Marketing empowers organizations and nonprofits to stand out in a highly competitive and crowded landscape. However, common misconceptions surrounding nonprofit marketing can hinder an organization’s ability to accomplish their goals. This blog post aims to debunk these myths and shed light on the significant value marketing agencies can bring to organizations. 

6 Common Marketing Myths

1. Marketing is Only for Businesses

There is a common misconception that marketing only applies to businesses and does not extend to nonprofits or other organizations. However, marketing holds equal importance across these sectors as well. Nonprofit organizations heavily rely upon marketing to generate awareness, attract donors, and advocate for their causes. By embracing strategic marketing practices, nonprofits can enhance visibility, forge robust relationships, and better support their missions. 

2. Marketing is Expensive 

Another misconception is that marketing is always expensive, making it unaffordable for nonprofits and organizations with limited budgets. While some marketing activities can be costly, there are many cost-effective strategies available. For instance, digital marketing offers a range of affordable options, such as social media marketing, email campaigns, and content creation.  

Nonprofits can also benefit from collaborations, partnerships, and leveraging the skills of volunteers and supporters. With careful planning and resource allocation, organizations can implement effective marketing initiatives within their budget. 

3. Marketing is Manipulative

Marketing is sometimes associated with manipulation and persuasive techniques aimed at driving sales. This misconception implies that marketing for nonprofits would compromise their integrity and values. However, ethical marketing practices prioritize transparency, authenticity, and meaningful engagement. 

Organizations can use marketing to educate, inform, and inspire action through storytelling. By building trust and delivering on their promises, these organizations can create long-term relationships with their audiences, enhancing their reputation and impact.

4. Marketing is a One-Time Effort 

Marketing is a continuous process that requires consistency and adaptability. Long-term marketing strategies, implemented consistently, win every time! Organizations can achieve sustainable growth and maintain relevance in their respective fields by regularly analyzing results, adjusting tactics, and staying up to date with evolving trends.

5. Marketing is Separate from Mission 

While it may be another common misconception, marketing is not separate from an organization’s mission. Marketing strategies should align with a nonprofit’s mission and values, effectively communicating their purpose and impact through storytelling. 

A data-driven marketing plan can amplify an organization’s story, expand its reach, and generate support. By integrating marketing into their overall strategy, nonprofits can effectively connect with their target audience and inspire them to take action, fostering long-term engagement and stewardship. 

6. Marketing is All About Promotion

One lingering misconception about marketing is that it is centered around promotion and advertising. Although promotion and advertising are essential marketing components, they represent only a fraction of the overall marketing spectrum. A multifaceted marketing approach allows nonprofits to create comprehensive and integrated strategies that effectively combine various marketing tactics to achieve organizational goals.

Need help identifying effective marketing tactics for your organization? Through data analysis, we can help you pinpoint what’s working (and what’s not) based on insights and trends, empowering you to make informed marketing decisions. Contact us today to get started!

Benefits of Working with a Marketing Agency  

Expertise and Experience

Marketing agencies specialize in developing and executing marketing strategies across various industries. They possess the proficiency and experience to navigate the complexities of nonprofit marketing, including understanding target audiences, crafting effective messaging, and selecting the best channels for outreach. Their knowledge can help nonprofits avoid common pitfalls and make informed decisions. 

Here are a few common marketing pitfalls to avoid: 

• Lack of Clear Goals and Strategy 
• Inconsistent Branding 
• Neglecting Mobile Optimization 
• Failure to Adapt and Innovate 
• Not Tracking Analytical Data 

Strategic Planning

Marketing agencies can help nonprofits develop comprehensive marketing plans aligned with their mission, goals, and target audience. They can assist in identifying marketing objectives, creating a messaging strategy, and developing a tactical roadmap to achieve desired outcomes. Agencies can also provide valuable insights and recommendations based on their experience working with other nonprofits. 

Creative Services

Nonprofit marketing agencies often have a team of creative professionals skilled in graphic design, content creation, copywriting, and video production. They can help nonprofits develop visually appealing and compelling marketing materials that effectively communicate the organization’s mission and impact. Creative services from an agency can enhance the professionalism and credibility of nonprofit communications.

Expanded Resources

Nonprofits often face resource limitations, such as staff shortages, tight budgets, and time constraints. Working with a marketing agency allows nonprofits to access additional resources without the need for significant internal investments. Agencies can provide dedicated marketing teams, access to marketing technologies, and specialized tools to support nonprofits’ marketing efforts. 

Scalability and Flexibility

Nonprofit marketing needs can vary over time, depending on campaigns, events, or fundraising initiatives. Marketing agencies offer scalability and flexibility, allowing nonprofits to ramp up or down their marketing efforts as needed. They can adjust strategies, allocate resources, and adapt to changing circumstances more efficiently than building an in-house marketing team. 

Industry Insights and Trends

Marketing agencies are well-versed in industry trends and best practices. They stay up to date with the latest marketing strategies, digital platforms, and emerging technologies. By working with an agency, nonprofits can leverage this knowledge and gain access to innovative marketing approaches that can enhance their visibility and engagement. 

Measurement and Analytics

Marketing agencies can help nonprofits set up tracking mechanisms and analytics tools to measure the effectiveness of their marketing efforts. They can provide data-driven insights, analyze, and generate reports highlighting key performance indicators. This information allows nonprofits to assess the impact of their marketing campaigns and make data-informed decisions for future strategies. 

External Perspective

Working with a marketing agency brings an external perspective to the nonprofit’s marketing initiatives. Agencies can provide objective insights, challenge existing assumptions, and bring fresh ideas to the table. This outside perspective can help nonprofits see opportunities they may have overlooked and uncover new strategies to reach and engage their target audience more effectively.

Finding the Right Marketing Agency 

Organizations seeking to make an impact should consider partnering with a marketing agency with proven success in the nonprofit sector. These specialized agencies deeply understand nonprofit dynamics and challenges, allowing them to develop tailored strategies that resonate with target audiences and drive engagement.  

An agency’s expertise in navigating the nonprofit landscape, including fundraising, donor relations, and advocacy, ensures that marketing efforts align seamlessly with the organization’s mission and goals.  

By working with a nonprofit-specialized agency, organizations can benefit from industry-specific knowledge, best practices, and a network of connections that will take their marketing initiatives to new heights, expanding their reach and creating lasting change.  

Interested in working with us? Let’s connect! Together, we can assess if our expertise and capabilities are the right fit to unlock your marketing potential. We look forward to hearing from you!

What is data-driven marketing?   

Data-driven marketing uses audience and third-party data to gain insight into donor motivations, preferences and behaviors. These insights allow organizations to develop customized marketing strategies that drive the greatest return on investment (ROI). 

How is data-driven marketing different from traditional marketing?

The traditional marketing approach relied on assumptions about target customers and limited market research available at the time. Often based on trial and error, businesses had to launch multiple campaigns to find which ones would help achieve their goals.   

While traditional marketing still has advantages, data-driven marketing uses sophisticated methods to collect, analyze and apply information about customers and prospects more accurately.  

Technological advances and the introduction of customer relationship management (CRM) software helped launch modern data-driven marketing. CRM software enabled companies to track individual customers and automate marketing campaigns, allowing them to measure and refine their strategies in real time.   

Of course, there are now many different tools available to capture and organize donor data—keep reading for five steps for developing a successful data marketing strategy!

Why is data-driven marketing important?

The purpose of marketing is to facilitate sales and build brand awareness. Data-driven marketing supports these objectives by giving businesses the necessary information to make proactive marketing decisions. 

Benefits of data-driven marketing:

• Saves money and increases ROI   
• Gain better clarity about the target audience  
• Faster decision-making process   
• Greater transparency and accountability   
• Improves donor retention 
• Identifies opportunities for growth 

3 challenges of data-driven marketing and how to overcome them

Organizations that leverage data-driven marketing strategies drive five to eight times as much ROI as those that don’t. While using data to inform marketing decisions can be beneficial, it isn’t without its challenges. Here are some of the toughest data marketing roadblocks and how to overcome them. 

#1 Deciding where to start & what data to focus on

Prior to collecting data, decide what you want and why you want it. What are your goals and what do you hope to accomplish once you have accumulated it? By answering these questions, you will be able to decide what data you should collect. 

Our tip? Start with the goal in mind and work backwards!  

Solution
Once you’ve established goals or key performance indicators (KPIs), the next step is to determine a schedule for when the data collecting period begins and ends. Now it’s time to choose a collection method. These include online and transactional tracking, social media monitoring, surveys and subscriptions. How do you merge all this data? This presents the following challenge. Don’t worry, we have a solution for that too. 

#2 Integrating Data from Different Sources

An organization’s data comes from several sources, such as social media pages, ERP applications, donor logs, financial reports, emails, presentations, and employee reports. Data integration is a crucial part of the analysis, reporting, and business intelligence, which makes it perfect for combining all this data into reports. 

Solution
Organizations using the right tools can solve their data integration problems, from how visitors interact with your website and social media to the success of their email campaigns. The success of a data-driven marketer depends on gaining accurate data and translating it into insight. What are the best tools for data integration? Ask our team! 

#3 Incomplete, outdated or incorrect data

An incomplete dataset and therefore an incomplete picture of your audience will make any insights too flawed for their benefit. It’s also difficult to pull actionable insights if you’re collecting massive amounts of data without any organizational structure.

Solution
No dataset is perfect, but before you can move forward, you’ll need to clean up your current data. Here are the best ways to scrub your data:

• Remove duplicate contacts 
• Correct structural errors 
• Address missing data 
• Keep your data fresh 
• Standardize data entry 

Let’s look at structural errors as an example. If there is a form on your website that asks highest level of education without a standard format, a bachelor’s degree could be entered in many ways:

• Bachelor’s with an apostrophe 
• Bachelor without an apostrophe   
• B.A. with two periods 
• BA with no periods 

Even though they fundamentally mean the same thing, it could be hard for marketers to spot trends if identical data is formatted inconsistently or incorrectly. An option to address this issue would be to implement a dropdown menu that controls the format on the way in. 

Automating and standardizing the data collection process and keeping your systems regularly updated will ensure more accurate donor insights. What can we do to help you get started? Let us know! 

How to Develop a Data-Driven Marketing Strategy

Here are five steps for developing a successful data marketing strategy: 

1. Define your business objectives: Clearly outline a set of SMART goals and KPIs that will help you decide what kind of information you need to accomplish them. 
2. Determine your data collection practices: Decide how you will capture information that meets the 6 data quality dimensions and complies with data privacy policies. 
3. Capture and analyze data: Identify tools and platforms such as Google Analytics for collecting and organizing data, then implementing your data collection plan. 
4. Prepare and execute your data-driven strategies: Use the data collected to guide business decisions and establish future marketing strategies. 
5. Measure your performance: Produce analytics reports to evaluate the effectiveness of your data and campaign performance from a marketing, financial, and customer perspective. 

Examples of Data-Driven Marketing 

Taking a one-size-fits-all approach to your marketing campaigns won’t be as effective as targeting your prospects and addressing their needs in a highly specific way. Here are three marketing techniques used to tailor content for higher conversion rates. 

Personalized Email

Among the most effective marketing methods out there is email marketing. Messages that fail to grab the receiver’s attention, appear impersonal, or are irrelevant will not be opened. Organizations, particularly nonprofits, have increasingly used customized and emotional emails to capture people’s attention.  

Using data, your nonprofit will be able to discover what your donors care about and what their pain points are. By using data to guide the copy of your emails, you can reach the recipient at the right time with the right message. 

Did you know that open rates are increased by 50% when subject lines are personalized?  

Landing Pages

For businesses, a website is a static tool, designed to provide basic information to a general audience. However, using landing pages as a result of a digital marketing campaign motivates visitors to act.

By tailoring your messaging and hyper-targeting the content of your landing pages for different demographics, you can easily segment your audience and reach more people with diverse interests who are likely to consider your products or services.

Retargeting Ads 

The retargeting ad feature allows your business to show targeted online ads or display ad campaigns to users who visited your website but didn’t convert. By retargeting, you can follow up with audiences that are familiar with and interested in your brand. 

In addition to being a powerful marketing tool for businesses, retargeting can also be an effective tool for nonprofits. Here are a few examples of when to use retargeting ads: 

• When launching a new fundraising campaign 
• During the lead-up to a fundraising event 
• During your year-end push for your annual campaign 

Ready to get started?

Adopting data-driven marketing practices will help your organization develop stronger relationships with your audience and adapt quicker to changing trends, allowing you to stay competitive. Ready to get the most out of your data? Contact us to learn how we can help turn your data insights into effective marketing strategies.

Let’s consider your blog page your closet. Some blog posts, while helpful at their publishing, lose relevancy (and value) over time. These blogs are the closet equivalent of purple velvet bell-bottoms. On the other hand, some content is like the little black dress that always seems to stay in style.  

Evergreen content is that little black dress. It is always in season, and always in style. Great evergreen content can stand the test of time and be a constant source of website traffic and engagement no matter how many years pass.  

Everybody wants to leave a legacy, and companies are no different. So, how do we create content that will be a valuable source of website engagement for years to come?  

Download our checklist of 30+ ways to promote content here.

What is Evergreen Content?  

Evergreen content is:  

• Content that covers topics that are always relevant  
• High-quality content that offers value through information  
• A piece of content on your site that generates consistent content and engagement  

What are some examples of evergreen content?  

Just because true evergreen content can be hard to produce doesn’t there’s a barrier on who can produce it. It doesn’t even have to be relevant to a large group of people – just the ones you care about. Here are some examples of great evergreen content of different mediums and different industries:  

10 most common Embroidery Stitches  

Which Yosemite Mountain Should You Hike: Clouds Rest or Half Dome  

How to propagate a fiddle leaf fig  

  

How to increase the longevity of evergreen content  

Make sure the topic is truly “evergreen”  

If you hope to create evergreen content, but talk about content with an expiration date, you’ll eventually see traffic drop off or slow to a stop. The key to creating evergreen content is choosing a topic and information that will always be helpful, relevant, and up to date.   

Let’s say you’re in the skincare business. A blog on the “Best Products for Your Skin Type” is great, but wouldn’t be considered true evergreen content because the best products change all of the time. But a blog on “5 Reasons Why You Should Wear SPF Every Day” or “5 Steps to Make Your Skincare Products Last” probably won’t change much over the years.   

Answer a question or solve a problem  

The only evergreen content that will take off is content that is well planned, produced, or written. Whether that’s a long-form look at a topic, a detailed tutorial, or just a question answered simply, clearly, and concisely, ensuring that your content adds value to your audience is the difference between no engagement and engagement for years.   

Not every question needs the same amount of content as the next – for a question like “common salutations in Spanish” may not require many words. But a topic like “how to prepare for the LSAT” may need some serious explanation.  

Create alternate versions of content to link to the original  

If you have a very successful piece of evergreen content, it can be worth your time to recreate it over different mediums. Consider creating an in-depth video covering the topic for YouTube and web pages, short, friendly videos for social media, infographics to circulate, in-depth downloadable – the only limit is your imagination. Creating alternate versions of content you already know your followers want can increase the reach of your message and cater to people who have preferred ways of digesting content.   

Update with new info, take out the old  

Sometimes, even if the topic of the content is evergreen, the information is not. Identify the pieces of content that need to be revamped.   

Here are some examples of information that may need updating:  

• Mentioned statistics or data  
• Linked articles  
• Current trends  
• Images  
• Newest strategies  
• Industry examples  

Update page design  

Even if you have a great piece of evergreen content, where the information is all up to date, it’s important to also update the style of the content. Some people may disregard your content as outdated solely based on the web page design – so make sure your page design stays as fresh as the content. This can be as simple as adding new current images or updating the formatting of the text – in many cases simple changes make can make older content look refreshed and new!  

Tweak titles  

As your business grows, so may your strategy. Over time, it’s common for new keyword focuses, terms, slang, and buzzwords to crop up. That means the keywords you use in your evergreen content may change, so you not only offer more up-to-date content but also increase the searchability of your content.   

For example, if you have an old blog tutorial on setting up Google Ads, you may have to have updated the terminology from Adwords to Google Ads. If people pull up a tutorial now that uses “Adwords” in the title, they’ll know it isn’t fresh content (and Google will too).  

Update links and Check for breaks  

Not all websites live forever. Make sure you aren’t linking to any dead ones! It’s important to check your priority content regularly to make sure all of the links you highlight are also still relevant, functional, and the current best linking option. With older evergreen content, it’s not uncommon to find 404s or outdated content through links.   

  

The time and energy that goes into creating a truly unique and fantastic content experience will often come back to benefit you ten-fold. Ready to amp up your interactive content strategy? Reach out to our team! 

October is Women’s Small Business Month!   

As one of the over 12 million women-owned businesses in the United States, we are a part of a community that is strong, capable, and a driving force of the American economy.   

Don’t believe us? Here are some stats that back that up:  

• US women-owned businesses generate 1.8 trillion a year  
• Women-owned businesses employ over 9 million of the US workforce  
• Women-owned businesses represent 42% of all businesses  

Women Business Owners are commanding more and more of the economy each year, but there is still so much room for growth. Though women-owned businesses represent 42% of all businesses, we only represent 4.3% of business revenues. With the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic downturn, women-owned businesses, particularly businesses owned by women of color, need our support now more than ever.   

This October, celebrate women’s small business month by supporting, advocating for, and raising awareness of the women-owned small businesses in your community.  

Buy from Women-Owned Small Businesses  

The simplest, most straightforward way to support women business owners is to give them business.  

Before making plans to talk to a financial consultant, order brunch, redesign your house, purchase clothes, or work with an accountant, do a quick google search to see what options are in your area. Chances are, tons of great women-owned businesses and enterprises can help you find exactly what you need.  

Minimizing the revenue gap by purchasing goods and services women-owned small businesses will not only fuel our economic bounce back, but it will bring about an economy that better represents the diversity of our nation’s business owners.

Work with Women Entrepreneurs and Enterprises

Working with diverse suppliers and agencies for business growth will help you gain new perspectives and reach audiences in a sincere, knowledgeable manner.  

Not sure how to find a diverse supplier? Here is a list of certified diverse suppliers you can use to find marketing and advertising assistance. This list highlights not only women-owned businesses but businesses owned by people of color, folks in the LGBTQ community, and several businesses that fall into multiple categories.   

Find a mentor or become a mentor  

Learn from your business idols, or help teach the women business owners of tomorrow. Many successful enterprises started with one key ingredient – an amazing role model. Whether you want one or want to be one, working with capable women in your community will build up women-owned businesses as a whole.   

The next time an aspiring entrepreneur reaches out, respond to the call with the advice you wish you had when you started.   

As an aspiring entrepreneur of any gender, make it a point to find the successful women in your community and learn from their journey. Listen to speakers, attend webinars, read books, and discuss these topics with influential women business owners.   

Support diverse women-owned companies  

We only move forward when all of us move forward. Let’s validate, empower, and support every definition of equal rights in our communities and beyond. We advocate for racial equity, LGBTQ+ rights, disability representation, and all intersections of womanhood that demand respect and equal opportunities.  

64% of new women-owned businesses were started by women of color last year, and Latina women-owned businesses grew more than 87% in 2019. However, these businesses can be among the most vulnerable to the pandemic and economic downturn. 

Raise awareness for women-owned businesses  

You don’t need to open your wallet to support women-owned businesses. If you don’t have the funds to regularly support through financial means, your voice can be stronger than money.   

Leave positive reviews for companies that you have been impressed with or worked within the past. Reviews are powerful. By sharing your positive experience in detail, you just may convince others to commit to a purchase.   

Follow, like, and share content from your favorite women-owned businesses on social media. These actions may seem small and insignificant, but they can be invaluable in raising awareness and legitimizing a business. You can also create your shout out to share with your followers. This social proof will be greatly appreciated.   

Recommend products and services to your community. Word of Mouth marketing is one of the strongest forms of marketing out there, and that’s something that a company can’t create internally. When you recommend products and services to your community, you not only help businesses gain new clients and customers but also strengthen their reputation one mention at a time.    

As a women business owner – get involved in your community!  

This month is for you!  

Tell your story and be proud of your journey. You worked hard to get to where you are, and your story can inspire others to follow their professional aspirations, no matter what’s standing in front of them.   

Join a community of like-minded business owners to network, share ideas, and grow the community. Organizations like NAWBO are there to help you find other professionals to strategize and grow with, access business resources, and find experts in your industry to learn form.   

Become a certified women-owned enterprise. This can help you legitimize your business and connect you with companies that want to work with diverse suppliers.  WBENC, the largest certifier of women-owned businesses in the U.S. and a leading advocate for female entrepreneurs, offers a valuable business certification to research.   

As a Women-Owned small business, we are proud to do our part in supporting women entrepreneurs grow their businesses and stand for leveling the playing field. Every time advocate for diverse businesses, we contribute to economic equality. If you are interested in partnering with a certified diverse agency, reach out to our team! 

Do you recall how several years ago quick response (QR) codes were on everything? You know what I’m talking about: those square black and white symbols that you could scan using your Blackberry smartphone to learn more about a product? Then they kind of “died” and marketers moved on! That’s how it seems to go with many overhyped trends and technologies.

But this marketing trend is coming back. Let’s take a quick look at why we’re seeing QR codes pop up again then dive into ways you can leverage them for your brand.

Why now?

• Smartphones have built-in QR code functionality.

Apple installed an active QR code reader in the camera app of its newest phones. That’s right, the latest smartphones have QR code functionality built into their cameras*. You no longer have to download a clunky app and struggle with getting the QR code aligned just right. 

• More social platforms have adopted QR codes.

From Snapchat to LinkedIn, QR codes are being leveraged on social. Companies such as Target and Amazon Go are using QR codes to make purchasing more convenient and others are using codes as a way to help users automatically follow them on social.

Big brands are keen to harness QR codes as a technique for engaging and converting consumers. As we know, brand experiences are changing and consumers are more and more mobile-centric. Some companies use QR codes to direct users to a microsite or landing page that then has a call to action or offers an immersive experience. A few years ago, for example, Porsche created an interactive experience where people at an expo had the opportunity to customize a car and interact with the model. Scanning a QR code led users to a dedicated microsite, which focused on the personalized vehicle and an “intelligent car configurator.”

It doesn’t have to be that complex of course! Other brands are testing QR codes as a way to help users download promotions, visit a contest microsite, or view a calendar. Any marketer can potentially utilize a QR code by simply directing users to a custom URL.

QR Codes for your business

So what are the implications of QR codes for your brand? How might they help consumers transition from a traditional, physical element into the digital world?

Well, QR codes are encrypted icons that containt links, coupons, event details, and any other information people might be keen to take with them.
Because they have large storage capacity, QR codes have the ability to translate additional information to consumers beyond what creatives or packaging can convey.

Because they’re typically square in shape, QR codes can hold much more data than a barcode. And so they’re used differently. Barcodes often hold key product information, like price and manufacturer. QR codes tend to offer details such as location and URLs to promotions and product landing pages. You can find them on direct mailers, billboards, signs, and even TV commercials.

Maybe you’re in the e-commerce indsutry and you want to create a unique QR code so consumers can scan a coupon or promo to redeem online. I’d wager that’s not a bad idea as, according to Juniper Research, QR coupons redeemed via a mobile device will reach 5.3 billion by 2022.

Maybe you’ve invested in a bus stop ad that promotes your podcast. On that traditional printed ad, you might add a QR code that will bring people directly to your iTunes page (or wherever you stream your podcast.) Similarly, a company could direct people to an app download page. QR codes can even help read and monitor data for newsletters and email marketing. I’m sure you see how there’s lot of opportunities here!

5 Tips for Using QR Codes

1. Make it convenient to scan.
2. Make sure there is enough time for consumers to actually scan the code. (I’ve seen billboards with QR codes in the corner and unless you’re stuck in traffic at just the wrong right moment, it’s unlikely you’ll have time to scan a code.)
3. Optimize the destination page for mobile. This is something you should always do, of course, but it’s doubly important since people will always be on their phone when scanning a QR code and you want to provide a positive mobile experience.
4. Write a compelling CTA. Not everyone is sure what to do when faced with a QR code so be sure to motivate people with a call to action that prompts people to scan. Basically, be sure the offer is worthwile!
5. Lastly, don’t use a QR just because it’s trendy! Sure, QR codes are an easy way to bridge the offline experience with the online one but that doesn’t mean they’re always the best option. Consider that you are in fact making someone’s life easier. If your content makes the most sense to be delivered to a mobile user, and you have an appropriate channel to do it, then your QR code will drive more results.

~ ~ ~

QR codes offer utility, potential, and are becoming central to mobile marketing strategies. Do you plan on using them in the coming year for any marketing campaigns?

*For those of us without the latest smartphone, there are plenty of free scanning apps out there that will allow you to scan QR codes.

Lobster. We have all seen it. We have noticed it because Lobster is a beautiful font, with its neat details, strong personality, and a large number of ligatures, carefully designed by Pablo Impallari.

The font was created in 2010 and introduced to the Google font library. It started popping up on websites, on packaging, in logos and ads. No one could resist it— just ask the 14.9 million people who have downloaded the font to date! Lobster was the hottest trend. The thing with Lobster is that it is so darn appealing and easy to use. You don’t have to be a designer to make the font itself look pretty, which was Impallari’s intention, as he wrote on his website:

“By having 26 lowercase characters, that gives you more than 600 possible combinations for each letter (and around 15600 for the whole alphabet). It’s next to impossible to make it always connect seamlessly with out compromising the shape that each letter was originally intended to be.”

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO TIMING YOUR HOLIDAY CAMPAIGNS.

The new comic sans?

But Lobster’s fantastic usability has become a problem—Lobster has lost its vitality. It has become so popular, people have started to call it “the new Comic Sans,” which is the opposite of a compliment in the design world. Comic Sans is a casual sans serif font created in 1994 by Vincent Connare. Connare’s font was created to mimic the look of classic comic book lettering. People fell hard for the hand-drawn, friendly look of the font. Since the 1990’s, Comic Sans has been continually used in situations not intended by the designer, such as on churches, hospital signs and wine labels. Unfortunately, it looks like Lobster is wandering down the same misleading road as Comic Sans. Lobster is being abused and overused. It really struck me two summers ago while I was visiting Sweden; Stockholm had lobster fever! Everywhere I turned Lobster was smiling back at me with its cute appearance. It was devastating to see Lobster on every subway ad and in every restaurant menu, not because Lobster is a hideous font, but rather the opposite—this lovely, elegant font is becoming a parody of itself.

It’s not Lobster’s fault!

As designers, it is our job to keep up with the latest trends and then use those trending elements in ways that set them apart in an aesthetically appealing way. This can be tricky, and believe me, takes practice! Designers have to be able to recognize what works and what does not. In many cases Lobster is the ideal choice. Unlike Comic Sans, the Lobster font is actually appealing, but good looks isn’t everything. When working with typography you have to follow the personality of the font (and lobster has a strong one). Lobster works perfectly fine as a retro or vintage element. And maybe we should just have kept it like that.

Last year my spouse and I bought a real fixer-upper of a house, and one aspect of the fixing-up process involves coating every square inch in a fresh layer of paint. So every other weekend we make a trip to Sherwin-Williams for supplies, and every other weekend as we pull past the sign and into the lot I think: what the heck is going on with this logo?

It turns out I’m not the only one who’s wondered. One day on a whim I did an internet search and I fell down a virtual rabbit hole of articles and commentary.

Here’s the back story: the current Sherwin-Williams logo is old — older than you may think. It was first used in 1893 and in 1895 was made the Sherwin-Williams trademark. 120 years later, it’s utterly unchanged and still going strong. Another company may have already “rebranded” several times over now in an effort to stay fresh and relevant, but Sherwin-Williams has chosen again and again to play it safe and err on the side of brand recognition.

But is the safest approach always the best one? Curious, I polled some pals at a barbecue, pulling up the Sherwin-Williams logo on my phone and asking what they thought. “The red looks creepy, like blood spilling over the Earth!” one friend exclaimed. “Haven’t they ever heard of Exxon-Valdez?” another friend asked, jokingly. “It’s 2014! How is this possibly still their logo?” someone else chimed in.

Okay, maybe I just have an odd group of friends. So next I checked what folks have been saying about the logo on Twitter:

Ouch.

Now, by no means is my brief, casual analysis an accurate stand-in for thorough market research and testing, but the fact that I kept casually encountering such vociferously negative opinions about the Sherwin-Williams logo gave me pause. I’m not surprised that a company that’s been in existence since 1866 — that’s nearly 150 years! — is reluctant to give themselves a makeover. But I’d argue that the times have changed so much that Sherwin-Williams must eventually change, too, or risk being left behind.

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It’s not that they haven’t grown in other respects. Consider the “Ask Sherwin-Williams” marketing boilerplate that the company uses on its consumer press releases:

“For nearly 150 years, Sherwin-Williams has been an industry leader in the development of technologically advanced paint and coatings. As the nation’s largest specialty retailer of paint and painting supplies, Sherwin-Williams is dedicated to supporting both do-it-yourselfers and painting professionals with exceptional products, resources to make confident color selections and expert, personalized service that’s focused on unique project needs. Sherwin-Williams products can only be found at its more than 3,900 neighborhood stores across North America.”

When I scan this copy, their current company positioning seems to be:

• Industry leadership that meets changing needs
• Dynamic, technologically advanced products
• Personalized, expert service
• Local scale with a global reach

But customers don’t seem to be seeing these themes reflected in the logo. Instead, they’re seeing:

• Fear: the red in the logo suggests blood; evokes ominous or scary feelings
• Symbolism: the “Cover the Earth” tagline in conjunction with the color red hints at social and political revolution and propaganda (at least for some — I’ll admit I didn’t readily see this)
• Anti-environmentalism: the image of paint covering the world serves as a glaring reminder of oil spills and pollution
• Indifference: the splashing paint can and dripping Earth suggests messiness and lack of care and regard

I don’t doubt that Sherwin-Williams is proud of its history. But they can’t solely rely on history to accurately tell their story. A brand mark should reflect core company values. And there’s a mighty disconnect here between what Sherwin-Williams is saying and what they’re showing.

Here’s one last example to drive the point home: during my research I came across a buried news item from last year announcing that Sherwin Williams had been named one of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies” by Ethisphere Institute, an international think-tank. Wow! That’s impressive, and pretty on-brand for their current global leadership positioning. But chances are, online or in real life, you’ll hear people talking instead about how unethical the “Cover the Earth” logo looks.

“If you don’t like what’s being said, change the conversation,” said the fictional ad man Don Draper on AMC’s Mad Men. One of the quickest, most effective ways for Sherwin-Williams to change the conversation about their brand would be to update that 120-year-old logo. In fact, other folks have already attempted to do just that. But in the meantime, I’m not holding my breath for the real thing.

The takeaway? Remember to periodically assess your own business positioning to see if it’s in line with your branding. For a well-rounded perspective, ask others what they think! You may just find out something new.

Did you know that LinkedIn has a page dedicated to resources for Higher Education? You do now! As a university, you should be utilizing LinkedIn to engage prospects, current students, staff, and alumni. From the LinkedIn for Higher Education page itself, here are the ways you can utilize LinkedIn for your community.  

• Gain a competitive advantage: leverage deeper insights to target prospective students who are more engaged and likely to enroll 
• Target audiences that matter: accurately target your campaigns by demographic, interest, or persona 
• Optimize each step of your marketing funnel: take advance of a mix of organic and paid advertising opportunities to capture mindshare and drive higher enrollment 
• Measure impact: LinkedIn gives clear visibility into the impact of your programs at every stage of the campaign  

Not to mention, LinkedIn can be a great resource to connect with alumni and donors. Consider this your guide to using LinkedIn for your university, whether you are just starting out or are currently managing one.  

Setting up on Linkedin

If you are just getting starting, the first step is to set up your LinkedIn page as an educational institution. To start your page, you will need to include the following information:  

• University Name 
• Permalink: Educational LinkedIn pages begin with “linkedin.com/school/” and you will need to decide what follows. For example, uci-public-health for the University of California, Irvine’s Public Health page 
• Website  
• Industry 
• School Employee Count 
• Logo 
• Tagline: This is one sentence about your school, such as your mission statement  

LinkedIn Best Practices

Now that you have set up your page, here are the best LinkedIn practices to pave your way to success.  

• Manage: Make sure you have someone dedicated to posting and checking content on your LinkedIn page. Consider 1-2 representatives from different departments.  
• Follow your university brand guidelines: Make sure your LinkedIn page reflects the same look, voice, and tone as your university.  
• Post Daily: This will help you establish a trusted voice and keep your page up to date.  
• Network: After all, LinkedIn is the largest networking platform out there. Utilize connections with your stakeholders to highlight information such as staff achievements, alumni spotlights, and donor and corporate partnership information. You can find your university’s mentions under the Activity tab.  
• Plan: Fill your content calendar with a variety of content to help you engage prospective students, donors, and alumni  

LinkedIn Objectives

What do you want to achieve out of your LinkedIn strategy? Whether it be increasing brand awareness, generating leads, promoting events, or evoking thought leadership, your objectives should be clearly outlined before you begin your content calendar.  

Brand Awareness 

If your objective is brand awareness, you should be building relationships with prospective students, current students, alumni, and donors. Actively engage with the community by replying to comments or resharing LinkedIn posts. It can be as simple as reposting an announcement from an incoming student with a “Congrats on your acceptance, we here at the University of Southern California can’t wait to see you on campus!”  

Thought Leadership 

When recruiting prospective students or engaging with donors, you want to show that you are an expert in the field. How can your university stand out amongst the thousands of universities out there? Share perspectives on different education trends, and share articles that showcase your university and its achievements.  

Event Registration 

LinkedIn is a great platform to market your upcoming webinars and events. Have students, alumni, faculty, and staff share your event and promote it if they are attending.  

Lead Generation 

By featuring a mix of content from case studies, faculty research, staff accomplishments, and student features, you provide insight to both your prospective students and donor leads about who you are as a university.  

LinkedIn Groups

Along with your LinkedIn page, you can also create a LinkedIn group for more specific members of your audience. For example, Chapman University has a group dedicated to their School of Communication and UCI has a group dedicated to their alumni in the pharmacy field.   

You can use these groups as a forum for discussion, such as asking alumni what events they would like to see in the upcoming future. You can also use it to evoke conversation in your community to connect with new stakeholders and build those relationships. Staff and Faculty can join the groups as a trusted source of information that students and alumni can rely on. This is also a great way to monitor communication between your students to see what they are currently focused on. Utilize groups to really build connections with your audience and to be a resource for them.  

LinkedIn Content

As a university, what should you be sharing on LinkedIn? LinkedIn content will most likely differ from the content on your other platforms. Here are some ideas of content that aligns well with the platform:  

• University News 
• Videos 
• Blog Content 
• Program & Course Information 
• Student & Alumni Success Stories 
• Faculty & Staff News 
• Faculty Research 
• Grants and Gifts to the University  
• Webinars  
• Visuals & Statistics 

Paid LinkedIn Content

Sponsored Content 

Sponsored Content ads appear in the newsfeed and are similar to ads you find on Facebook and Instagram. Each ad contains an image or video, headline, URL, and text. They can be used to share existing posts or for targeted campaigns.   

Text Ads 

Text Ads appear on the right-hand side of the LinkedIn homepage. They include a headline along with a short description. Keep in mind that LinkedIn text ads only appear on desktop, and 50% of LinkedIn traffic comes from mobile users. Share infographics, blog campaigns, event invitations, or program one-sheeters.  

LinkedIn Video Ads 

Chances are, you already have an array of videos that would fit well on LinkedIn. With Linkedin video ads, you can drive traffic to your website or add a call-to-action button. If you’re not sure what videos would align well with the platform, here are some ideas:  

• Student success stories: Share a video of a student’s journey at your university, why they applied, why they chose your university, what they love about it 
• Alumni success stories: Students love to see successful alumni too. Alumni can share a favorite memory from their time at your university, a favorite spot on campus, how your university prepared them for the workforce, or even highlighting a favorite professor 
• Showcasing your campus: Take a video to showcase your beautiful campus! Highlight study spots, nearby restaurants, university housing, and more.  
• Mission Statement: Feature an inside look into your university’s mission and vision. Bonus points if the video features your Dean!  

LinkedIn Carousel Ads 

LinkedIn Carousel ads allow you to tell a complete story. They feature a single ad with swipe-able images to showcase multiple topics. Grab the attention of your audience with eye-catching visuals. You can use carousel ads to showcase information about your school to direct traffic towards your website.  

LinkedIn Message Ads 

If you want to send personalized messages to your audience, LinkedIn message ads are the way to go. Share enrollment deadlines, course launches, program information, webinar recordings, or event information. This can drive conversations with your audience while promoting enrollment and event registration.  

LinkedIn Lead Generation Forms 

If you are running a LinkedIn Sponsored Content Ad or a Message Ad, you might want to consider adding a lead generation form. LinkedIn lead gen forms pre-fill profile data, allowing your audience to send their information along quickly and easily. You can track your campaigns, lead form fill rate, and the number of leads generated. It’s as simple as adding a call-to-action button at the end of your ad. For example, a link to sign up for your upcoming webinar. Once they submit their information, you will be able to see their name, contact information, company name, job title, and location. This comes in handy for reaching out to prospective students, alumni, or donors.  

Now that you’ve learned how to set up your LinkedIn University page, set your goals, and planned your paid and organic content, let’s do a deeper dive into which audiences you can reach with LinkedIn.  

LinkedIn for Students

You can use LinkedIn to engage with your current students and to recruit prospective students.   

Pretend I am a prospective student who is considering going to Arizona State University. This is a life-changing decision for me, so I’m going to do all the possible research on every social media platform. Their profile is complete with their logo, a cover image, and a brief bio of the school. I can easily access their webpage and a phone number if I need to reach out. They use their LinkedIn page to highlight student programs, fun student content, and “fan photos of the week.” Their page is geared towards promoting school spirit and campus activities. This helps to give students an idea of what life would be like at your university. 

Now let’s say I am a student at the University of California, Irvine. Their recent posts feature school news, faculty articles, student highlights, and alumni highlights. Students love to know what is currently going on at their school, and UCI does a great job of showcasing all different kinds of accomplishments.  

The great thing about LinkedIn is that it allows you to target specific audiences. You can target based on location, age, experience, and education. Say you are promoting your MBA program and you would like to reach experienced professionals, you can target members by their seniority level.  

LinkedIn for Alumni

Alumni on LinkedIn are most likely looking for the following things:

• To stay connected with the university 
• University Updates and News 
• Job Opportunities  

Your alumni are a valuable resource. You don’t want to forget about them the moment they graduate. Use the Alumni Tool on LinkedIn to stay connected with alumni and see their career paths. You can search through alumni by title, keyword, or company, and you can see a clear overview of location and job demographics. Highlight all the work your amazing alumni are doing! For example, alumni spotlights make for great LinkedIn content. Reach out to alumni and ask them a few questions such as their favorite professor or class, their favorite university memory, or how your university prepared them for the real world. Now you’ve developed a new relationship that you can continue to nurture over the years. 

LinkedIn for Faculty

Your staff and faculty are another resource for your LinkedIn page. Utilize the employee notifications feature to keep your faculty informed and engaged. This feature alerts them whenever your organization posts important content. Encourage faculty to share your content to reach a wider audience. In return, re-share your faculty’s articles, research, and achievements. 

Case Studies

If you are looking for examples on higher education success stories, check out these four examples from LinkedIn.  

Pepperdine Business School: Driving powerful results with InMail and Lead Gen Forms 

William & Mary Mason School of Business: Reimagines Demand Strategy 

London Business School: Multiple Ad formats to give the school greater control of a high-value pipeline 

Full Sail University: Highlights a graduate who transitioned from his university to a full-time position   

By now, you’ve learned how to create a marketing strategy on LinkedIn. If your university is looking to set up your LinkedIn page or craft a content calendar, reach out to our team today! 

I don’t know about you, but every time I go to purchase a product or service, I check out the online reviews. One bad Amazon review can easily stop me from purchasing a product. After putting so much care and effort into your organization, a bad review can be a disappointing sight to see. The question is – how do we handle negative reviews?   

If it makes you feel any better, every business encounters negative reviews. Whether it be a mistake on behalf of your organization or a customer that was bound to be unsatisfied, it’s important to remember that even the worst of situations can be resolved.  

Here’s a template that you can use to respond to negative reviews:  

Dear (Name of Reviewer), thank you for sharing your feedback with our team! We are disappointed to hear that you were unsatisfied with your experience at (Insert Organization Name).  

We would love the opportunity to make things right! Please feel free to reach out to me at [Insert email or phone number] so I can discuss your experience in further detail with you. We are always looking for ways to improve and take your concerns into consideration. 

Best,
(Insert Name) 

Now, this template won’t fit every situation, but it’s a general guide of how we like to respond to negative reviews. It’s a great way to start off but follow along as we give you a step-by-step guide on how to respond to negative reviews.  

Action item 1: Stay calm

As much as we can be passionate about our organization, people can be passionate about their negative reviews. Often, negative reviews are written in the heat of the moment. Say someone called during office hours and their call went straight to voicemail, prompting them to leave a negative review. In your perspective, your receptionist was speaking to another party at the time and was unavailable to answer the phone. It’s easy to feel upset and angry at a situation you feel is unjustified. The important thing to remember is not to respond until you’ve cooled down. Responses in the heat of the moment can often come off defensive and leave the situation unresolved.  

Check out the below response for example. In the heat of the moment, this sarcastic response most likely seemed funny to the responder. Instead, they could have offered the customer tacos on the house or reached out with a phone call to smooth things out. There is no harm in being overly helpful! 

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Action item 2: Evaluate the situation  

It’s important to get the full picture of the incident before responding to the reviewer. Speak with your staff who is involved to understand both sides of the story and schedule a call or email with the reviewer to get more details to the story. Take action quickly, as you want to respond to reviews promptly. Once you fully understand the issue, you can start brainstorming solutions.  

As a foodie, one of my favorite platforms is Yelp. Whenever I try a new restaurant, I always browse Yelp to check out the reviews and to see what customers recommend on the menu. Often, I also find negative reviews on restaurants that have over 4 ½ stars. There are always two things I take into consideration when reading these negative reviews. First, how the management responds. Often times you see management responding apologetically, offering a gift card or a voucher to make it up to the customer. Second, I always check the profile of the user who left the negative review. More than often, their entire page is filled with negative reviews. In times such as these, it’s important to consider, is it worth the response? If they are posted by someone whose actions are irrational or unfair or those of a “frequent complainer”, don’t take it to heart. Negative reviews (even those we don’t feel are justified) still deserve a response, but keep in mind that even after everything you offer, there may be no consoling the reviewer.  

Take this review for example, sometimes you forget your jacket in a restaurant, and are upset with the restaurant for not returning it to you.  

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Action item 3: Always respond

Bad reviews are worth responding to. Why? Responding to negative reviews can improve customer advocacy. Again, you can never be TOO helpful. Be empathetic to the reviewer. Sometimes, all it takes to solve the problem is to show them that they are heard and to make an effort to improve the situation. Do your best to make the reviewer feel like they are being treated, even the unhappy ones. In situations where the reviewer is still unhappy, other customers will appreciate that you made an effort to make things right.

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Action item 4: Address the reviewer

More often than not, reviewers leave a negative review because they want to be heard. Don’t forget to personally address the reviewer so they know that you are evaluating each individual incident. Personalize your response so the reviewer knows that your concern is directed towards them.  

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Action item 5: Thank them

Feedback, even negative feedback, can help you improve as an organization. Here are a couple of examples of ways you can thank a reviewer.  

“Thank you for your review. I’m sorry about your bad experience and your feedback helps us improve. We are looking into resolving this issue and hope you will give us a second chance.” 

“Thank you for letting us know about your experience. We strive for a positive experience with everyone, and we appreciate you bringing this situation to our attention.”  

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Action item 6: Apologize

The customer is always right – we’ve all heard the saying before. Never accuse the reviewer of being wrong, even if you know they are. It’s important to remember that if you choose to respond publicly, others will see your response. Even if you respond privately, people can post your responses online.  A negative review can hurt your organization, but so can an aggressive response. Saying sorry shows that you care and helps to build back trust. Can’t figure out how to say sorry? Here are a couple of different versions:  

“We are so sorry that our service did not meet your expectations.” 

 “We strive for the best, and we are so sorry to hear that you did not experience that with us.”

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Action item 7: Make it right

Responding to a negative review is a great first step at resolving the issue, but what are additional steps you can take to improve the situation? You can’t fix the past, but you can offer solutions. For example, if a customer left a negative review because they were unsatisfied with the quality of your service, offer them a chance to come back for free. If they are satisfied with your services the second time around, chances are you’ve gained a loyal customer who now trusts your brand and business.  

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Bonus action item: Report spam reviews

If you believe that a review is false or malicious, contact the site it has been posted on and ask for it to be removed. Sometimes it’s a 1-star review from a spam account or a false negative review from a competitor. If these are not reviews that can be resolved or have no truth to them, there are steps you can take so it doesn’t affect your organization. For example, Facebook has a button to report reviews. Be aware that although the process may be slow, a Facebook administrator should review it and decide whether to take action.    

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Now that we’ve given you steps to manage negative reviews, you are fully prepared to harness the power of online reviews! If you are interested in more review response templates or need assistance managing your reviews, feel free to reach out to our team!

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