Jeremy Kaplan
If you’re looking for a career that will not only provide you with a paycheck, but an opportunity to make a positive impact on the world, the Nonprofit marketing and promotions industry could be the path for you.
Nonprofit promotion companies welcome people who are passionate about social change and strategic thinking. To embark on a career in this field, it’s helpful to have a mix of skills that combine old-school, face-to-face community engagement and the personal touch with the ability to event plan and deploy social media. Of course, you may choose to focus on one or the other, but to become a rising star in the industry, it’s better to develop the whole gamut of skill sets.
Understanding the Nonprofit Promotions Landscape
When working with Nonprofits, it’s important to understand that promotional strategies are built not to directly promote sales as in most private companies, but to encourage charitable support by providing an audience with messaging that resonates with their values and moves them to take action. One thing that nonprofit and for-profit campaigns may have in common is brand-building, as Nonprofits must also be conscious of how their messaging impacts their overall image and value..
Careers in Marketing and Outreach: Motivation is Key
Nonprofit promotions is not an ordinary job – it takes passion and commitment, especially when working directly with both the public at large and the Nonprofit’s specific audience. In both cases, you or your communications team become the face of a cause, and if you’re not committed to it, it’s quite unrealistic to expect the public to open their wallets or sign your petitions. So, take the time to target Nonprofits for which you have a genuine passion – it could make or break your career.
Flexibility is a key attribute, whether you are developing media campaigns, organizing events, or utilizing digital and social platforms. Your job is to connect with an audience and convince them to support you. And those audiences may be divided into many demographics, each requiring a different approach and even a different message.
Technology’s Role in Nonprofit Promotions
Today, technology is an indispensable part of marketing and promotions. These tools can be used across a range of applications, from social media and virtual events to in-person events both large and small. Multimedia presentations are the norm and learning the skills required to execute these events is very helpful for someone just starting out in the field.
Launching a career in Nonprofit promotions can follow different routes. Entry-level positions in Nonprofit marketing agencies are typical launching points. They can include anything from tech-based gigs like social media management to old-fashioned door-to-door canvassing and handing out flyers or selling merch. Or, with some college-level training, it’s possible to step into campaign planning and work your way into the behind-the-scenes brainstorming and more creative elements of the industry.
A Real-Work Example: Zeal TN Inc.
Zeal TN Inc is a Nashville-based marketing agency that builds collaborative campaigns with Nonprofits to enhance their messaging and create engagement around their mission and cause.
Zeal TN’s approach tailors each campaign to the Nonprofit’s purpose, avoiding off-the-shelf promotional campaigns to get to the heart of their partners’ mission. One of their strategies is to orchestrate memorable public events to attract publicity for their clients.
If the combination of event planning and direct marketing appeals to you, then a company like Zeal TN may be a great company to target for employment prospects.
