As a nonprofit, should you be concerned about your branding? The answer, in a nutshell, is yes. And while there are indeed some similarities between developing your brand and marketing a nonprofit, there are also many differences. Let’s break it down a little.

Similarities in branding

First and foremost, your branding should reflect the professional operate you manage. Secondly, the communication principles and tactics you use to market your brand are very much the same as those businesses looking to turn a profit.

You must reach out to your audience on a regular basis and communicate with them as much as possible. Like any for-profit business, telling a good story and referring back to your brand will get you far. No one wants to be spoken at – they want to be drawn in, entertained and ultimately educated on a topic or a subject.

Consider what stories you have to share with your readers. Think about your audience’s motivations. Why are they visiting your social media page today? Why are they browsing your website?

Like a for-profit business, you have to consider exactly who the audience is. Know them inside out so you can talk to them in detail. It is important to remember that they are different to you and their ideas will differ from yours. You may need to come at your branding and marketing from an unbiased perspective, so to speak. Talk to them as if they know nothing about your company. Their ideas may be a lot different from your ideas. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just a simple fact.

Remember, you cannot appeal to everyone. You will need to break it down in the same way any company or entrepreneur would in order to maximise their marketing efforts.

Differences in branding

While the methods you use to create your brand and sell your image are similar, the idea that you are selling is very different. You are not representing a product or a service. You are in the business of representing emotions and feelings. You are selling support, community and the idea of giving to others. And that distinction needs to be made first and foremost.

The ‘what’s in it for me’ mentality becomes ‘what’s in it for them’. How are you making a difference in the community? How are you helping people at a grass roots level? Can you showcase this in your marketing? Are you able to share the ideas you represent through your social media?

While a brand will tend to focus on a product or a service, you have to break it down even further. You have to dabble in getting people to take action. You have to ask specifically for money. You have to request sponsorship. You have to reach out for support. As donations and support are your bread and butter, asking for specific requests is a necessary part of the territory.

Remember, however, while fundraising does need to take some of your focus, don’t let it overtake everything else. Your mission needs to remain clear, even throughout your fundraising efforts and events.

You have to educate your fans on nonprofits in general. You have to make them understand the difference between a for-profit and a nonprofit. Then you have to explain why you are different to all the other nonprofits out there. It is not an easy task. But it is a necessary one.

Education is a big part of a nonprofit’s brand and marketing approach. Without it, people can jump to many conclusions, most of which will be wrong!

Consider your branding carefully and come up with a detailed plan to execute it across the board.