Marketing That Actually Serves Your Audience

Some of the nonprofits I talk to hate marketing because they're under the misconception that it's tacky and self-serving.

Good marketing is the opposite; it happens when you stop listening to yourself and start listening to and serving your audience. Even selling products should be about providing a service folks want and would benefit from.

I love the simplicity of this advice:

Build a free community for the next 12 months. Don’t you dare ask them for anything. Find out what their problems are. Think about how you can help. Research products you can offer in year two.

When 365 days have passed, roll out your first ask. Be gentle. Get feedback. Tweak your approach. That’s how to build a passive income machine in 12 months that starts to pay you in year two.

Now yes, doing this can help your organization create products and services that you would eventually ask money for. But this so-called commercial relationship is actually providing something of value to both your organization and your end users.

What can feel tacky and self-serving is an organization (including a church or non-profit) that does nothing but talk about itself and ask people to give it money and publicity, without making its mission relevant and helpful to their lives.