You’ve probably heard lots of “quick” digital marketing tips for leveling up your nonprofit.
Not quite so simple, is it?
With so many digital media myths circulating and influencing what you think you should do, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and fall into some common traps.
Let’s unpack the top three mistakes I repeatedly see smaller nonprofit organizations make in managing digital marketing, and what you can do to turn them around.
Your website is your most valuable digital marketing asset. It is the cornerstone of your online presence and credibility, where people go to learn more about you, where they decide if they connect with your mission and values, and where one can get energized to donate or buy tickets to events—all paramount to the survival of your organization.
While you may prioritize Instagram or email marketing over investing in maintaining or refreshing your outdated website, the success of your digital efforts rely heavily on the quality and relevance of your website. All initiatives—from raising awareness to generating donations—drive people to your website. If information is out of date or hard to find, the layout is cumbersome, or your story is unclear, this impacts user experience, and ultimately your credibility.
Digital content reigns supreme in driving marketing campaigns in today’s environment. Website, emails, social media, partner sites, media at large, you name it.
While you want to remain agile and responsive to changing circumstances, it is vital to plan your campaigns and associated content in advance, so it is intentional and fulfills specific goals. Without a clear strategy, content becomes inconsistent and less impactful, creating missed opportunities.
Pro Tip: MonkeyPod makes it easy to schedule and automate your email campaigns. Learn all about it by visiting MonkeyPod’s Knowledgebase.
No, you don’t need to be on every social channel. In fact, you may not need to be on any social channel at all, depending on your organization and your goals. Radical, I know!
When it comes to social media, many nonprofits I have worked with fall for the assumption that they must be on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, LinkedIn, Threads, and more to engage audiences because “others are doing it” or some other form of market pressure. But because they lack the resources or capacity to keep up on all the channels, they post inconsistently, leading to audience attrition and algorithm slumps.
Ultimately, spreading your organization too thin across platforms is a surefire way to kill your social media presence, exactly the opposite of what you want.
Perhaps one of the most inadvertently systematic mistakes I see when working with small or micro nonprofit organizations is when they try to model or keep up with what other much larger, more deeply-resourced organizations are doing on their digital marketing fronts. This often leads to burnout or underwhelming results because the vision outsizes capacity.
Ready to put these tips into action and strengthen your nonprofit digital marketing program? Start by focusing on just one of these areas this month. Whether it's auditing your website, creating a simple content calendar, or reassessing your social media strategy, taking small, intentional steps will help build a more effective digital presence.
Have questions? Let's connect! I'd love to hear about your challenges and goals.
Whether you’re looking for an email marketing provider or just a place to house all your data, MonkeyPod can help as you get your digital marketing strategy in place. Schedule a demo with the MonkeyPod team to learn more.
About Jacquelyn S. Rardin
Jacquelyn is the Founder and Principal of Mighty House Media, a purpose-driven consultancy dedicated to empowering solopreneurs, micro-businesses, and under-resourced nonprofits with accessible marketing solutions that champion impact, increase visibility, and drive sustainable growth.
Drawing from 30 years of marketing and business development experience across entrepreneurial, corporate, agency, and nonprofit environments, Jacquelyn brings a uniquely well-rounded kaleidoscopic perspective to digital marketing and storytelling. Her expertise spans holistic strategy, branding, and audience engagement. As a passionate advocate for accessibility and acceptance, Jacquelyn is also credentialed in ADA-compliance and is deeply connected to serving causes addressing neurodiversity and marginalized populations.
Connect with Jacquelyn at Jacque@MightyHouseMedia.com