3 steps to win your next nonprofit campaign

Written by Niki Juhasz

I grew up the middle child – not the first born, not the baby of the family. Yet I can confidently say that (as a future communicator) I was still the best at convincing our parents to do what I wanted. My secret? Thinking about what was personally important to them…and then matching what I wanted with what they valued.

And that secret, my friend, is the entire secret to good communications.

Always Start With The Audiences Who Will Help You Succeed

When we start a new project, one of our first questions is always, “who do you need to reach?” In some cases, our partner will respond with the dreaded words: “Everyone! We want to reach the general public.”

My response? No, no, no, no, no, no and no.

If you’re trying to reach *everyone* then you’re not going to reach anyone. Simply put, your language will lose power, because you’re trying to please too many people. So what do you do?

SIGN ME UP

An Example From My Teenage Years

Now back to my adolescence. Here’s a “campaign” I ran as a teenager that follows all our communications best practices – targeting the right audience, with the right message.

Step 1: Always Start By Figuring Out Your Goal

When I was in high school, my brother and I were flying to Hungary to see family – just the two of us. I found tickets with a 12-hour layover in Amsterdam. My goal was clear: I REALLY wanted to buy these tickets so my brother and I could explore for the day.

Step 2: Ask Who You Need to Reach to Accomplish Your Goals

The general public didn’t matter in this (or any) scenario. I didn’t need to reach anyone but my parents to make this dream a reality. I didn’t need to convince the plane pilot, the parking lot attendant or even my friends and extended family. BUT I had to remember that my mom and dad had distinctly different values, and I would have to reach them both to succeed.

Step 3: Create Messaging That Speaks Directly to Your Audience

For My Mom: I knew my mom would be worried about our safety – but also valued raising strong, independent daughters. My message to her focused on all the steps we would take to remain safe. I also pointed out that part of raising strong daughters was letting them take minor risks.

For My Dad: I knew my dad would be more worried about us getting lost. So I created specific, detailed maps of the entire city for him – this was during the MapQuest era of printed maps, y’all – in addition to a plan to show that I had thought through every scenario. (Much like you do when you show donors or supporters why your plan is such a good one!)

So did it work?

It most certainly did.

By thinking through those three steps, you can create a strong campaign that speaks to your specific audience – the audiences who can help you succeed – every time.