Communications Planning: How to do More With Less
By Rachel Henry
The pandemic has put an increased demand on the services non-profit and charitable organizations provide, and there’s a growing gap between demand and capacity. Since the pandemic began, over half of charities have been forced to pinch pennies, with a reported average revenue decline of 43%. To stay afloat and offset losses, many organizations are drawing on reserve funds and reducing expenses to make ends meet.
But non-profit and charitable organizations are no strangers to adaptation and innovation—and being asked to do more with less. Fortunately, a smaller budget doesn’t mean a smaller impact when paired with a winning strategy and impeccable execution.
In this article, we’ll explore 5 ways to maximize your communications budget:
But non-profit and charitable organizations are no strangers to adaptation and innovation—and being asked to do more with less. Fortunately, a smaller budget doesn’t mean a smaller impact when paired with a winning strategy and impeccable execution.
In this article, we’ll explore 5 ways to maximize your communications budget:
- Focus on your audience
- Strategize with a plan
- Repurpose old content
- Leverage sponsorships
- Hire an expert consultant for guidance
5 tips to make the most of a small communications budget
1. Get clear on who your audience is and where to find them
Stop shouting into the void! Find out where your audience is on social media, and what types of posts they connect with, then eliminate the rest. When you focus on fewer things, you can put in the effort to do them better. For example, one of the biggest mistakes an organization can make is stretching itself too thin with a multi-channel communications strategy.
While you may reach less people overall, you’re more likely to reach the right people. You don’t need to be on every platform—uncover the platforms that work best to reach your ideal audience and do more with less.
2. Make a plan you can stick to
Forget the easily misplaced email to-do lists and whiteboards. Keep everyone on your team organized and on track with a communications calendar. Done well, a communications calendar can help you plan your activities with foresight, engage your community more effectively, and share your stories with more impact.
You can use it to not only meet deadlines and determine internal roles, but strategize your social media posts, blog posts, newsletters, announcements, and industry updates. It’s all about efficiency and taking advantage of opportunities to nail your message. Feeling overwhelmed? Map out relevant holidays to get started. Watch our communications planning for non-profits webinar now for more insights.
3. Repurpose content
Repurposing content can save you a ton of time and alleviate the stress of feeding the communications machine. Evaluate your social media posts, and see if you can make a backlog with repurposed, evergreen content. Evergreen content is content that maintains relevance because it’s not timely, like listicles, tips and how-tos, that can easily be used on different channels, in different ways.
Consider breaking up long-form content like blogs to generate social media posts or to fill out your newsletter. Pull quotes from podcasts and audio files, or use snippets to add audio to social media content. Don’t be afraid to get creative with your old posts, you’ll be pleasantly surprised how many ways you can reuse them without sounding repetitive.
4. Take advantage of in-kind sponsorships
Reach more people for less! Partnerships and in-kind sponsorships with the media can help you target a broader audience without draining your budget. Partnerships might include free TV, radio, digital or print advertising in exchange for sponsor recognition.
In-kind sponsorships help offset costs while increasing the perceived value of your non-profit and its offerings. When looking to establish a partnership, leverage the value of the types of recognition you can offer, and the properties you have.
5. Hire an efficient consultant
Bring in a professional. Hiring an experienced consultant can save you time and energy—if you hire someone who does it right the first time. Look for a trusted referral, and check references to ensure they can give you the support you need.
Remember to find someone who is focused on your needs, not theirs. Be clear about what you want the consultant to do, and what goals you’d like help reaching so they can aim to help you do more with less.
Stop shouting into the void! Find out where your audience is on social media, and what types of posts they connect with, then eliminate the rest. When you focus on fewer things, you can put in the effort to do them better. For example, one of the biggest mistakes an organization can make is stretching itself too thin with a multi-channel communications strategy.
While you may reach less people overall, you’re more likely to reach the right people. You don’t need to be on every platform—uncover the platforms that work best to reach your ideal audience and do more with less.
2. Make a plan you can stick to
Forget the easily misplaced email to-do lists and whiteboards. Keep everyone on your team organized and on track with a communications calendar. Done well, a communications calendar can help you plan your activities with foresight, engage your community more effectively, and share your stories with more impact.
You can use it to not only meet deadlines and determine internal roles, but strategize your social media posts, blog posts, newsletters, announcements, and industry updates. It’s all about efficiency and taking advantage of opportunities to nail your message. Feeling overwhelmed? Map out relevant holidays to get started. Watch our communications planning for non-profits webinar now for more insights.
3. Repurpose content
Repurposing content can save you a ton of time and alleviate the stress of feeding the communications machine. Evaluate your social media posts, and see if you can make a backlog with repurposed, evergreen content. Evergreen content is content that maintains relevance because it’s not timely, like listicles, tips and how-tos, that can easily be used on different channels, in different ways.
Consider breaking up long-form content like blogs to generate social media posts or to fill out your newsletter. Pull quotes from podcasts and audio files, or use snippets to add audio to social media content. Don’t be afraid to get creative with your old posts, you’ll be pleasantly surprised how many ways you can reuse them without sounding repetitive.
4. Take advantage of in-kind sponsorships
Reach more people for less! Partnerships and in-kind sponsorships with the media can help you target a broader audience without draining your budget. Partnerships might include free TV, radio, digital or print advertising in exchange for sponsor recognition.
In-kind sponsorships help offset costs while increasing the perceived value of your non-profit and its offerings. When looking to establish a partnership, leverage the value of the types of recognition you can offer, and the properties you have.
5. Hire an efficient consultant
Bring in a professional. Hiring an experienced consultant can save you time and energy—if you hire someone who does it right the first time. Look for a trusted referral, and check references to ensure they can give you the support you need.
Remember to find someone who is focused on your needs, not theirs. Be clear about what you want the consultant to do, and what goals you’d like help reaching so they can aim to help you do more with less.
Stay on budget while reaching your goals
Your organization might have to scrimp and save, but that doesn’t mean your communications plan has to suffer. With the right strategy, you can truly do more with less, and still reach the people who will benefit from your message most.
