Affordable PR Solutions: Budget-Friendly Ways to Amplify Your Nonprofit’s Mission

Reaching new stakeholders and sharing your impact are essential for a nonprofit organization’s long-term growth and stability. However, navigating the nuances of nonprofit public relations can be overwhelming, especially when resources like budget or manpower are limited. The good news is that with creativity and strategic planning, you can amplify your message and expand your network without breaking the budget. 

Let’s explore affordable yet effective PR strategies that can help your nonprofit thrive and reach volunteers, donors, and program participants. 

Cultivate Your Online Community

Social media platforms allow you to grow your nonprofit's reach and engage more deeply with your audience. By cultivating your social community, you can create genuine two-way interactions, which builds brand loyalty. 

• Share Stories: Tell compelling stories about the people your organization supports. Personal stories create an emotional connection and inspire followers to support your cause. Use images and videos to make these stories more impactful.

• Host Interactive Sessions: Conduct Q&A sessions, live chats, or town halls. These activities encourage connection and allow your audience to ask questions and learn more about your work in real time.

• Post Regularly: Consistency is key. Share updates, events, and success stories regularly to stay top of mind and keep your audience engaged. Use a content calendar to plan your posts and ensure a steady stream of collateral.

• Encourage Participation: Ask your followers to share their own stories and photos related to your cause. User-generated content boosts engagement and helps your followers feel connected to your mission. 

• Utilize Hashtags: Create and use relevant hashtags to increase the visibility of your posts. Hashtags help categorize your content and make it easier for new supporters to find you.

• Monitor Feedback: Pay attention to comments and messages, and respond promptly to questions or feedback. Engaging directly with feedback improves trust and brand loyalty by demonstrating your willingness to listen. 

By consistently posting interesting content and interacting with your followers, you can harness social media's power to amplify your nonprofit’s stories. Doing so will increase your reach and foster a deeper connection with your audience.

Build Relationships with Local Media

Building relationships with your local media is an authentic way to create two-way communication with reporters. You’re sharing the impact your organization is making in your community, and the media want to report on the issues affecting local residents. Here are some practical ways to engage your local media: 

• Nurture Relationships: Introduce yourself to local reporters and editors who cover your cause. In an elevator pitch-style email, give a high-level overview of your organization and its mission, share a recent project or stats to demonstrate impact, and offer to provide commentary on community issues related to your industry when the opportunity arises.  

• Create Press Releases: Some organizational news lends itself well to press releases, which are a great way to alert the media of your events, initiatives, or other business news. [In case you missed it, check out this blog on writing and distributing press releases.] 

• Invite Media to Events: Community events demonstrate how your nonprofit carries out its mission, and inviting the media to cover your activities allows reporters to learn about your nonprofit through the eyes of those you serve. This firsthand access can lead to better coverage. 

• Provide Story Angles: Suggest unique story angles highlighting your organization’s impact. Human interest stories, in particular, are a great way to incorporate storytelling and underscore your impact. 

• Write Op-Eds: Write opinion pieces on relevant issues and submit them to local newspapers or business journals. Op-eds showcase your expertise and provide a platform to advocate for community issues and share solutions. 

By checking in with the media and providing timely community news, you can create authentic relationships with your local media and gain valuable media coverage that helps you attract new supporters and raise awareness. 

Creating Compelling Content on a Budget

Creating engaging content is the foundation of any successful communications plan. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to get professional content on a budget. Here are some strategies for producing assets affordably: 

• Use Free Tools: Take advantage of free content creation tools like Canva for graphics, Clipchamp for video editing, and Google Docs for collaborative writing. These tools offer robust features without costing a dime.

• Repurpose Existing Content: Refresh older content by updating information or giving it a new twist, which saves time and resources. For example, turn a blog post into a social media video or an eNewsletter infographic. 

• Engage Volunteers: Tap into your volunteer network for content creation. Many supporters may have skills in writing, photography, or video production. Engaging them can result in high-quality assets without additional costs.

• Focus on Quality: It’s better to produce high-quality content less frequently than to pump out low-quality content often. A few well-crafted pieces can go a long way in creating organic and lasting engagement. 

• Leverage User-Generated Content: Encourage your audience to submit stories, photos, or videos of their experience with your organization that you can repurpose into blog or social media spotlights. User-generated content is akin to your community’s authentic endorsement of your brand. 

• Storytelling: Focus on storytelling to create emotional connections. From those you serve to why your volunteers choose you to work with, these stories can be very impactful. Use clear narratives to highlight the impact your organization is making. 

Using these strategies, you can produce compelling content that resonates without sacrificing your budget. 

Engage Supporters with Email Marketing

A strong email marketing strategy is a great way to connect with your audience directly for more personalized communication. It can also be a powerful resource for fundraising. These tips can help you make the most of your email campaigns: 

• Build a Quality Email List: Collect email addresses from supporters, volunteers, and event attendees, making sure you have permission to email them. By maintaining communication with engaged subscribers, you can build brand awareness and loyalty. 

• Segment Your Audience: Tailor your messages to your various stakeholders. For example, you can target donors for a fundraising campaign or engage volunteers for training; each campaign will require its own messaging. 

• Tell Your Story: Use your emails to share success stories, organizational updates, news coverage, and the impact of donations. Storytelling helps demonstrate your impact and can motivate people to continue supporting your cause.

• Include Clear Call-to-Actions (CTAs): Each email should have a clear goal. Whether donating, signing up to volunteer, or sharing on social media, make sure your CTA is clear and easy to follow.

• Track and Analyze Performance: Use analytics tools to monitor campaign performance, such as tracking open rates, click-through rates, and unsubscribes, to see what works and make improvements.

Email marketing is a nonnegotiable for nonprofits—it’s the number one, most cost-effective way to keep supporters engaged. 

Grow Your Reach Without Sacrificing Your Budget

Effective communication is critical for any nonprofit to reach new stakeholders and nurture relationships with established supporters. Adopting affordable PR strategies and leveraging creative marketing tools allows your nonprofit to build authentic relationships and create lasting impact without stretching your budget. 

From user-generated content to email campaigns to media outreach, these approaches empower nonprofits to expand their reach, foster community trust, and drive meaningful change. With the right blend of resourcefulness and strategy, even the smallest teams can build brand awareness and inspire action.  

If you're ready to elevate your nonprofit's PR efforts, contact K.E.Baker Public Relations today! Kristen specializes in creating strategic PR campaigns for nonprofits; learn more here. 

Navigating the PR Spectrum: Traditional vs. Nontraditional Strategies Explained

At its core, public relations helps businesses and nonprofits establish credibility, maintain trust, and build a positive reputation with their target audiences — shaping the way your stakeholders view your organization and cultivating brand loyalty. For nonprofits, a well-rounded PR strategy can be a game-changer, helping you grow your reach and fulfill your mission with greater impact. For small businesses, it’s a powerful tool that helps you to differentiate yourself from competitors, turning customers into brand advocates. 

But PR isn’t one-size-fits-all, and as the digital landscape continues to evolve, so do PR strategies. Understanding the difference between traditional and nontraditional PR can help you choose the right tools to amplify your story and unlock new opportunities to engage with your community.  

Both traditional and nontraditional PR have strengths, but depending on your campaign goals, one might be more effective than the other. 

Defining Traditional Public Relations

Most people think of traditional public relations when they picture PR. This approach focuses on media relations and working with well-known and trusted channels to secure earned media — picture press releases, news conferences, and your business being featured in newspapers, magazines, the radio, or on the evening news. 

Traditional PR also includes contributed content and opinion pieces, which share your organization’s views on important issues or work to establish yourself as a subject matter expert and build credibility. 

While traditional PR takes time to cultivate, it is a necessary component of any PR strategy because it offers independent brand validity, which is essential for building trust and maintaining positive public perception. 

Exploring Nontraditional Public Relations

Nontraditional PR uses newer, more interactive methods to connect with people and primarily focuses on digital mediums. Unlike a story on the Five O’Clock News, nontraditional channels help businesses create two-way conversations and connect deeper with their audiences. 

Social media is the most recognizable and easily accessible way to engage with nontraditional PR. By sharing consistent online content, like updates, photos, and videos, you can connect directly with your audience and foster two-way interaction. 

Blogs and podcasts are also part of nontraditional PR. These platforms let you share longer, more detailed stories about your work and communicate your impact on a deeper level. You can provide insights into your mission, share the stories of people you’ve helped, or discuss important issues without the limitations of time constraints or a word count. 

Influencer partnerships are another tactic. This strategy involves working with individuals who have dedicated online followings to promote your cause, allowing you to tap into their networks and introduce yourself to larger audiences. 

Other nontraditional PR methods include email newsletter campaigns and online events like webinars or town halls. 

The nontraditional approach allows more flexibility while delivering immediate results. It also removes a communication layer, allowing you to create more personal connections. 

Key Differences Between Traditional and Nontraditional PR

Traditional and nontraditional PR have distinct approaches and outcomes. Understanding these differences can help you choose the best strategy for your business.

1. Audience Reach: Traditional PR targets a broad audience but may miss specific demographics. Nontraditional PR, on the other hand, harnesses social media, podcasts, and influencers to reach a highly targeted audience.

2. Interaction: Traditional PR is mostly one-way communication. You record a news segment or interview for a magazine, and the audience receives the information. If your audience responds to the story with an action, like donating to your cause or signing up for services, they don’t need to engage directly with you. Conversely, nontraditional PR encourages two-way communication. Social media, for example, allows your audience to comment, share, and engage with your content to show their enthusiasm, creating a more dynamic relationship.

3. Speed and Flexibility: Traditional methods, like sending press releases and pitching journalists, take time to produce and distribute, and once released, they are difficult to change. Nontraditional PR is faster; you can instantly post updates on social media and quickly adapt your message.

4. Credibility and Trust: Traditional PR often benefits from the credibility of established media outlets. Getting featured in a major newspaper or TV show can boost your brand’s reputation. Nontraditional PR builds trust through direct engagement. Personal interactions with your audience can make your organization more relatable and approachable.

Choosing the Right PR Strategy for Your Business

Creating a dynamic PR strategy depends on your business’s unique goals, audience, and resources. Consider these factors when deciding how to engage in traditional or nontraditional PR.

1. Identify Your Audience: Determine who you are trying to reach and consider how they consume news. For example, traditional PR is a great approach if you’re trying to engage business leaders or establish credibility. Conversely, maybe influencer campaigns will best serve you in reaching younger audiences, like college students. 

2. Set Clear Goals: Decide what you want to achieve with your PR strategy. Are you aiming to raise awareness, attract donations, or increase volunteer sign-ups? Different goals require different approaches. Traditional PR can be great for one-off announcements and campaigns, while nontraditional PR is ideal for ongoing engagement with your audiences.

3. Evaluate Your Resources: Look at your available resources, which include budget and manpower. Traditional PR can be costly due to the time and expertise required to create press releases or engage in media outreach, and it requires specialized skills to be effective. Nontraditional PR, while less expensive to produce, similarly requires time and creativity to keep content fresh and engaging, but it can offer a better return on investment depending on your campaign goals.

4. Mix and Match: A good PR strategy shouldn’t be limited to one approach. Most nonprofits and businesses find success using a combination of traditional and nontraditional PR. 

Which Approach is Best for Your Organization?

Choosing between traditional and nontraditional PR isn't a matter of one being better than the other — it’s about understanding your organization’s goals, audience, and resources. By strategically blending both approaches, you can leverage the strengths of each to build credibility, engage your community, and achieve lasting impact. Whether you’re seeking the trust that traditional PR brings or the dynamic, real-time interactions of nontraditional channels, a well-rounded PR strategy will help you share your story and drive meaningful results.

Are you ready to enhance your communication strategy and create campaigns that resonate and inspire action? Contact Kristen today to learn how K.E. Baker Public Relations can help amplify your message and reach stakeholders. 

PR Tip of the Week: Engage with Local Media

Earning media coverage in local markets is one of the best ways to build credibility and gain media experience, even if your business or nonprofit serves a national audience. For organizations with a local or regional audience, local coverage gets your news in front of the communities most impacted by your work. For those with national reach, it strengthens your media portfolio and brand messaging while attracting loyal stakeholders.

Consider what news your community cares about most and determine how you can help fill a gap for reporters. For example, can you offer expert advice on seasonal topics, like tax season? Are you hosting a webinar that local leaders could benefit from learning about? Do you have testimonials from citizens nationwide that could be turned into human interest stories? Regardless of the story, remember your audience and find ways to add value.

If you're ready to explore thought leadership and where it fits into your PR strategy, let's chat! Schedule a free consult with me here. 

PR Tip of the Week: Save Press Releases for High-Level News

I find it really interesting that while the PR industry is constantly evolving, the value of the good old-fashioned press release has remained the same. It’s one of the top ways organizations communicate with the media, and for good reason — they’re very effective.

While journalists are always looking for stories, it’s important to think about how your news can benefit the public (as opposed to being a 1-page ad of your business). Some announcements lend themselves to a press release, and some news is better suited to be shared directly with your stakeholders via your owned channels, like blogs, eNews, and social media.

So, what might be considered press-release worthy?*
✔️Acquisitions or partnerships
✔️Philanthropic endeavors
✔️Winning an industry award
✔️Community event announcements
✔️Study or survey results that directly and positively impact your business
✔️Changes in c-level leadership

*List is not exhaustive!

Creating and sharing an engaging press release is a process, and so naturally you’ll want to be sure that your efforts will yield ROI. The first way to do that is by sharing news that is useful to the journalist or editor on the receiving end, which will in turn increase the likelihood that your release will get covered.

If you need help creating a news-worthy press release, let’s chat! Schedule a free consult with me here.