that it can appear confusing. It’s important to choose the channels that best support your objectives, are within your budget, and are a good match for your target audience.
Communicating your brand
Staff engagement, ownership and understanding of your brand is critical to the overall success of your organisations objectives. Regular training is essential for new and existing staff members.
At the end of the day, your organisation’s reputation and brand depends on every interaction with another person leaving a positive, lasting impression! Only through consistency and dedication can you work truly towards standing out from the crowd.
if you’d like to find out more, or want to talk over your options
Send us a message …