8 PR Strategies for Nonprofits and Other Mission-Driven Organizations

Dawn Carrington

Mission-driven businesses often struggle to achieve visibility and engagement, even though they are top priorities. Whether you’re a nonprofit, social enterprise, or business with a strong commitment to social responsibility, fulfilling your mission is key to your success. But mission-based businesses face unique challenges in standing out and making an impact.

Translating your mission into a compelling story that resonates with the public and stakeholders requires expertise, and this is where Public Relations (PR) comes in. PR is a powerful strategy that is 90% more effective than advertising in influencing consumers and is an effective tool for building credibility and brand awareness.

PR Strategies for Nonprofits

1. Media Coverage

Getting featured in the media is one of the most effective ways to increase awareness. When a reputable newspaper, magazine or online publication picks up your story, it not only reaches millions of readers, but also significantly boosts your reputation and gives you instant credibility.

According to a Nielsen study, 92% of consumers trust earned media more than all other types of advertising, and media coverage can be leveraged to open doors to new opportunities, attract potential donors, and build a stronger community of followers and supporters.

Social media is a great media outreach tool and X (formerly Twitter) is a great way to connect and build relationships before pitching to journalists. Social media can also increase the impact of your media coverage. Share links to your media coverage on all your social media channels and encourage your followers to engage with your content.

Get started: Identify top media outlets and journalists whose fields align with your mission and expertise. Conduct research and create a customized pitch.

2. Content Creation

You can build your audience by creating compelling multimedia content that highlights your mission, accomplishments and impact and acts as a funnel to key landing pages and email lists. This can include news releases, blog posts, articles and videos that tell your story in an engaging way.

High-quality content can position your organization as a thought leader and trusted source of information in your industry. Regularly updating your website and owned channels with fresh, relevant content will keep your audience engaged and informed.

Offering your social followers an incentive to share your content can significantly increase your reach and engagement.

Get started: Create a content calendar aligned with major events and milestones. Focus on a combination of written, visual, and multimedia content to tell a story. Offer additional content, such as free resources or downloadable guides, to audiences with whom you share articles or content.

3. Social Media Engagement

Leveraging social media platforms to share content and engage directly with your audience can help you expand your message and reach. Consistent, authentic communication on social media can help you build a community around your mission and give you access to people you wouldn’t normally be able to reach, like influencers and VIPs.

Each platform offers the opportunity to connect with different audience segments: Instagram and TikTok are great for visual storytelling, while LinkedIn is great for professional networking and sharing thought leadership articles.

Get started: Choose the right social media platforms for your audience. Develop a strategy to engage your followers with regular posts and interactive content. Use incentives to encourage them to share your media coverage.

4. Thought Leadership

According to a study by Edelman and LinkedIn, 58% of decision makers say thought leadership has directly led to their organization winning business, highlighting the critical role that high-quality thought leadership content plays in influencing business decisions and establishing an organization’s credibility.

Thought leadership involves showcasing your expertise by driving conversations within your industry and sharing insights, trends and innovative ideas that influence change.

Participating in webinars, podcasts, and panels, as well as publishing inspiring content on blogs and industry publications, will establish your organization as a trusted authority on a particular topic and also boost your personal profile.

Get started: Highlight your organization’s expertise: write articles, participate in industry panels, and lend your insights.

5. Case Studies and Testimonials

Success stories can demonstrate the real-world impact of your mission. Case studies showcase your methodology and outcomes, highlighting the specific challenges you addressed and the results you achieved. Testimonials from beneficiaries, partners and supporters add a personal touch and provide an authentic perspective on how your work made a difference.

Incorporating these stories into your marketing materials, website, and social media will build credibility and resonate with potential donors and partners.

Case Study Example: Media Cause partnered with TikTok influencers to help the American Kennel Club (AKC) grow its base of supporters. The campaign increased brand engagement among a younger audience and established AKC as a trusted source of information about dogs.

Get started: Collect and share success stories and testimonials. Use these stories to build trust and provide tangible evidence of effectiveness and impact.

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6. Crisis Management

When a crisis occurs, PR is essential to manage communications and maintain your reputation. Handling a crisis well can also boost your credibility by demonstrating transparency and accountability.

Developing a crisis communications plan is essential to being prepared to respond quickly and effectively. This plan should outline key messages, appoint spokespersons, and establish protocols for internal and external communications.

During a crisis, it’s important to provide timely updates, address concerns honestly, and take corrective action when necessary. Demonstrating accountability and empathy will help rebuild trust and protect your organization’s reputation.

Get started: Develop a crisis communications plan with key messages and designated spokespeople. Make sure everyone who needs to be involved understands your crisis management strategy.

7. Collaboration and Partnerships

Partnering with other organizations, influencers, and public figures who share your mission allows you to leverage their strengths to expand your reach and resources. Joint campaigns amplify your message and create synergies that benefit all involved, creating greater impact. Identify potential partners who align with your values ​​and have complementary audiences.

Joint events, co-branded content and co-marketing initiatives can help build awareness and credibility, and influencer partnerships in particular can introduce your mission to new audiences and earn personal endorsements.

Get started: Identify potential partners and approach them with collaboration proposals. Plan joint events and co-branded content to expand your reach.

8. Regular communication

Communicating with your supporters regularly through newsletters, updates, and social media keeps them informed and engaged. Consistent communication builds a base of loyal supporters who are committed to your success.

It’s important to do your research to understand the best way to share updates, success stories, upcoming events, etc. directly with your audience. Personalizing your communications and segmenting your audience based on interests will increase engagement.

Social media platforms provide real-time interaction and feedback, allowing you to answer questions, celebrate achievements, and rally support for specific events or initiatives. Regularly updating your website to reflect the latest activities and impacts is also important in keeping stakeholders informed.

PR strategy measurement and evaluation

To optimize your PR efforts, leverage your email software, analytics dashboards for Google, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook to generate monthly reports. By continually measuring and evaluating your PR and engagement efforts, you can refine your strategy and messaging.

• Open Rates and Click-Through Rates (CTR): When tracking open rates (average 17-28%) and CTRs, personalized emails show improvements of up to 82% and 75%, respectively.
• Conversion rate: Measure the percentage of recipients who take a desired action, such as donating or attending an event.
• Bounce and unsubscribe rates: Monitor these metrics to ensure the quality of your listings and the relevance of your content.
• Customer Lifetime Value (CLV): Evaluate the long-term value of your subscribers to measure the overall impact of your email campaigns.
• A/B Testing: Try different email elements (subject lines, content, etc.) to determine what seems to be most effective.
• Media mentions and reach: Track the number and scope of media mentions to evaluate the effectiveness of your media coverage efforts.
• Social Media Engagement: Evaluate the performance of your social media content by measuring likes, shares, comments, and follower growth.
• Sentiment Analysis: Use tools to analyze social media mentions and sentiment in media coverage to understand public perception of your organization.

Expanding the impact of the mission through PR

For mission-driven organizations, public relations is more than just a promotional tool. It’s a critical strategic asset that addresses core business challenges and directly advances your mission and goals. Through raising awareness, building credibility, effectively managing resources, and engaging supporters, PR amplifies the impact of your mission and ensures your story gets told.

Building credibility through media coverage is a key step in building trust and credibility. It validates your efforts, reaches a wider audience and makes you stand out in a competitive marketplace.

In business, where trust and credibility are paramount, PR offers an avenue to transform your mission into a movement that inspires change and makes a difference in the world.

About the Author

Dawn Carrington is an award-winning communications and PR mogul who has worked for the British Royal Family, the UK Prime Minister and BBC’s Dragon’s Den judges. Her experience ranges from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. She currently provides PR and communications consultancy services and fractional communications leadership to small and medium-sized businesses, helping her clients improve their brand awareness, credibility and trust.

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