When it comes to running a nonprofit organization effectively, some basic issues keep their principals up at night, according to new research from Constant Contact.
A survey of some 300 nonprofits conducted in May found these top causes for insomnia:
- How to attract new supporters—64%
- How to connect and better engage with existing supporters—59%
- Getting funding—57%.
But marketing strategy concerns had a significant showing on the list. Thirty-four percent of principals said having a more integrated communication strategy "kept them up at night"; 22% worried about making their marketing dollars go further; and 20% were concerned about how to measure the impact of marketing campaigns.
The survey found that nonprofits still rely largely on e-mail marketing, with 86% finding it to be an effective marketing tool for their organization. Also considered effective were the organization website (80%), in-person interactions (73%) and events (70%).
Fifty-eight percent of respondents said social media marketing was an important tool for nonprofits. Of those nonprofits that favored social media marketing, 88% of principals said Facebook was the most effective channel. Trailing significantly behind were Twitter (5%), LinkedIn (3%), Google+ (1%) and YouTube (1%).
While a majority of nonprofits value social media marketing, more than half said they wanted guidance in its use. And a little more than a third wanted help with e-mail marketing and their website.
