We Answer Your Burning Questions about Marketing Effectiveness
Earlier this month, we hosted a webinar called “Mission Possible: Mapping Your Path to More Effective Marketing.” Attendees heard from our Director of Brand Marketing, Brianna Martin, and Senior Marketing Manager, Jarrett Way, about measuring marketing maturity and leveraging the data and insights from the recently released 2023 Marketing Benchmarks for Mission-Driven Organizations report for more effective marketing.
With such a content-filled webinar and many questions at the end, as usual, we just didn’t have time to get to them all! So, as promised, we’ve compiled all those questions right here to ensure you get the answers you need.
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Q: What if I don’t have the time to implement the recommendations in the report?
Brianna: We’ll tell you the same thing we tell everyone: Prioritization is key. And while yes, that part does take time to figure out, it is time well spent. That’s also why we recommend taking The Mighty GPS to review your areas of opportunity and then using The Mighty GPS Planner (or Annual Communications Plan Template) to make a very robust and tactical plan to implement—all while ensuring these plans align back to your organization’s strategic goals. The Mighty GPS was created to help organizations see where they need to focus on the most to move the needle.
It’s also important to assess your marketing team’s current skills and capitalize on those based on where you need to focus and/or use that analysis as fodder for requesting additional resources (additional people, upskilling current staff, new MarTech tools) to fill in any gaps that can help you accomplish your goals.
Q: What if I don’t have a large budget to implement the recommendations in the report?
Jarrett: Many of the recommendations don’t require a budget, but they do require time. For example, working on your messaging, streamlining your content, or assessing the data you already have in your CMS, CRM, AMS, etc. If you don’t (and won’t) have a larger budget, then prioritize finding the time to review, analyze, and optimize your current resources, systems, and processes. Then, follow the process in the answer above. When the time comes to convince those who hold the purse strings on the incredible things well-funded marketing teams can do, follow the UPTC acronym, U(understand), P(plan), T(track), C(communicate):
- Understand what they define as “value”
- Have a written plan
- Track every marketing campaign you execute
- Communicate the plan and results in a way that resonates with them (usually that means in bite-size chunks)
Q: Will you be putting together a webinar on marketing and AI?
Jarrett: That is something that is on our (long list!). We, as an organization, are still kind of figuring out that sweet spot of where we might implement AI. There are many marketing software tools and programs using AI, not just copywriting, so there is a lot of stuff to consider. All of our departments have very strong opinions about using AI (not surprisingly!), and we have an article about that if you want to read more.
Q: Would you please repeat the SEO tools you use?
- Google Keyword Planner
- Ahrefs has a keyword generator to find keyword ideas
- Google Search Console can help you identify declining keywords
Q: In The Mighty GPS assessment, can respondents select more than one type (e.g., an education-based membership organization)?
Brianna: The current Mighty GPS contact form only allows for one primary type: association, education, nonprofit, or government. We have some additional selections for education, such as K-12, private, public, and government agencies such as federal, local, etc. As we evolve The Mighty GPS, we will continue to find efficient and meaningful ways for you to customize your benchmarking. Thanks for the suggestion!
