Nonprofit Marketing

Word of Mouth
At a recent conference of the American Marketing Association (AMA), some
interesting facts came to light regarding word of mouth marketing. According
to the information at the AMA Nonprofit Conference, word of mouth marketing
remains one of the most powerful marketing tools for any nonprofit
organization!
Despite all the discussion about e-newsletters, social media, websites and
direct mail, people are still twice as likely to trust the advice of friends
and family than to trust advertising-type campaigns. This fact is born out by
statistics that say 53% of Americans are highly likely to believe the
credibility of recommendations from people they know when making a
donation or getting involved with an organization.
What does all this mean? Are the tools we just discussed of little value to
nonprofits today?
The answer is - not at all. These factoids just serve as further proof of the
importance of having a good combination of marketing tactics to draw on.
The significance of the range of tactics that help nonprofits build their
reputation cannot be overlooked because they add to the organization’s
credibility and serve as confirmation of a personal referral. Since nearly 40%
of word of mouth referrals take place as a result of a discussion that has
its impetus in a reference to a news article, a blog, an e-mail blast, or a direct
mail campaign, these cannot be ignored. They are indeed integral to the
marketing mix, and in addition, they provide an excellent launching pad for a
friend or supporter who is promoting the organization.