Top 10 Nonprofit Marketing Tips This Year [2021]

Without a doubt, 2021 posed new and old challenges for organizations across the sector. A general uneasiness about health and finances combined with Zoom fatigue and burnout were obstacles no matter your role. At the same time, innovation and resourcefulness drove nonprofits to experiment with (or finally commit to) new processes, technologies and funding sources.

Our stockpile of nonprofit marketing tips continued to grow each week—just like our list of weekly subscribers. And while we always strive to share advice that’s insightful, approachable and actionable, our team never knows for certain which posts will rise to the top and offer the most value at the moment.

So we took a look back at the popular posts we’ve published this year to see what information has resonated with our readers. What we found is that nonprofit leaders and communications folks are hopeful about the opportunities to grow an audience of supporters, increase online donations, and engage donors, volunteers and event attendees.

Turns out, making the most of your website and online presence can be an essential part of building up resiliency.

Most Popular Nonprofit Marketing Tips of 2021

Without further ado, here are the trending tips and advice from the Wired Impact blog this year. Are there any ideas and best practices that can fuel your marketing efforts in the year ahead?

What Website Donors Want From Nonprofits

The latest Global Trends in Giving Report can help you understand what donors want from nonprofits—including your website. See the data breakdown.

5 Experts in Storytelling for Nonprofits

Telling a story is hard. So who do you learn from? Find our picks for experts in storytelling for nonprofits, plus a few inspiring examples.

Nonprofit Growth: 20 Stats You Need to Know

Is your organization growing in the same direction as others? Explore stats on nonprofit growth to see how you compare.

How to Plan an Awareness Campaign for Your Nonprofit

Take full advantage of the next awareness month for your cause. Plan an awareness campaign to boost visibility and drive traffic to your site.

5 Emails to Keep Monthly Donors Engaged and Giving

Outside of thank you emails and appeals, what emails do you send monthly donors to build relationships? Here are the five emails to start sending now.

Volunteer Recruitment: 5 Ways to Boost Sign-ups on Your Website

Using your nonprofit’s website as a volunteer recruitment tool? Learn seven ways to boost online sign-ups and harness the power of the web.

Wondering How to Get People to Donate Online? Remove These 5 Barriers

We get asked all day long how to get people to donate online. These are the top 5 barriers we see to online giving and how to overcome them.

Online Event Success Metrics: Measuring Nonprofit Virtual Gatherings

Is your nonprofit moving to virtual events? How you measure results should change, too. Dive into the twelve event success metrics to use in your strategy.

7 Ways to Grow an Audience for Your Nonprofit

Learn seven tactics that you can use to grow an audience for your nonprofit, from a small circle of friends to an active community of supporters.

Homepage Content Tips for Nonprofit Websites

Not sure what to put on your website’s homepage? Get our recipe for homepage content along with content ideas and examples from other nonprofits.

Keep Up the Momentum

Now it’s your turn to look back over the year. What are the obstacles and accomplishments that you’re most proud of? What are the lessons learned that will make your marketing more effective? 

Despite the ups and downs, we hope the tips we’ve shared have helped you meet your marketing goals and shape your plans for 2022. If you’d like additional resources for next year’s marketing strategy, look no further.

• See more tips: Nonprofit Marketing Plan: The Complete Guide to a Strategy That Works
• Get our template: The Awareness Accelerator Nonprofit Marketing Plan
• Find ways to improve: The Donor Flow Optimizer for Nonprofit Websites

Stay tuned for a post next week on the marketing trends to watch out for in 2022! We also welcome your ideas and suggestions for topics for next year in the comments section below.