Three signs your messaging strategy needs help.
I’m not handy. I wish it were different, but no amount of renovation-based television programming or YouTube videos seems to change things. I can be stymied by the simplest of repairs, so much so that I’ve found it less awkward to hire someone at the outset rather than engage them after I’ve botched things up on my own. I’ve seen the cause marketing equivalent of my conundrum often enough that I’ve decided to share a few common signals that your endeavor may outstrip your current capabilities.
1 |
There is no metric for success.Most of the issues we’re working to address don’t have awareness problems. Not only do we know the problems, but we also usually understand the root causes. General awareness building is not only passive but also passé. Acquiring new donors is becoming increasingly difficult, making donor retention a critical strategy for 2025. Impact reporting and transparency play key roles in building trust and enhancing donor engagement. This is especially true when it comes to your organization’s next generation of donors. |
2 |
Your audience doesn’t have a clear first step.Your goal should be to spark the first action toward the change you seek. Too many messages try to rush a wholesale transformation. This is where the most errors occur, and the culprit is money. Public education campaigns are expensive, so nonprofits and foundations try to accomplish everything at once. But large-scale changes can only begin after identifying an easy and early win for the people you are trying to help. My go-to strategy is one that’s testable without commitment. Examples include a simple online questionnaire that provides recommendations or video testimonials offering a preview of a would-be beneficiary’s experience. |
3 |
Your message is no surprise.
There are many hurdles between beneficiaries and behavioral change. Being told
your program is “good” for them isn’t enough. Being told their behavior is “bad”
for them is even worse. People look away from negative messages that restate what
they already know. The more obvious your message, the greater the need to tell it
differently. Unexpected messengers are a classic tactic, as is humor.
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If your messages exhibit any of the above symptoms, it’s a good time to reassess things. Just because you can handle your cause’s comms doesn’t mean you’re getting all you should out of them. At the same time, let me acknowledge that sometimes there are budget realities that prevent hiring an expert. But when it’s a little painful but not impossible, the results usually prove the investment a wise one.
Hiring a specialist can avoid the sunk-cost fallacy that accompanies “the way we’ve always done things.” It also saves time and makes decision-making less risky. There are exceptions of course, like last week’s guest on “The Science of Good,” Invisible People’s CEO and documentarian, Mark Horvath. Yet for the cause leader who wants greater impact, you’re welcome to borrow my mantra: Having a hammer doesn’t make you a carpenter.
Take care,
Kevin
