It’s here! Our 2015 Benchmark Report is finally ready. Request your copy now. A special thanks to those who provided feedback and enabled us to highlight these key insights for the sector. Read the report for all the insights, but overall we saw a demonstrated need (by nonprofits) to focus on brand awareness and an […]
nonprofit
Nonprofit Ideas on a Budget
Lately, I’ve had the opportunity to sit in on a few seminars where the presenters made consorted efforts to discuss successful yet low-budget (or shall we say “cost efficient”) marketing/communications initiatives for non-profit causes, reinforcing that it is possible to do a lot with a little. At the bottom of this article, I’ve included screenshots and […]
Thinking Content? 6 Tips For Putting Your Plan Together
If you’re anything like us, you’re using the first few weeks of January to map out your organization’s goals for the year. While some new year’s resolutions revolve around keeping the staff fridge clean, others are decidedly more high-level. In 2015, more marketing departments are trying to operate like newsrooms, and as such, the content calendar […]
And the research shows…
Do you remember the game show “Family Feud”? For whatever reason that token phrase: “and the survey says:” came to mind this morning and it must be because we are involved in a few research projects at present. Here are a few (5) things that we are keeping top of mind as we wade through […]
Beyond “Responsive”
As December pushes on and signals the final days of 2014, I paused for a moment to look forward and really take stock of what Crescent will be building in 2015, and most of it revolves around the mobile experience. Six in ten Canadians access the internet via their smartphones on a daily basis. At […]
The Value Question
I’d like to begin with some questions: In this world of instant transmission and easy access to information, are we engaging more, or are we more easily distracted? When I say “we,” I mean it in the grandest sense of the term: we as businesses and organizations, we as marketers and consumers, and we as […]
Content in Context
The word “content” has become a catchall for anything you write, create, or curate, and share on the internet. but what does it mean to produce content as a business or organization? and how can you do it without annoying or over-saturating your audience?
Relevance: The Key to Conversions
I participated in a conference this week (a big thank you to our friends at Blackbaud) and while each of the presenters got up and spoke to their specific area of expertise (design, email, website strategy, marketing automation, or technology) there was a resonating theme that jumped out (well for me anyway) and that was […]
Applying your Brand Filters to your Nonprofit Social Media Strategies
In an earlier article, we wrote about how brand filters help organizations manage their brand assets and brand behaviour. Today, we look at how these brand filters drive the creative direction and content of your brand’s social media presence. To recap, “brand filters” are a series of key words—no more than three or four— that describe the essence […]
5 signs you have a strong brand image
With the popularity and responses to our article on brand filters, I thought I would delve a little more into the topic of branding and specifically your brand positioning and image. Here are a few benchmarks for assessing the strength of your brand position/image: 1) Common understanding (of your positioning): this boils down to how […]
Idea Swap: Shared Advice for Nonprofit Marketers
We’re putting it to the test! A video storytelling campaign by Crescent for the not-for-profit community.
Stories told through video have more impact and new tools are available to help build higher levels of brand engagement by aggregating user-generated video content. A curated series of videos asks not-for-profit marketers to share advice for each other. Click “Add Your Story” to contribute.
The Big Picture: The Role of the Nonprofit Website in 2015
When asked about relative importance, in the grand hierarchy of all marketing materials, we all know it, the website tops the list. In fact, 91% agree that the website is the most important communications channel used by nonprofits*. Other channels like email marketing and social media aren’t trailing that far behind, but your website should […]