5 ways nonprofits can get started with marketing automation

5 Ways Nonprofits Can Get Started with Marketing AutomationWebinarNovember 5, 2015

Your Presenters Today

Kirsten KippenMarketing ManagerIdealist Consulting

@idealistcons

Rachel RosinMarketing Programs Manager

Act-On Software@ActOnSoftware

Kat KriegerSenior Communications Manager

Jefferson Awards Foundation@JeffersonAwards

Setting the stage

60% of the buyer’s journey is complete by the time he or she reaches out to sales.

In 2020, this rate of completion is projected to be 85% or higher.

Today What is Marketing Automation? How can nonprofits use it? 5 ways to get started Case Study: Jefferson Awards Foundation Putting it all together/Q&A

What is Marketing Automation?▪CRM integration

▪Lead Scoring

▪Drip/Nurture Campaigns

▪Persona Profiling

▪Events & Webinars

▪Landing Pages

▪Database Segmentation

▪Forms

▪Social Media Publishing

▪Blogging Tool

▪SEO/keyword tools

▪Website Visitor Tracking

▪A/B Testing Tools

▪Robust Reporting

How can nonprofits use it?1. Listen: Learn what your prospects are interested in2. Qualify: Focus your time on most engaged prospects3. Measure and Grow: Increase major donors/recurring donors

Side benefits: Consistent branding, reduced manual labor, fewer duplicates

5 ways you can get started on this path1. Identify your top 3 donor personas2. Share them with your team3. Segment your email communications: right message, at the

right time4. Sync editorial calendar + personas5. Set KPIs that will help you measure progress

1.Identify your top 3 donor personas

Persona NameCommon Demographic CharacteristicsPersonal GoalsProfessional GoalsDefining Characteristics

What is a Persona? An avatar for a major segment of your audience, which usually includes psychographic, demographic, and firmographic information.

Collaborate to Create Personas

How to Define Your Personas What do they perceive as valuable? What keeps them up at night? What are their aspirations? Where do they spend time engaging with your organization? How can they help solve issues your nonprofit faces? What are some common objections they may have?

2. Share personas with your team

3. Segment your email communications

What is Nurturing?● Nurturing is an automated email program that

encourages potential donors to interact with your nonprofit organization.

● Nurturing allows you to send highly targeted messages based on the prospect’s profile, interests and behaviors.

Mapping Your Content

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5

Example Donor becomes aware of your nonprofit

The donor becomes interested and starts researching the cause

Donor begins to evaluate specifics

Donor is validating their donation decision

Potential donor completes the donation and becomes an advocate

Nurture Programs

Tips and Tricks1. Know what you want to do after the program2. Link programs together3. Know the short and long path4. Consider one-offs instead of editing the programs

4. Sync editorial calendar + personas

First, how to use content to nurture?

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5

Example Donor becomes aware of your nonprofit

The donor becomes interested and starts researching the cause

Donor begins to evaluate specifics

Donor is validating their donation decision

Potential donor completes the donation and becomes an advocate

Content Blog post: 5 ways you can help prevent forest fires

Video: day in the life with firefighter volunteer in WA

FAQs on how our nonprofit is different

Infographic: the impact of $25 on California wildfires

Blog post/infographic on impact this campaign has on key issue: make it shareable

Now, when will you publish it?

Topic/Title AuthorDraft due date

Publish date

Target Audience/persona Offer/CTA

Blog post: 5 ways you can help prevent forest fires

Volunteer Jenny 11/2/2015 11/9/2015 Donor Donna

Donate by Friday to have your donation matched

FAQs on how our nonprofit is differentExecutive Director Sue 11/20/2015 11/27/2015

Donor Donna, Volunteer Velma

Volunteer this month: space still available

Blog post/infographic on impact this campaign has on key issue

Development Director Bob 12/10/2015 12/17/2015

Donor Donna, Media Margaret

Share on Facebook

5. Set KPIs to help you measure progress Examples:Email Click ratesLead QualityBlog analyticsDonation amount per individual

Putting it all togetherSigns you are ready for a marketing automation solution

Case Study: Jefferson Awards Foundation

With 43 years of history and 5 active programs, we have many unique constituents, and often we have several per program that all need to be communicated with in a very unique way.

A platform for simple, fun service that is easy for everyone, powered by youth-driven solutions.Audience: Phase 1: 5-25 & Phase 2: 5-105Goals: More idea submissions, social votes & activation participation.

Intensive leadership training for teenagersAudience: Teens & Faculty/MentorsGoals: More teens + deeper engagement within existing communities

An accelerator for extraordinary young social entrepreneurs with big ideas to change the worldAudience: 5-25 & MentorsGoals: More GlobeChangers & more mentors

Bringing JAF’s gold seal of service to their audiences, celebrating America’s best unsung heroes.Audience: 5-105 + News owners, editors, etcGoals: More markets & deeper engagement with past & current local winners

Organizations who are building a culture of service in partnership with JAFAudience: HR & MarketingGoals: More Champions

Revenue/Opportunity:In-Kind + Revenue / Content

Revenue/Opportunity:Celebration/Content + Potential Donors

Revenue/Opportunity:Celebration/Content + Potential Donors

Media Partners – Constituent Groups (Buyer/Donor Personas)


1.Media Owners2.Newsroom Editors/Reporters

3.Local Nominators4.Local Nominees

5.National Nominees6.National Winners

Local Nominees - Buyer/Opportunity Journey:


1. Nomination comes into site and automated email via Act-On is sent.

2. Local selection committee picks local winner, which is then reflected in our database and triggers an automated Act-On email.

3. (Local winner is celebrated in local news - JAF National reshares this news).

4. Local selection committee selects one of of their local winners to go to DC once per year. This gets reflected in our database and triggers another automated Act-On email.

5. Both past nominees, nominators, and those who go on to win National level awards are added to specific marketing lists within Act-On and then receive targeted campaign emails throughout the year. We use Act-On intelligence to tell us which recipients are engaging with our emails in order to further refine our correspondence.


● For example, we are getting ready to launch our end of year giving campaign, which will go out to our various sets of constituents.

● We also run several Act-On automated email programs on behalf of programs like LEAD360

How to reach us

www.idealistconsulting.com800.889.8675

[email protected]@idealistcons

www.act-on.com877.530-1555

[email protected]@ActOnSoftware

www.jeffersonawards.org302-622-9101

[email protected]@Jefferson Awards

mailto:[email protected]

5 ways nonprofits can get started with marketing automation

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