Nonprofit Marketing Automation Trends for The New Normal

For nonprofit marketing automation best practices as we drive towards the new normal together, there is no shortage of literature available on the subject. As local communities adjust, it’s safe to say that there is still yet to appear a “silver bullet” in how to communicate with your constituents. While some areas of the US prepare to open up the economy and businesses, others continue to see further lockdowns with no end in sight. 

What does this mean for Nonprofits?

Finding new ways to communicate with your community is becoming less of a table thought and more of a necessity. According to Frost & Sullivan, the market for Marketing Automation Solutions (MAS) is expected to more than double and is among the top four investment priorities for enterprise digital solutions. 

In other words, we are only going to see more reliance on reaching a donor base virtually. 

Embracing the Omni-Channel

So now that in-person interactions and events have been limited, what’s next? Fortunately, there are several routes to keeping your mission top of mind with the people that interact with your organization. 

• Email is not dead, it just needs to stand out: Sharing relevant content is more vital than ever. Supportive brand messaging has been used extensively, and while important when the pandemic first hit, is becoming a very saturated talking point. Instead, focus on targeted email marketing – segment your lists and create a dialogue that makes sense to the variety of audiences you are reaching.
• Grow your list organically: Email is a great tool, but it’s not the only one – having a healthy and fresh list of contacts will result in the greatest response and interaction with your organization. Creating blog content that you can share out via social media, or becoming a thought leader on relevant topics is a great way to stand out and direct potential donors to sign up for your email list. Messaging that means something to your constituents will help drive opt-ins, not work the other way around.
• Go Social…Properly: While we are on the topic of Social Media, platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok continuously grow in both the number of users and engagement. Pandemic boredom is setting in, with a recent survey showing up to 42% of participants wanting a change in tone – “fun” content is what is setting organizations apart. 

Don’t Get Comfortable 

The key to any good marketing strategy is to adapt and learn as you go. Relying on the same email journey, or publishing the same topics over and over will not win you any new followers. Instead, focus on what is working through analytics. A good MA solution will lend you the tools and feature set to track your campaigns in a variety of ways:

• A/B Testing
• Click-throughs and open rates
• Delivery Timing
• Lead Scoring
• Integrations with Third Party Tools

So What Next?

An important part of the conversation around outreach strategy is that you are only as good as the data you have collected. Using a solution that can seamlessly work with your CRM is critical in taking donation sourcing to the next level. Using a tandem such as Pardot and the Power of 10 licensing through Salesforce is a fantastic way to get your organization on the right track.