Re-strategizing Communications for New Media Landscape
Cathy Cowan, one of WNN’s esteemed advisors, shares her non-profit experiences in the marketing, communications, and PR industry in this interview. She talks about her time at the Canadian Mental Health Association, starting her own PR consultancy business, how non-profits can leverage certain tools, and more.
Could you tell us about your experience leading communications at the Canadian Mental Health Association, and how that shaped your approach to nonprofit communications today?
A: I had the privilege of heading communications for CMHA York Region South Simcoe, one of the largest and fastest growing branches of the Canadian Mental Health Association. Working with my talented team, I led external marketing communications as well as internal communications for 350 unbelievably inspiring and dedicated staff. In three years, we transformed communications by creating the agency’s first strategic communications plan: media coverage more than quadrupled, website sessions nearly doubled, and client registrations exceeded targets by 192 per cent for a key new program, helping the agency expand its reach by 65 per cent, serving more than 20,000 clients annually.
In terms of my approach to nonprofit communications, I don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. Some nonprofits have large teams of marketing, communications and fundraising staff and other nonprofits have one person who manages all those roles and more. Generally, I believe the way nonprofits can standout is by focusing on people. Put a face on your organization, your team, your cause, your beneficiaries, your impact. That’s what will make your nonprofit stand out.
You’ve seen the media landscape evolve dramatically over the years. What are some of the biggest changes you’ve observed, and how should nonprofits adjust their strategies in response?
A: It’s been devastating to watch the Canadian media landscape be decimated in recent years. With reduced media outlets, reduced media budgets and reduced media staff, opportunities for media coverage can sometimes seem scarce. And yet for nonprofits, working with media is a powerful way to share our missions, stories and successes. But if we want to continue having credible media outlets to work with, we need to evolve from one-way media relations to two-way, reciprocal media partnerships
Media need our support. Yes, even from nonprofits with limited budgets. So, while there are fewer media, and less pages and broadcast minutes to fill, it means we need to be smarter about what we’re pitching to them.
It also means that if you want your favourite media to thrive, you need to allocate budget and invest in them. Understanding that different nonprofits have different budgets, any amount of investment will help and demonstrate that you value the work media do. Whether you show your support through a few targeted ads, sponsored content, year-round ads, or the marketing services some media outlets are now offering, if you want to have the opportunity for media to share your stories, now is the time to step up and show your support while we still can.
No longer able to rely on earned media, savvy communicators have responded to these shifts in the media landscape by expanding their roles to focus on multi-channel integrated marketing communications strategies including (but not limited to) media partnerships, social media, content creation, influencer marketing, out of home advertising, Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing, internal comms, digital advertising, email marketing and executive visibility.
Many nonprofits struggle with limited resources. How can they leverage new media tools effectively without overextending themselves?
A: Think of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as your personal virtual assistant. It’s a great tool for brainstorming, first drafts, content creation and compiling information so you can work more efficiently and focus your time on the real value add. But it’s just a tool. To really be effective, treat AI as a first draft and then add your insights, your voice, your ideas so the end product reflects you, your expertise and your voice. There are few things more cringe-worthy than content that is clearly and solely AI generated.
Also consider the credibility and reputation of your organization. For example, if you are positioning your organization as an expert on an issue, but you’re only sharing AI content it doesn’t say much about your expertise or thought leadership. The perfect marriage is using AI to generate that precious first draft, and then having your in-house experts review for accuracy and add examples and first-hand insights to round it out and make it sing.
In addition to ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini, a few additional AI tools worth checking out include Fathom for recording meeting minutes, Microsoft Designer for generating photos & graphic design, DeepL for translation - in addition to many AI tools focused on fundraising.
If you haven’t jumped into AI tools yet, the key is creating effective prompts and practice, practice, practice. Check out this great resource from SpinSucks for The 50 Best AI Prompts for Public Relations Professionals by Whitney Deterding.
Storytelling has always been central to nonprofit communications. In a world saturated with content, how can organizations ensure their stories stand out?
A: Less is more. I don’t know about you, but in a world being flooded with content I zone out content that’s being spammed out by the same organizations day in and day out. Communicators are all creating content for the algorithm so we can reach more people but stop and think about what your audience actually wants. Do they want to see posts from you in their feeds every day? Do they actually read your weekly newsletter? Or would they engage more with a reduced number of really excellent, insightful pieces? For each nonprofit the answer is different, but important to think about your audience’s needs just as much as the ever-changing algorithm.
The holy grail of nonprofit communications are the real people and real-life stories connected to your mission. Whether it’s your clients, members, staff, donors, volunteers – what can they share to humanize your cause and demonstrate why your mission is so important. How can their stories and experiences inspire others to get involved in your cause? These stories can be the most difficult to secure and they often take extra time – but they’re worth it.
With so many digital platforms available, it can be overwhelming to decide where to focus. How should nonprofits prioritize which channels to invest in?
A: Take a long hard look at your objectives, your target audience and your resources. Because we’re all so passionate about our missions, we want to do it all. But even large communications teams need to set boundaries. Look at what you are trying to achieve, and who you need to reach to achieve your goals. For example, if your primary target audience is seniors, then you don’t need to invest in TikTok.
If you have a broad audience and you’re not at the stage of prioritizing audiences (although you really should!), look at more targeted and resource efficient ways to leverage channels. For example:
Instead of dedicating resources to creating youth-specific content for an ongoing TikTok or YouTube channel, consider running limited time ad campaigns on those channels.
Or partner with influencers to give you a presence on specific social media channels and share your message without the ongoing drain on your communications team.
Don’t have resources to conduct ongoing media pitching? Work with your favourite media partner to create sponsored content that you can share with all your audiences across all your channels.
You’ve successfully worked with major brands and nonprofits alike. What lessons can nonprofits take from the corporate world to enhance their communications strategies?
A: My extensive experience with top-tier corporate brands including L’Oréal, Kraft, Cisco and Nintendo have uniquely shaped my reverence for brand strategy and integrated marketing communications. Here are two examples of big brand best practices that you can apply to your nonprofit that will immediately have an impact:
I’ve found that Key Messages and Unique Selling Propositions are often overlooked by many small to medium sized nonprofits. Ask yourself:
Who is your target audience?
What do you want your target audience to know about your organization? What do you do well?
What sets your organization apart from others in your community and/or others with a similar mission?
Why should your target audience care about what you’re doing? Put yourself in their shoes and ask: What’s In It For Me?
The most successful communicators create and promote concise messaging that addresses the most impactful answers to these questions. Clear and consistent messaging is key to creating resonance for your brand and empowers everyone in your organization to sing from the same song sheet when talking about your organization.
Secondly, Project Management is a skill that I’ve seem some nonprofits treat as a standalone function or role. In the corporate world, Project Management is part of every communicator's and marketer's role from entry level onward. Project Management is how your communications strategies will get implemented efficiently, on deadline and on budget, so it’s vitally important that these skills are prioritized in hiring and training Communications staff.
How important is it for nonprofits to measure the impact of their communications efforts, and what are some effective ways to do so in today’s digital environment?
A: Measurement and analytical tools are expensive, and I know it can be difficult for nonprofits to prioritize spending hard-to-come-by money on measurement tools and reports vs. actually generating results. Luckily there are good free tools like Google Analytics, Google Alerts for media coverage and Meta Business Manager for organizations with tight budgets, and then an endless list of more advanced and comprehensive paid tools options.
In measuring the impact of communications, key Outputs to track range from the number of people your organization serves, social media reach and engagement, volume and sentiment of earned media coverage, website traffic, newsletter open rates, and fundraising totals. It’s also important to identify and measure Outcomes noting the big picture achievements Communications contributes to achieving the organization’s mission such as the impact you have on improving your beneficiaries’ lives and solving community issues.
Ongoing results monitoring, analysis and course corrections are all key to an effective measurement process. Every communications plan should be created as a living plan that is regularly reviewed, re-evaluated and revised in line with the results generated. Are your actual results not on track to meet your annual targets after three months? After six months? That information is an indicator that you may need to change your tactics or focus on different areas of your integrated marketing communications plan, so you can optimize your success by the end of the year. Without ongoing results tracking and analysis, you likely won’t know what’s working, and what’s not working, until it’s too late to make improvements.
Looking ahead, what trends do you see shaping the future of nonprofit communications, and how can organizations prepare for what’s next?
A: I attended the 2024 Nonprofit Marketing Summit and one of my biggest takeaways was the focus on “Digital Communities” being the next big thing in nonprofit marketing and fundraising. Cameron Ripley, CEO of Community Boost, described the “Digital Communities” concept as community-first marketing focused on meaningful, partner-centric relationships that give partners a platform to elevate their voices to become advocates for the organization. Communicators will create and fuel an ecosystem where the community creates most of the content through user generated discussion boards, videos and blogs. I see this more as an addition to communications, versus a replacement, but it’s interesting to consider the community-first marketing approach when creating new marketing strategies.
In recent years we have seen growing demand from Boards and CEOs for the need for Communications Professionals at senior management tables, recognizing the organization-wide benefits achieved by strategic communications. Going forward, we’ll see more and more VP Communications and Chief Communications Officers roles being added to Executive Leadership Teams of large and medium sized nonprofits.
For smaller nonprofits who may not have budget for a full-time senior role, this leadership role will be served by increasingly popular Fractional Communications Consultants who work part-time with a few nonprofits. These consultants actively participate on each nonprofit’s management team, providing strategic communications, planning, issues management, team mentorship and overseeing implementation. Building on the success of Fractional CFOs and Fractional Fundraisers, Fractional Communications Leaders are the future of how small and medium-sized nonprofits will transform and amplify their social impact through communications.
Connect with Cathy on LinkedIn here.
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