A lot of Kin will be asking why do we need to understand marketing.  An argument often used is that we are a not-for-profit organization or it is too complicated, or we do not need it.

First of all marketing is understanding:
▸    Who do you want to communicate with (target audience)
▸    How do you communicate with these people (social media, traditional media, etc)
▸    When do you communicate with these people (when are they ready to make a decision)
▸    What do these people want to hear (message/benefits)
▸    Why do you want to communicate with these people (recruitment or to tell them about a project)

Marketing is not selling.  Selling is done when the 5 W’s (marketing) are answered.  Think about a project or recruitment drive that either failed or you did not get the results expected, did you do your marketing before you tried to sell? Take the time to answer these questions, and you’ll start seeing better results.
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Don Woolridge has 30 years experience of teaching marketing at a community college.  He has ben involved in a number of volunteer organizations. If you have any comments or suggestion please contact him at donwoolridge@gmail.com