The post How to Become a Nonprofit Thought Leader appeared first on Nonprofit Marketing Guide (NPMG).

At various times, some in the nonprofit sector have suggested that the newsletter format needs to die and that emails in particular should be about one thing and one thing only. Some subject line analyses have suggested that words like “Update” and even just plain “News” are better in the subject line than the boring ol’ “newsletter.”

So, within this context, I’ve been fascinated to see mainstream media organizations like The Atlantic and the New York Times embrace the newsletter concept. For example, look at how The Atlantic is positioning their newsletters: They claim that newsletters are the new blogging.

Also, many noteworthy writers are starting paid newsletter subscriptions using services like Substack. This may be more of a reflection on the transformations taking place in journalism than on the value of newsletters as a way to deliver content.

But the fact remains: Newsletters are having a moment.

Here are some interesting notes about this newsletter resurgence . . .

• The newsletters are written by one author who is clearly named and has control over the content. They often write in the first person (I. me) but even when they don’t and do more factual reporting instead, the voice of the writer is still clear.
• They cover specific topics or angles or perspectives. They have a beat, in journalism lingo. This matches the larger trends of media being customizable and on-demand.
• Most editions of the newsletter is about one thing — it’s essentially what you’d think of as one opinion column or blog post. Some write more “news round-up” style, but that seems to be a minority.
• They are published at least weekly.
• They are often positioned as exclusive content, such as for paid subscribers only.

What does this mean for your nonprofit? Maybe nothing. Or it could mean that you might . . .

• Consider producing multiple newsletters that would be of interest to specific segments, where you are playing the publisher role of multiple newsletters?
• Give your newsletter writers more leeway in expressing their own voices and ownership of the message?
• Have something so interesting and compelling to say that people might pay for it?

I’d love to hear what you think!

The post The Rebirth of the Newsletter [Communications Trends] appeared first on Nonprofit Marketing Guide (NPMG).

They tend to be very popular goals with executives and board members, because they are exciting (“Everyone will know what we do and think we are leading the way!”) but also because, frankly, they are vague. They don’t require the same instantaneous conversation about numbers in the same way that participation goals (how many people did the thing) or fundraising goals (how many dollars came in) do, for example.

Because there are many ways to define and measure raising awareness and thought leadership, these two goals sometimes get dismissed by critics as superfluous and egotistical.

I get where the criticism is coming from. However, I do believe they are absolutely legitimate goals when they are used as a stepping stone to a more concrete goal. I do think you need to know what comes after you’ve raised awareness or after you have become a thought leader.  Knowing what comes next allows you to craft awareness-raising and thought leadership campaigns that get you where you want to be.

So what might come next?

Why are you raising awareness? So people will change their hearts and minds in some way? So they will change their behavior? So they will advocate, or volunteer, or donate?

Same thing with thought leadership, which often deals with peers and peer organizations. People are paying attention to what you are saying or writing. Now what? Do you want them to advocate for policy changes? Change the way they work on issues you work on too?

If you can pin down those answers, you can turn raising awareness and thought leadership into legitimate nonprofit marketing goals.

Learn more about goals, strategies, objectives, and tactics during our Planning Master Class.

The post Are Awareness and Thought Leadership Legit Nonprofit Marketing Goals? appeared first on Nonprofit Marketing Guide (NPMG).

Over the last few weeks, our friend and colleague Tom Ahern made a series of bad decisions that rightly resulted in the cancellation of a AFP webinar he was scheduled to present later this week. We were increasingly alarmed and then flat-out appalled by Tom’s commentary before and after the event cancellation. As a result, we here at Nonprofit Marketing Guide have decided to pause our hosting of Tom’s webinars indefinitely. Is this pause permanent? We don’t know yet. 

I’m sharing today’s long post for two purposes: (1) to explain to our Nonprofit Marketing Guide community my personal approach to thought leadership in hopes that you will feel more comfortable talking to us when you believe we have screwed up and (2) to share some (admittedly unsolicited) advice with other white thought leaders in the nonprofit sector who are struggling to understand and to react appropriately when their perceived positions of authority are being challenged.    

3/24/21 Edit: As I mention later in the post originally published on 3/22/21, this is not our first experience with Tom being rude or dismissive of people who disagree with him, and I chose not to focus on specific instances of those injustices, but rather on what happens when injustices more generally are called in or out to thought leaders. I see now that not articulating those details may lead some people to believe that I am not fully acknowledging the specific harm of the most recent incidents that were directed at and about BIPOC fundraising professionals and practices. So let me be clear: Tom’s most recent comments in both style and substance were especially ugly and hurtful to the BIPOC fundraising community and reeked of white supremacy. We stand personally and professionally in full support of the Community-Centric Fundraising model and its community of practitioners.  We applaud the hard conversations taking place throughout the sector, and while we don’t really consider ourselves fundraising practitioners per se, because so much of those conversations are really about communications and marketing more generally, we are actively listening, watching, engaging, and always learning. ~Kivi

As Kristina and I were working through the Nonprofit Marketing Guide site redesign over the winter, our web developer asked us for our values for the About Us page.  As a very small company — it’s just Kristina and me formally, with a variety of freelancers helping in different ways — the company values ARE our personal values. The ways we live personally and the ways we work professionally can’t be separated.

I’d honestly never really considered drafting our business values in a formal way. Just being them seemed good enough. But I love a good writing prompt, so I sat down and did the homework. Here’s what we came up with, which is on the About page:

Understanding and Empathy

We are constantly listening to what nonprofit communicators need and empathize with them about all of the challenges of working in the nonprofit sector. Even though we are thought leaders in the nonprofit sector, we understand that our lived experiences and “our way” are not inherently more valuable than yours or anyone else’s.

Enthusiastic Problem Solving

We approach problem solving with creativity and enthusiasm. We enjoy geeking out on process or technology when it leads to making nonprofit communicators’ lives easier or your work more successful.

Being Direct and Pragmatic

While we constantly cheer for and defend nonprofit communicators, we also believe in being authentic, honest, and direct, even when conversations are hard. We are not particularly interested in theory. Instead, we focus on real-world practice and results. We never want to waste your time because we know you have little to spare.

Living Our Lives in Draft

We make mistakes and get it wrong. But rather than quickly moving on, we learn as we go. Our next attempt will always be better than our last because we are committed to constant learning and doing better for ourselves and for you.

The Roles and Responsibilities of Thought Leaders

One of the topics we teach at Nonprofit Marketing Guide is how nonprofits can position themselves as thought leaders. I explain that being an expert on something doesn’t make you a thought leader. Nor does simply being an exciting or entertaining communicator. You really have to have both the substance (the expertise or experience or big ideas) and the style (the communications and marketing know-how) to become a thought leader.

We teach several different styles of thought leadership, but what they have in common is the willingness to say something others are not saying or to say it out loud in a new way. I tell nonprofits that want to move beyond their expertise to become thought leaders that they need to find their voices and to be opinionated.

I also make clear this is not a job for the faint of heart. When you step out on an issue, you may find yourself far out on that proverbial limb, hoping it bends in the way you are advocating, without it breaking and crashing you to the ground. You hope the tension of being out on the limb makes both you and the tree stronger.

But tree climbing, especially out on those high, thin limbs, requires a lot of balance and real-time adjustment. It — and thought leadership in both the substance of what you say and the style in which you say it — are risky business.

The more often you climb up and out there, the more experience and comfort you’ll get. But you also increase the odds of your limb snapping. Or a strong gust sending you flying. Or someone seeing you up there as an easy target and deciding to take their shot.

What Happens When I, as a Thought Leader, Fall

These thought leadership lessons we teach are learned not only from watching nonprofits do it but from working to become a thought leader myself in nonprofit communications and marketing. I try to take care when I go out on limbs, but I’ve had my share of injuries and know all too well the adrenaline rush when you hear that limb cracking and you wonder what’s coming next.

As a white, Gen X, cisgender, non-disabled woman who is a nonprofit sector thought leader, I have been called in and called out for word choices and the ways I have described certain situations or people. It’s not fun. It hurts. But all growing pains hurt. And that is what is ultimately being called for: Growth.

When confronted with ways I have caused pain, my first reaction is defensiveness — the classic (and exhausting to those you’ve hurt) “but I didn’t mean it that way” response. But that quickly morphs into deep sadness and regret for letting others down. In all those random personality tests we take, I am whichever acronym or color or animal denotes “the responsible one who takes care of everything.” I feel HORRIBLE not just because I have emotionally hurt people but because I have acted irresponsibly.

Earlier in my thought leadership career, I’d stop there:  I apologized, felt a few days of anguish-filled depression at letting others down, and then I moved on.

When I’ve made mistakes more recently (like in the last five years or so), I’ve tried to do the much harder work of understanding not just the impact of what I did but also understanding where that behavior came from in the first place. It might be conscious or unconscious bias, ego, competitiveness, laziness, ignorance, or impatience, for example. It’s been all these things and various combinations at different times.

When being called in or out, I still get defensive, and I still feel like my insides are crushed, but I try to work through it to find the real meaning and lesson so that the growth can happen. And that’s what I commit to doing next time I get called in or out. And yes, it will happen again. Kristina and I are human, and we create a lot of content here at Nonprofit Marketing Guide.

It comes with the territory in which I choose to live and work. I want to be a part of pressing my little corner of the world (nonprofit marketing and communications) in better directions. I want to be true and authentic with our coaching clients and those who attend our training. I hope they will also feel comfortable being true and authentic with us. I will try to be honest and direct, even when those conversations are hard, and especially when it requires that I am the one doing the calling in or out. That’s not always easy, either.

I attempt all of this while trying to stay in the values stated above, especially listening, being as empathetic as I can, acknowledging my own weaknesses and imperfections, learning from mistakes, and always, always, always trying to do better next time.

But the reality is it’s hard work climbing those trees and going out on the limbs and I will sometimes screw it up and fall to the ground. But these days I try to spend a little longer lying there on the ground and thinking through what I just did to make that fall happen. I will not blame the tree nor the wind, only myself.

What about those people taking cheap shots from the safety of the ground? Yeah, there are some of those trollish or jealous types every now and then. Some red-pencil editors like to nit-pick every word, and when you are a prolific writer, there’s always something that could have been worded better, including in this essay.  I do try to move on more quickly when this is very clearly what’s happening.

What Happens When Our Thought Leader Friends Fall

I believe in not just second chances, but many chances. I believe in recovery and redemption, in both my personal life and my professional life. It’s part of my faith, parenting style, Girl Scout troop leadership, entrepreneurship, thought leadership, you name it. But with the generosity of many chances — both given and received — comes responsibility and accountability.

And that brings me back to what precipitated this post.

Our long-time friend and colleague Tom Ahern is a brilliant writer and a very engaging speaker. We’ve worked closely on some intensely emotional projects together, including editing the final manuscript of our now deceased dear friend and fellow thought leader, John Haydon. We at Nonprofit Marketing Guide have hosted many of Tom’s fundraising webinars for years.

Make no mistake, people are craving the direct style that Tom delivers every time. Too many consultants and trainers in our sector get mealy-mouthed about anything approaching a debate. We know people flock to his training because we see all the registration activity happening on the back end — and we have benefitted from it financially via our webinar hosting commissions. Tom has a very devoted following, in large part because he loves industry research and is constantly updating his materials. Another reason people love him is because he climbs up that tree and goes out on those limbs. And let’s face it, daredevils can be really fun to watch sometimes.

But other times, like all thought leaders — and all humans — he screws up. We’ve had conversations with Tom in the past about being too rude and dismissive of people who disagree with him. He had been willing to listen and admit when he was in the wrong.

This time, though, when he went out on that limb, his branch cracked and creaked in the form of several warnings on social media. And yet he ignored the multiple calls to “Go back, go back!” and pushed himself even further out on that limb, until it broke clean off. It was a terrible mistake.

I am hoping with all of my heart that Tom will get beyond the defensiveness and start doing the work to see just why his journey out on that limb was so very painful to others. But until that happens, we won’t be hosting any more of his training. Whether he will ever want to work with us again, I do not know.

But in the spirit I have tried to articulate here today, if he does the work of taking responsibility, being accountable, showing some real humility, and learning from the mistakes he made, we are open to a conversation about it.

Being Grateful for and Inviting Change

You are only a leader as long as others are willing followers. It’s a privilege that you earn, and that you must continue to earn every day. You don’t make it as a thought leader in the nonprofit world and then get to sit back like some untouchable tenured professor. Change is fundamental to nonprofit work, and we must all be open to that change in this sector, especially as thought leaders, even when that change and growth hurt. Always be grateful that people are willing to listen to you in the first place. Never forget you serve at their pleasure.

If you feel compelled to call us in at any time, email is best. We are not big phone and voicemail people. Email Kivi directly or Kristina directly.  Obviously, we prefer the call in to the call out. But if you need to do that instead or in addition, we are @npmktgd, @kivilm and @kristinaleroux in the usual places.     

The post On Being a White Thought Leader in the Nonprofit Sector appeared first on Nonprofit Marketing Guide (NPMG).

Flickr Creative Commons photo by Steve Bustin.

By Peter Panepento

It’s not easy for nonprofits to get news coverage. And that’s especially true during the Covid-19 pandemic.

As the news industry has changed, fewer journalists have nonprofits as part of their beat — and during Covid-19, most have been reassigned to cover some aspect of the pandemic.

Making matters worse, many are working in newsrooms that are smaller than they were even a month ago, due to layoffs and furloughs. And all are adjusting to having to cover stories virtually.

But just because it’s more difficult to get coverage, it doesn’t mean you have no shot.

In fact, there are some great opportunities out there to get attention if you’re mindful about what reporters are looking for — and are willing to be flexible.

Here are four ways to stand out:

1: Pitch positive stories with a personal face

— We’re all looking for good news right now – and people are craving uplifting tales and silver linings. If you can offer a hopeful angle or a unique way forward, you have a good chance of grabbing attention. But simply having a positive angle isn’t enough. Many nonprofits make the mistake of making their organization the center of their story pitches, but the real power in positive stories is having a strong emotional hook. And that usually comes through personal stories. Instead of pitching a story about the number of meals you’re serving, think instead about an inspiring volunteer who is helping prepare or deliver those meals — or a family that has been helped. You won’t necessarily be the subject of the story, but your chances of coverage are much greater — and you’ll still be a part of the final tale.

2: Pitch local expertise on national trends

If your nonprofit is locally focused, use that to your advantage by pitching your leaders as experts on national trends that connect to your mission. It’s likely your nonprofit can help put a local face on the fact that many arts organizations have gone dark, provide a local perspective on the impact of social distancing, or talk about the challenges faced by students who are learning remotely. If your goal is to try to get visibility through the media, think about how you can leverage your knowledge to provide local context.

3: Embrace Zoom and FaceTime

In every pitch or news release, make it clear that you have an expert or experts who are available to be interviewed via Facetime, Skype or Zoom. This can be a huge differentiator as reporters are working in virtual environments.

4: Submit an opinion piece

Op-eds remain an especially smart option right now for organizations seeking news coverage. Even if they don’t get picked up, you can use them in your own channels to amplify your message.

Of course, even the best pitches will get ignored if they’re not delivered to the right people — and in a thoughtful way.

In my work with nonprofits, I’ve found much greater success when I can deliver personal pitches to reporters. So rather than blanketing newsrooms with press releases, I recommend taking a more targeted approach.

For the reasons outlined above, that’s especially important now — but it’s also a bigger challenge.

Thankfully, the media database company Cision this week released its annual State of the Media survey, which included some timely guidance from journalists about how to pitch them during these challenging times.

Here are three tips they offer (all of which we can validate through our experience working with the media over the past six weeks):

1. Email should be your primary channel
   This is true all of the time, but it’s especially true now. Like all of us, reporters are facing a lot of unusual pressure. Now is not the time to be cold-calling them or trying to get cute with mailings or social media. Stick with email – and keep your pitches short.
2. Do your research
   Beats are fluid – especially now. Before you do outreach, check out what a journalist has been covering in recent weeks to see if they are still the right person for your pitch.
3. Be patient
   As noted above, journalists are underwater, so it might take them longer than normal to reply. Don’t be afraid to follow up after a few days if you haven’t heard back. But set your expectations appropriately and avoid being a nag.

These are challenging times — and the media can play an important role in helping your nonprofit advance its mission.

While there is no surefire way to ensure the media will cover your organization, now is a critical time to be lifting your voice and attempting to draw attention to the issues that matter most to the people you’re trying to help.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

The post How to Get Your Nonprofit’s Story Told During Covid-19 appeared first on Nonprofit Marketing Guide (NPMG).

It’s also forcing all nonprofits — no matter the mission — to rethink their short-term media relations strategies.

Here are five tips to consider as you think about how you want to communicate with the media during the coming weeks and months:

Rethink Your Calendar

The spring is often an important time for nonprofits seeking news coverage. For many organizations, March through May are the months when we release new reports, host public events, and schedule important announcements.

If you haven’t already, it’s time to consider a backup plan for these releases.

If you can, delay your announcements for later in the calendar. If there’s no compelling reason to release the information now, it’s likely better to wait until we have made it through the crisis to make it public.

If you can’t delay, plan to make your announcement virtually and adjust your coverage expectations accordingly.

Most media is focused exclusively on COVID-19 for the immediate future, so if there isn’t a connection to the pandemic, your announcement will likely draw less attention than it would during normal circumstances.

Consider New Approaches for News Conferences and Interviews

Because of social distancing, press conferences, in-studio appearances, and (in many cases) in-person interviews aren’t happening.

If you’re making a COVID-19 announcement that you’d normally make with a news conference, consider a video message or a virtual event instead.

Prepare experts in your organization to do TV-interviews via services such as Skype or Facetime — and coach them on how to show up properly.

Focus on What’s Most Important

COVID-19 isn’t just a crisis for your nonprofit. It’s a crisis for everyone.

With that in mind, pitches and releases that focus on how the crisis is disrupting your organization aren’t likely to get much traction.

However, if you can find ways to show the impact on the people you serve — and the need that exists for helping them through the crisis — you’re more likely to get results.

Whenever you can, avoid making your messages and announcements about you. Make it about the people who depend on you.

Partner with Others

A pitch about how COVID-19 is impacting your arts organization’s financial future is likely to get lost among the avalanche of similar pitches that are coming into newsrooms right now.

A pitch that shows the impact of COVID-19 on your community’s arts scene as a whole will likely get much more lift.

Now, more than ever, think about how you can work with your fellow nonprofits to crowdsource information and resources and work together.

A number of U.S. community foundations have been taking this approach — and they’ve been able to work together to share information that shows the collective magnitude of their work during this crisis.

If possible, find opportunities show your collective impact and/or need.

And Remember, Journalists Are Swamped, Too

This crisis isn’t just upending your work. It’s completely changing the way journalists are approaching their work for the short term.

Many of them have been assigned to cover temporary beats as a result of the crisis — and most are working remotely and needing to practice social distancing.

As a result, adjust your expectations accordingly when you send information. It might take them longer than normal to reply — and they might not cover your news the same way they do during less chaotic times.

The post COVID-19 and Media Relations: A Quick Guide for Nonprofit Communicators appeared first on Nonprofit Marketing Guide (NPMG).

With apologies to amazing voices such as Vu Le and Beth Kanter (and the founder of Nonprofit Marketing Guide, Kivi Leroux Miller), this search doesn’t include those who write blogs about nonprofits.

This is an effort to find great blogs produced by nonprofits themselves.

Blogs have long been an important tool for nonprofits and foundations that are looking to engage their supporters, spread the word about their cause, spotlight supporters, and reach new audiences.

And as I work and speak with nonprofit communicators, they’re often looking for examples of how their peers are using blogs.

But, somewhat surprisingly, it’s not easy to find a list of great nonprofit blogs.

So I’ve endeavored to create one — with your help.

Over the years, I’ve compiled a personal list of favorites (some of which I’ll reveal shortly).

But there are a LOT of nonprofits out there — and there are undoubtedly some excellent blogs that have flown under the radar.

If you have a favorite — or if your nonprofit has a blog that you’re proud of — I hope you’ll tell us what makes it special and provide a link in the comments. You can also email me directly.

For added inspiration, here are five excellent blogs that I’ve found:

To Write Love on Her Arms — This powerful blog captures first-person accounts of what it’s like to live with addiction, depression, and other mental-health challenges. It connects clearly with the organization’s mission — providing advice to those who are helped by To Write Love on Her Arms and offering those who support the organization a window into its work.

Feeding America’s Hunger Blog — Feeding America serves up regular insights about hunger and advice on how to help in bite-sized, easy-to-digest morsels that are perfect for sharing on social media.

One — One uses great images and regular contributions to offer a window into its work and encourage its supporters to take action.

Greenpeace Australia — Our search for great nonprofit blogs takes us to all corners of the globe. Down Under in Australia, Greenpeace shows how a strong nonprofit blog can sometimes take a fun approach to serious topics. Its recent post showcasing the best signs from a recent climate protest offers a great guide for nonprofits on how to spotlight supporters and their creativity.

Ford Foundation — Foundations often get a bad rap for being stodgy and inaccessible. The Ford Foundation is trying to combat that by offering a window into its grantmaking, sharing insights from its leaders, and encouraging readers to take action on important issues.

What are your favorites?

Share them below!

The post Let’s Find the Best Nonprofit Blogs appeared first on Nonprofit Marketing Guide (NPMG).

JustLeadershipUSA is dedicated to cutting the U.S. correctional population in half by 2030, and its leader Glenn speaks from personal experience. He spent six years incarcerated in a New York State prison in the early 1990s. Today he uses his voice to influence justice policy and lift up the voices of those most impacted. He’s been recognized with honors such at the 2016 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award and the 2014 Echoing Green Black Male Achievement Fellowship.

Like many Twitter users, Glenn launched a Twitter account early but didn’t immediately see the power of the platform. He caught on, and has Tweeted his way to some extraordinary real-word accomplishments.

@glennEmartin joined Twitter in April 2009
@JustLeadersUSA joined Twitter in August 2013
@CLOSErikers joined Twitter in June 2015

When did you really begin using Twitter as a tool for your advocacy?

@glennEmartin congratulations! Huge deal indeed. Remarkable effort by a remarkable leader and a powerful network of supporters. https://t.co/A6zJGOAaV6

— Cheryl Roberts (@CherylARoberts) April 1, 2017

I tried to get on Twitter years ago and created an account. My account laid dormant for a while until I had a conversation with the former governor of New Jersey, Jim McGreevey. He said to me, “Glenn, people look to you as a leader. You should own it.”

That became a moment for leadership, and for me to be thoughtful about what I put out in the world. I started building my brand, and that ran into creating JustLeadershipUSA.

People like following people on Twitter. You have character, perspective. But you have to be ready to engage and respond to feedback. You need a reason for doing it.

How much time do you spend on Twitter per week?

I am on Twitter for 20 minutes here and there, about 10 times a day, so that’s about 3-4 hours a day.

Why do you use Twitter?

I wanted to brand myself. Using Twitter matches my values — fighting for change. Twitter gives me a chance to make my message clear.

Can you describe your tweeting style/approach?

Source: Twitonomy

Source: Twitonomy

People look to my account to get news on criminal justice reform. I also get my news on Twitter – what others are saying about criminal justice, and listening to opinion leaders.

I mostly use it to sway decision makers and educate the public. If you know who your audience is, you can reach out to influencers to help target them. We’ve worked with influencers such as Russell Simmons and Kerry Kennedy to turn out their base in support of our cause.

Do you have a Twitter success story to share related to your nonprofit/cause?

This announcement is a huge deal. Thank you to all the @closerikers staff and supporters. We won’t stop till #TortureIsland is shut down! pic.twitter.com/NaJ91BXyor

— Glenn E. Martin (@glennEmartin) March 31, 2017

The CloseRikers campaign was a Twitter success. We got New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio to publicly say yes to closing the prison. It was phenomenal.

Mayor De Blasio cares about his reputation as a progressive. We used that to get his attention and put the pressure on to close the prison.

We logged 25,000 tweets directly at the mayor –100,000,000 impressions on one day. The mayor’s office told us they couldn’t figure out how to neutralize us. They saw all the moments we created on social media.

We got other progressive orgs to jump in, and other progressive leaders to get their bases to tweet. And we got 1,000 people to march across Queens – we used Twitter to mobilize people in real life.

We have a campaign funder that gave us a goal of accomplishing this in 3 years. We got it done in 12 months. It’s a campaign of 165 organizations, and they all have their bases. Our celebrity support has helped add boldness to this campaign.

What advice would you offer to leaders of small to medium-sized nonprofit CEO’s who want to tweet like a boss?

Join me tonight as I discuss the SLAVE CATCHER history of #RIKERS ISLAND at @SPCBCBKNY Commemoration of The #MAAFA https://t.co/pKk1UfKiRr pic.twitter.com/qKVE9bhSPn

— Glenn E. Martin (@glennEmartin) September 19, 2017

Twitter is a little like fishing. There are moments that don’t have traction and you’re not capturing the fish. It’s worth it for the moment when you put something out in the universe, and someone bites.

You need patience with Twitter, because every once in awhile, it creates a moment.

Also, always been on brand. Be disciplined. I see so many tweets that are political in nature and entertaining, but if you want people to follow you on Twitter, you have to be consistent about what you are and who you are. Why would someone visit you?

Become the champion of a particular thing.

If you run an org, and you have a social media intern, that’s great. But I think that leaders, especially the type that people look up to, must make time to interject their opinion. The truth is, people want your opinion.

Are you interested in boosting your Twitter game? Check out these helpful posts and resources:

• 6 Advanced Twitter Features for Nonprofits
• SHOW US YOUR LISTS: 8 Ideas for Nonprofit Twitter Lists
• Hashtags for Every Day of the Week (Nonprofit Edition)
• How CEOs Can Leverage Twitter (Sloan Management Review)
• How to Use Your CEO’s Twitter Account to Build Brand Loyalty (Convince & Convert)

The post How @GlennEMartin of JustLeadershipUSA Tweets Like a Boss appeared first on Nonprofit Marketing Guide (NPMG).

Watch this webinar now with a free membership

Last week Kivi presented a free webinar on thought leadership for nonprofits. If you missed that presentation, you can now find the recording on our Free Membership Dashboard.

If you aren’t a member, sign up is quick and easy (and obviously free!).

During that webinar, Kivi went over the 5-step process for creating a thought leadership communications plan and how to avoid common pitfalls and get past potential barriers.

She also shared that there are basically three different types of thought leaders in nonprofits today:

• The expert with real world experience
• The expert with insightful perspectives
• The reporting expert

Here is a quick breakdown for each one.

The Expert with Real World Experience

These experts are the boots-on-the-ground folks who personally witness the issues your organization deals with.

This expert:

• Talks about very practical validated approaches
• Finds new ways to solve problems in their sector
• Can be privy to very private experiences or are in a remote location

The Expert with Insightful Perspectives

These experts are your visionary leaders and are often the founders of your organization.

This expert:

• Is less tactical and focuses more on big picture thinking
• Challenges the status quo
• Inspires others with a big personality or a personal story

The Reporting Expert

These experts pay close attention to what is going on around them, can synthesize that information and relay it in a way that’s easy for others to understand.

This expert:

• Constantly listens to your community
• Soaks it all up and squeezes it back out like a sponge
• Collects information via crowd sourcing or convening groups

We polled those who attended the webinar live and asked which of the three types of thought leader best matched. Here are the results:

While there was an edge to the Expert with Real World Experience, the others were evenly matched.

What about you? What type of expert do you have at your nonprofit? You can answer in the comments below.

If you want to learn even more about thought leadership, join us for our next Nonprofit Marketing Accelerator on Becoming a Thought Leader and Media Darling.

The post The Three Types of Nonprofit Thought Leaders appeared first on Nonprofit Marketing Guide (NPMG).

I invite you to join us for our next Accelerator Course on Becoming a Thought Leader and Media Darling.

During the six-week program, you and your team will develop a Thought Leadership Communications Plan.

With my coaching, help from guest experts, and your commitment to getting it done, you can leave the Accelerator with a plan to move forward.

Here is what we’ll work on during this program:

• Week 1: Setting Thought Leadership and Media Relations Goals
• Week 2: Deciding Who Your Thought Leaders Are and Whom They Hope Will Follow Them
• Week 3: Understanding the Different Kinds of Thought Leaders and Defining Their Core Topics
• Week 4: Speaking and Writing — The Essentials of Delivering Your Thought Leadership Messaging
• Week 5: Building a Schedule or Editorial Calendar to Support Your Thought Leaders
• Week 6: Show and Tell, Final Questions, and Next Steps

This is an intensive course that runs August 15th through September 23rd. Registration is $600 which includes access for up to three members of your team.

Do the work week-to-week and you will leave with a completed Thought Leadership Communications Plan.

Learn more and join us!

The post Make a Plan to Become a Thought Leader and Media Darling appeared first on Nonprofit Marketing Guide (NPMG).