What Integrated Marketing Means to Me -- Katy Dubina
	Posted by Katy Jordan at Feb 06, 2012 11:07 AM CST

In today’s world, the newest, shiniest, flashiest piece of technology is always on the horizon. Consumers are constantly being shown the latest-greatest product and told why they should buy it. The same goes for approaches to marketing. Whether you’re a small business, grassroots organization, long-established global nonprofit or big corporation, the ever-expanding toolkit of marketing technology can be overwhelming.

But what is it all for?
Let’s go back to the basics—the purpose of marketing is to gain awareness and financial support for your brand/product/cause. A combination of traditional and constantly evolving tools should be used in the best combination possible to achieve success for your organization. In the nonprofit sector, this is not always as easy as it seems. Resources are tight and sometimes there is pressure from a board member or donor to try a new approach that brought in $1,000,000 for another organization (completely unrelated, much larger, with 500% of your marketing budget). How do you keep mission-focus and determine the best marketing mix for your environment and resources?

Streamline your voice.
The first step to true integration is to break down internal silos and keep messaging specific. I know this is easier said than done. I co-founded a multi-media arts nonprofit and our core staff consists of three individuals. Even between the three of us, it can be a challenge to keep a consistent tone with our audience. I’ve also worked with large nonprofits where communications are spread across marketing, development and volunteer departments, making consistency can be even more difficult to realize! It is vital that all the players come to the table to understand everyone’s efforts and priorities.

Focus on what you know.
No one understands your organization better than you! Decide on your company’s voice and what priorities you want to extend to your supporters and make sure your messaging is consistent through all channels. What has your audience responded well to in the past? Communicate with various segments based on their interests and actions. Improve on those strategies and rework campaigns that haven’t performed quite as well.

Supporter-centric.
In the end, it’s all about the donor. When taking an integrated approach, you can understand the donor behavior in all channels. Do they give offline, online or both? Are they active in social networks to help build awareness and funds for your mission? In understanding the donor behavior, you can optimize your approach. If a donor is giving at a higher rate online, use that as a basis for your ask string in the mail.

Resources.
In this economy, everyone is strapped for cash. And in turn, strapped for personnel, especially in the nonprofit arena. What is the most effective and realistic use of your resources? Yes, there are many great ideas out there, but which endeavors can you truly employ, see results, while staying true to your mission?

All in all, integrated marketing is the way to go. Understanding how your supporters respond to your messaging in all channels will only continue to benefit your organization and your mission. By using the information you learn about your supporter behavior, you can optimize the donor experience and in turn, raise more money and awareness for your cause. To me, it’s understanding what works for the size, scope, mission and reality of your organization. Use the tools that are out there to improve, expand and develop your cause!