Relationship Marketing Used by Non-Profit Organizations

• Relationship marketing is not arranging for your members to sit around for tea and talk about advocacy. Nor is it about posting personal tidbits on social media sites under your organization's page. Relationship marketing is doing that "thing" that keeps your members satisfied year after year to continue to support your cause and participate in your activities to build revenue for your non-profit.

Detailed Databases

• One key way to building that revenue is to have an organized system in place to keep track of all of your members, donors and sponsors. Specifically, you must notate what their ultimate desire is in regards to dealing with your non-profit. The concept of having a database that keeps basic contact information is an age old strategy for non-profits. What may have been missing is the level of detail necessary to directly target the needs of your members. Gone are the days where just knowing what zip code your constituents live in works. Now, the importance has shifted to knowing how many times a particular member purchases something off of your website, the frequency of their visits, the reasons they joined, where they heard about you and why they continue to renew. The same principles go for your exhibitors, sponsors, vendors, donors and other supporters. Increase your database's ability to track very detailed information and pull reports so you start your marketing campaigns knowing who you are targeting and what they want. In the end, having this knowledge will allow you to get what you want - more revenue.

Value Added Benefits

• Once you learn what people want, you need to focus on selecting the things that are pleasing to them. Never settle for mediocre. Go above and beyond to please your members and sponsors and keep them happy. If you do, your job of solidifying renewals will be that much easier.

The Art of Communication

• Plan a communication schedule that allows you to consistently reach your audience. Use a mixture of media vehicles including e-newsletters and magazines, social media updates and posts, direct mail pieces and face-to-face opportunities. Focus all of your marketing collateral to the interests of those on your database, keeping their needs at the forefront of your deliveries.

Professional Development

• Produce events that help groups liaise and network among other professionals and peers such as quarterly workshops and annual conferences. Professional and personal development opportunities help members grow and meet their own goals. With you as the conduit to their success, they'll depend on you and your retention plan will be much easier to execute.