Ambassador Marketing for Nonprofits

Ambassador marketing leverages committed members of your nonprofit community or loyal donors to raise awareness of your organization and cause. While it may sound like influencer marketing, made ubiquitous thanks to social media sites like Instagram, there are some key differences. 

• A social media influencer is usually paid in advance to promote products in one or two social media posts. This is helpful for new product launches or brand awareness. It's essentially paid product placement via hashtag. 
• An ambassador is someone loyal to a brand, product, or nonprofit organization who uses word of mouth to share information and raise awareness for your cause organically. This is more like hearing about a great book from a friend. 

Why is Ambassador Marketing Great for Nonprofits?

For one, by inviting loyal donors or volunteers to share information about your nonprofit organization, you're leveraging the organic reach of word of mouth. People who are as passionate about your cause are likely to discuss it with their friends and family. By providing them with easily shareable content, infographics, or powerful stats, you're giving them tools to have that conversation while raising awareness of your cause and organization.  

Also, you're not paying thousands of dollars to an Insta model for a single photo in a t-shirt with your logo on it. 

Authentic Donor Relationships = Passionate Ambassadors

Hopefully, your nonprofit organization is already working hard to create deep, authentic relationships with your donors. Fostering this close-knit community is the first step toward finding and encouraging your donors to become ambassadors. When you keep in touch with your donors regularly, you're creating a real relationship—not just looking at them with dollar signs in your eyes. 

Some ways to keep in touch with your community:

• (Non-fundraising) Emails
• Newsletters
• Social media posts
• Responding to social media engagement
• Thank you emails

To learn more about turning your community into your champions with ambassador marketing, sign up for our webinar, Ambassador Marketing for Nonprofits. 

You'll learn:

• What ambassador marketing is and isn't
• How ambassador marketing is uniquely suited for expanding your mission
• Who makes a good mission ambassador
• Tips for getting started with a marketing ambassador program
• How ambassador marketing fits in with your other communication initiatives

Marketing Ambassadors Understand Your Mission

Because your ideal marketing ambassadors are committed donors or volunteers, they understand your nonprofit as well as you do. To get your mission out there, make sure it's an essential part of your content and communication strategy. By crafting mission-driven content that is easily shareable, you're making it easy to spread your message. Blogs, social media posts, and newsletters that share both your "why" and your "how" provide ambassadors with compelling and bite-sized information they can share with their network. 

Marketing Ambassadors, Not Just For Big Brands Anymore

Your nonprofit organization likely has a network of passionate advocates. Inviting them to share your mission, goals, and accomplishments allows them to share pride in what you do. After all, it wouldn't be possible without them!