Discovering and Navigating Niche Markets,Resources for the Nonprofit Marketer

(whomever your Stakeholders are)

Academy For Nonprofit ExcellenceTCC-Tidewater Community College

www.tcc.edu/wd/academy

Exploring ways to go from good to great, all on a nonprofit budget or less.

Instructor - Missy Blankenship

• www.PentagonSouth.com

• www.CASE-LLC.com

• 25+ years business development experience in managing relationships in sales, marketing, PR, customer care and government contracting in nonprofit and for profit industries

• Hampton Roads Technology Council, Defense & Homeland Security Consortium (DHSC), HRAMA, TASC, Ad Club, PRSA

• B.S. degree from James Madison University

Your Instructor’s BiographyMissy Blankenship

CASE, LLC

Director of Sales & Marketing, Friendship Industries, a nonprofit employment services organization, tasked with training and providing employment for persons with disabilities:

• Grew from a $1.5M company to $4M, a rate of 167% in 5 years;

• Earned a GSA MAS Contract Award and a $9 Million sole mandatory source US Air Force Contract (AbilityOne Program);

• Created and implemented first Marketing Plan to develop the brand, including creation and maintenance of all online and print materials and implementation of Strategic Plan;

• Launched first-ever interactive website www.Friendship-Industries.com and earned 2007 NISH National Community Outreach Award for creative use of print materials and PR www.NISH.org.

Your Instructor’s BiographyMissy Blankenship

A. WHAT IS MARKETING?

B. SHARING MARKETING “SUCCESSES”

C. BASIC RULES for SALES/MARKETING/BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

D. METHODS & MEANS TO DISCOVER AND NAVIGATE NICHE MARKETS

E. ZERO IN ON THE MARKETING PLANNING PROCESS

F. MOST COMMON MISTAKES IN MARKETING TODAY

G. BRANDING MYTHS & EXCERCISES

H. THE POSITIONING STATEMENT

I. HOW TO ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

J. WAYS TO USE WEB 2.0 TO CHANGE THE WORLD

K. And, What you really came for: the FREE STUFF

What will we cover today?

What is “Marketing” ?

• MARKETING IS NOT TACTICSMARKETING IS NOT TACTICS

What is “Marketing” ?

Marketing is far more than tactics.

Marketing is analysis, and a sound marketing strategy is based on this analysis.

What is “Marketing” ?

Hope is not a business strategy!

• MARKETING IS ALL ABOUT YOUR STAKEHOLDERSMARKETING IS ALL ABOUT YOUR STAKEHOLDERS

• MARKETING STARTS WITH COMPETITIVE ANALYSISMARKETING STARTS WITH COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

What is “Marketing” ?

Marketing is also about competitive analysis, not just the "interesting and fun" tactics of Marketing.

• MARKETING RELATES TO YOUR ORGANIZATION’s CAPABILITIESMARKETING RELATES TO YOUR ORGANIZATION’s CAPABILITIES

What is “Marketing” ?

Marketing is also about understanding your own organization, it's abilities and weaknesses.

• MARKETING IS NOT TACTICS• MARKETING IS ALL ABOUT YOUR STAKEHOLDERS• MARKETING STARTS WITH COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS• MARKETING RELATES TO ORGANIZATIONAL CAPABILITIES• SO, WHAT IS MARKETING?

What is “Marketing” ?

• Understanding your prospect, yourself and your competition;

• Deciding your target, i.e. “Positioning” yourself;

• Getting your prospect’s attention; • Getting your message across;• Getting remembered, so when the

prospect is ready, they’ll think of you first.

Marketers help find Stakeholders (customer, member, donor, etc.) and open the door to “sales”.

Selling is about persuading, i.e. Selling is about persuading, i.e. “closing the deal”.“closing the deal”.

So, What is “Marketing” ?

Marketing is the art of:

SUCCESSES

Friendship Works Video, circa 1996 (snippet edited for today’s YouTube generation)

Friendship’s 40th Anniversary Celebration (event)

Friendship and Nat Disability Employment Awareness Month

Senator Allen visit Friendship Industries for an announcement Part 1 Part 2

Friendship in the news, WHSV-TVhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E1or8cm7W4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GGBSMHLZQ4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oSH8x7SHRw

Friendship Ambassadors

Friendship appears on Consider This (on local PBS TV station)

Friendship Industries Promotional Video (produced-JMU School of Media & Design)

SUCCESSES

BASIC RULES for SALES, MARKETINGAnd BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

BASIC RULES for SALES, MARKETINGAnd BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Have a Plan. Have a Plan. Plan the Work. Plan the Work. Work the Plan.Work the Plan.

To start Planning:1. Before looking to the future, look

at your past.2. Before looking outside of your

organization, look inside.3. And, before beginning your plan,

do some heartfelt evaluation.

METHODS & MEANS TO DISCOVERAND NAVIGATE NICHE MARKETS

METHODS & MEANS TO DISCOVERAND NAVIGATE NICHE MARKETS

Your First Step in Marketing is Evaluation – include all departments, including Operations, Fund-Raising, Administrative, etc. in your self-evaluation.

You are a TEAM!

This is similar to Strategic Planning… and will help you I.D. Niche Markets!

METHODS & MEANS TO DISCOVERAND NAVIGATE NICHE MARKETS

EVALUATION

1. Where have you been?

METHODS & MEANS TO DISCOVERAND NAVIGATE NICHE MARKETS

EVALUATION

2. What are you2. What are you doing now?doing now?

METHODS & MEANS TO DISCOVERAND NAVIGATE NICHE MARKETS

EVALUATION

3. What (and where) do you want to be?

METHODS & MEANS TO DISCOVERAND NAVIGATE NICHE MARKETS

EVALUATION

4. What are your organization’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats?

METHODS & MEANS TO DISCOVERAND NAVIGATE NICHE MARKETS

EVALUATION

5. How will you get where you want to be?

ZERO IN ON THEMARKETING PLANNING PROCESS

ZERO IN ON THEMARKETING PLANNING PROCESS

To be successful:Offer what the market wants!

And, Develop a Quick and Easy Marketing Plan:

Step 1 – Understand Your Market and Competition Step 2 – Understand Your CustomerStep 3 – Cultivate Your Niche, what makes you "special"Step 4 – Develop Your Marketing Message Step 5 – Determine Your Marketing Medium (s),

the communication vehicle you use to deliver your message

Step 6 – Set Monetary and Marketing Goals Step 7 – Develop Your Marketing Budget

Most Common “Marketing” Mistakes

Most Common “Marketing” Mistakes

POOR COMMUNICATION IS THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM!

• Thinking that Marketing is something we “do”.

Most Common “Marketing” Mistakes

“We need more members!”“We need to boost attendance!”

“Let’s do a press release, place an ad, or send an e-mail!”

• Thinking that Marketing is something we “do”.

Most Common “Marketing” Mistakes

Before you race out to “do some marketing,” Before you race out to “do some marketing,” you have to do some Homework, you have to do some Homework, so you’ll know what you’re really facing. so you’ll know what you’re really facing.

HOW TO MITIGATE

THIS MISTAKE?

• Believing in magic wands and silver bullets.

Most Common “Marketing” Mistakes

“If we just do that marketing—poof!—we’ll make the __________ goal!”

• Believing in magic wands and silver bullets.

Most Common “Marketing” Mistakes

Know what marketing really can do and how you can measure the results. Know what marketing really can do and how you can measure the results. Know your ultimate goal and break that down into key indicators—tracking Know your ultimate goal and break that down into key indicators—tracking via your Web site or incoming phone calls, for example.via your Web site or incoming phone calls, for example.

HOW TO MITIGATE

THIS MISTAKE?

• Failing to realize that people don’t care about you and your organization. They care about themselves.

Most Common “Marketing” Mistakes

Most Common “Marketing” Mistakes

HOW TO MITIGATE

THIS MISTAKE?

Don’t drink too much of your own Kool-Aid.

Connect to something people care about—which isn’t you. Connect to something people care about—which isn’t you. You’ve got to take what you do, how you do it, and what You’ve got to take what you do, how you do it, and what you’ve got, and translate it into what people really want from you.you’ve got, and translate it into what people really want from you.

• Failing to realize that people don’t care about you and your organization. They care about themselves.

• You’re selling yourself.

• Never stop marketing.

• Cultivate referrals.

• Cross-sell.

• Capture their imagination.

• Have a customer retention program.

• Let prospects know where you are when they need you.

Most Common “Marketing” Mistakes

And, don’t forget…

BRANDING MYTHS & EXRECISES

BRANDING MYTHS

Marketing and branding are one and the same.

Think of it this way:Think of it this way: The brand characteristics you The brand characteristics you appreciate and admire most in the companies and appreciate and admire most in the companies and organizations you like doing business with should organizations you like doing business with should be the same brand characteristics to model and be the same brand characteristics to model and nurture in your own organization.nurture in your own organization.

BRANDING MYTHS

Once we have an attractive logo and catchy tagline, we have our brand.

If all you have is an attractive logo and tagline If all you have is an attractive logo and tagline without the commitment and ability to fulfill without the commitment and ability to fulfill whatever promises your brand conveys, then whatever promises your brand conveys, then what you have is what you have is all sizzle and no steakall sizzle and no steak——and it won't take long for your target audiences and it won't take long for your target audiences to see the smoke and realize there's no meat.to see the smoke and realize there's no meat.

BRANDING MYTHS

Branding is the responsibility of our Communications/Marketing/Public Relations/ External Affairs Departments.

You might hearYou might hear, "I work in finance. What does that have , "I work in finance. What does that have to do with branding?" Just ask the folks who worked for to do with branding?" Just ask the folks who worked for Enron, Arthur Anderson, World Com, Global Crossing, Enron, Arthur Anderson, World Com, Global Crossing, and a slew of other for-profits and nonprofits, alike, how and a slew of other for-profits and nonprofits, alike, how much their finance folks had to do with their organizations' much their finance folks had to do with their organizations' brands—brands—

and their livelihoods!and their livelihoods!

BRANDING MYTHS

We don't have a budget for branding.

Consider: The founders of Consider: The founders of Google and Amazon relied Google and Amazon relied exclusively on word of mouth exclusively on word of mouth to get their companies to get their companies off the ground. off the ground.

BRANDING MYTHS – EXCERCISES

1.  Ask everyone to think of the company as a person and to brainstorm Ask everyone to think of the company as a person and to brainstorm about their personality characteristics and traits.  about their personality characteristics and traits. 

BRANDING MYTHS – EXCERCISES

2.  Ask everyone to bring in 5 or 6 ads from magazines.  Hang them up around Ask everyone to bring in 5 or 6 ads from magazines.  Hang them up around the room and analyze them for the following: the room and analyze them for the following:

   

BRANDING MYTHS – EXCERCISES

3.  Create a chart with 4 quadrants:  Create a chart with 4 quadrants:  Different, Not Different, Important, Not Important. Different, Not Different, Important, Not Important. Write down all of the things you offer Stakeholders, e.g. Flexible, only company Write down all of the things you offer Stakeholders, e.g. Flexible, only company offering this, etc. and plot each in one of the quadrants.  offering this, etc. and plot each in one of the quadrants. 

THE POSITIONING STATEMENT

Have One Before You Start Communicating

THE POSITIONING STATEMENT

Have One Before You Start Communicating

Without direction or focus, a business or organization says nothing and goes Without direction or focus, a business or organization says nothing and goes nowhere. Positioning is the heartbeat of an effective communications plan.nowhere. Positioning is the heartbeat of an effective communications plan.

A well-crafted positioning statement defines direction and answers these questions:1. who are you? 2. what business are you in?3. for whom, what people, do you serve?4. what's needed by the market you serve?5. against whom do you compete?6. what's different about your business?7. what unique benefit is derived from your product or services?

THE POSITIONING STATEMENT

Have One Before You Start Communicating

Your market position is a cold-hearted, no-nonsense statement of how you are perceived in the minds of your prospects.

A positioning statement, by contrast, expresses how you wish to be perceived. It is the core message you want to deliver.

So, how can you get your communications program on the right path? So, how can you get your communications program on the right path?

THE POSITIONING STATEMENT

Have One Before You Start Communicating

You need…

• The Right Information

• The Right People

• The Right Thinking

Make It

Happen!

THE POSITIONING STATEMENT

Have One Before You Start Communicating

Getting started…

• Generate Ideas - Concentrate on uncovering issues, competitive and internal differences of opinion. Get people discussing the 7 key positioning questions one at a time.

Make It

Happen!

THE POSITIONING STATEMENT

Have One Before You Start Communicating

Making it work…

• Challenge Their Thinking - The goal is to uncover direction by defining what is real as well as management's ideal vision. This includes company and competitors' strengths, weaknesses, competitive threats, opportunities.

Make It

Happen!

THE POSITIONING STATEMENT

Have One Before You Start Communicating

Making it work…

• Playing It Back - Gather the noted ideas and use them to develop a summary and recommended positioning statement.

Make It

Happen!

THE POSITIONING STATEMENT

Have One Before You Start Communicating

Making it work…

• Now, the path is clear - Begin actively applying the new positioning statement to all communications (internal and external) - from marketing collateral to sales material, Web sites to press releases.

• Get The Word Out – Now, it's up to marketing communications and public relations personnel to guide and control the consistent use of the statement and key messages by all those who are communicating.

Make It

Happen!

HOW TO ENJOY THE BENEFITSOF PUBLIC RELATIONS

HOW TO ENJOY THE BENEFITSOF PUBLIC RELATIONS

Op-Eds

- the opinion pieces that appear on the editorial pages of newspapers can be effective communication tools for nonprofits.

• Engage the “public” (your citizen advocates, ambassadors) to help get you published.

HOW TO ENJOY THE BENEFITSOF PUBLIC RELATIONS

Turn Your Organization into a Heavily Quoted Source

Play reporter.

Become a matchmaker.

Identify ideas for the masses vs. tailored pitches.

Adopt a long-term perspective.

Perform an Expert Audit.

Develop platforms for spokespeople.

WAYS TO USE WEB 2.0 TO

CHANGE THE WORLD

WAYS TO USE WEB 2.0 TO

CHANGE THE WORLD

1. Find people who are interested in what you are doing.

2. Find out opinions.

3. Scatter a breadcrumb trail of comments on the internet.

WAYS TO USE WEB 2.0 TO

CHANGE THE WORLD

4. Share the face of your organization.

5. Make yourself link-friendly.

6. Check out the 3rd party tools.

WAYS TO USE WEB 2.0 TO

CHANGE THE WORLD

7. Share your path.

8. Engage the developers community.

WAYS TO USE WEB 2.0 TO

CHANGE THE WORLD

9. Start online fund- and friend-raising. Yes, it’s in its infancy. A survey by The Chronicle of Philanthropy showed that online giving for 187 large charities totaled $1.2 billion in 2006, up from $881 million in 2005. But of 147 of those organizations surveyed, 103 said online donations accounted for less than 1% of total contributions in 2006.

There is no really large, significant fundraising happening on social networks, but that's where prospects will come from, especially with cultivating youth.

The power of social networking for nonprofits is engagement…

www.LinkedIn.com , www.FaceBook.com , www.MySpace.com , www.YourCause.com , www.HopeEquity.org , Kevin Bacon’s www.SixDegrees.org

And, What you really came for: the FREE STUFF

Free Marketing EvaluationGroup Discussion

Marketing Materials Review

• Website URLs

• Marketing Collateral

• Business Plan verbiage related to marketing communications

• Mission Statements

• Vision Statements

• Value Statements

Free (or Inexpensive) Resources Worth $

• Local Chambers of Commerce

• Free e-newsletters

• Business Advisory Groups

• Network!!

• Social Entrepreneurship

• Economic Development partnerships

• Training, Training, Training

Mission versus Money

Remember: No Money, No Mission!

NONPROFIT BUSINESS MIX MATRIXCRP Sample

Material ManagementHIGH $ Clean Rooms HomeRun

Print DesignMARGIN Technology

JanitorialLOW $ Unacceptable Kitting

AssemblyStuffing Envelopes

LOW HIGHMISSION

Advertising

Collateral Material

Web Marketing

Books/References

Marketing Metrics:What to Measure?

Events/Attending or Sponsoring

Memberships

Direct Mail

Public Service Initiative

Staff Training

Marketing Metrics:Measuring Return on Investment (ROI)

Lead Generation ROI

Plan vs. Actual Email

Website (without PPC & SEO)

Trade Shows

News-letter

PPC Internet Ads and

SEOTele-mktg

Direct Mail

Totals and

Avgs

Expenditures 1,500$ 5,000$ 2,500$ 10,000$ 7,500$ 1,000$ 20,000$ 47,500$ Leads 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 700Cost per lead 15.00$ 50.00$ 25.00$ 100.00$ 75.00$ 10.00$ 200.00$ 67.86 Closure rate 25% 25% 25% 25% 25% 25% 25% 25%Number of Sales 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 175Average Sale 5,000$ 5,000$ 5,000$ 5,000$ 5,000$ 5,000$ 5,000$ 5,000$ ROI/to One 83.3 25.0 50.0 12.5 16.7 125.0 6.3 18.4

Estimated Sales 125,000$ 125,000$ 125,000$ 125,000$ 125,000$ 125,000$ 125,000$ 875,000$ % of Company Sales 14% 14% 14% 14% 14% 14% 14% 100%

Enter in total company sales: 875,000$

Enter in data in blue cells only Calculated cells in green

Name of mailing/campaign:

# of pieces 10,000Cost of printing 2,500.00$

0.2500000$ Cost of mail list -$ Cost of mailing services 500.00$ Cost of postage 890.00$ Cost of pre-press (design, etc.) 750.00$ Other costs -$

(other costs explained)*Total printing & mailing costs 4,640.00$ *Total cost per piece 0.4640000$

# of responses bases on pre-determined results 150*Response rate (%) 1.5*Cost Per Response 30.9333333$

Direct Mail Cost Effectiveness WorksheetXYZ Fund-raising Campaign

*Printing cost per piece

Enter your data into green cells* Highlighted cells are calculated. Do not enter data or change formula.

Free

• Consider a Business Advisory Board

• What is Customer Service?

• How does my staff affect Marketing? Including 10 Tips for Motivating Staff

• It’s in the Mail

• Ideas are Free

• Partnering with Nonprofit Agencies

Free Stuff(Tools)

• The New Complete Marketer

• A Guide to Giving

• Finding the Right Logo

• Grab Donor interest with a newsletter that’s NEWS

• How to Use MySpace to raise awareness

• How to build an effective Board Orientation

• Nonprofits can take cues from the biz world

• CREATING AMBASSADORS FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION

More Free Stuff

(Tools)

FUN Marketing FACTS

“I’m comfortable where I am. Why change? Why take a risk?”

… and then remained in his rocker on his expansive Mt. Vernon estate overlooking the beautiful view of the Potomac thus turning down our country’s mandate to take us where no country had gone before.

What’s your excuse for not at least… making the attempt?

What if George Washington had said…

Nothing ventured,Nothing gained.

"Okay, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg."

****************************************************

"Big Wig"

Marketing

In George Washington ‘s days…

"Chairman" or "Chairman of the  Board"

***************************************************

"Losing face"

Marketing

In George Washington ‘s days…

"Straight laced" ******************************************

"Playing with a full deck"  ******************************************

“Gossip"

Marketing

In George Washington ‘s days…

Minding your "P's and Q's"

Marketing

In George Washington ‘s days…

"Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey."

Marketing

In George Washington ‘s days…

Questions???and

How to Contact Me