I’ve received many emails from new clients who wanted “to get the word out,” but who didn’t yet know what, exactly, those “words” were.
This is where a strong brand messaging platform comes in.
Building your nonprofit’s communications fundamentals in the right order
Are you looking for a deliberate, structured approach to strengthening your organization’s marketing communications? Do you need to build or rebuild your nonprofit’s communications fundamentals? There are many reasons you might need to strengthen, improve or adjust...
Optimizing nonprofit communications for an organization with no communications staff
In early 2020, I started working with AlphaPlus, an organization that helps adult literacy education professionals in Ontario to incorporate digital technology in their work. With a relatively new strategic plan in place, AlphaPlus’ Executive Director Alan Cherwinski...
Using audience personas in ongoing nonprofit communications planning: Q&A
How can audience personas support your nonprofit communications on an ongoing basis? Audience persona development is an integral part of my website content planning and branding work with clients; personas ensure that the plans we make and messages we develop are...
Narrowing down your nonprofit’s brand personality
Are you developing a brand platform for your organization, including a brand personality? Articulating a strong brand personality is important as it will serve as a guide for the voice, tone and visual style of your organization’s communications - but too many traits...
Brand messaging platforms for nonprofit organizations
Do you need a strategy-first framework to guide your nonprofit’s communications? Do any of the following challenges sound familiar? Uncertainty about what to say in different channels and tactics Competing messages are being conveyed by various team members and...
Branding books and blogs for nonprofit communicators: recommendations
While working on a branding project, I recently found myself reaching for the branding section of my bookshelf. I found that my favourite book about nonprofit branding continues to stand head and shoulders above the rest. And that the others came up short. So I broadened my search and found two other books that, while not specific to nonprofits, were very also useful.
This research and review led to a refresh of my branding book recommendations, which I’m sharing with you today.
How to quickly draft basic messaging guidelines for your nonprofit
Does your nonprofit organization have messaging guidelines in place?
Messaging guidelines work hand in hand with your visual identity guidelines to form your organization’s Brand Standards. They should be based on your nonprofit’s clearly defined brand identity and brand personality and will help to ensure the consistency of all of your written communications – from newsletter articles to speeches and presentations to website copy.
You can pull together a very basic messaging guide – and start benefitting from the efficiency you create right away.