The February 2012 Thoughts That Count from NextLevel Thinking:

Make Your Message Emotional

“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”

{Carl W. Buechner}

Can’t Miss Marketing Approach

“In marketing, I’ve seen only one strategy that can’t miss…and that is to market to your best customers first, your best prospects second and the rest of the world last.”

{John Romero}

San Diego Nonprofit News Organization Partners with NextLevel Thinking to Develop Self-Sustaining Business Strategy

Voice of San Diego, a San Diego based nonprofit news organization, is enlisting the help of NextLevel Thinking, a Houston based strategic marketing firm, to raise awareness and diversify its revenue streams.  As one of the first nonprofit news organizations to bridge the gaps in hyperlocal reporting on government, education, economy and other critical quality of life issues, VOSD has been an award-winning trailblazer in the industry.  Its status as a nonprofit means the organization depends on a blend of funding from national and local foundations, philanthropists, content syndication and individual donors.

While it has a loyal, cult-like following in San Diego, the organization has struggled to reach a wider audience and, as a result, has yet to produce a self-sustaining member base.  Several other nonprofit news organizations have sprung up in other parts of the U.S. and are facing the same struggles.

“NextLevel Thinking has a long history of successfully helping nonprofits institute programs and strategies that increase their public awareness and their membership,” said Mary Walter-Brown, VOSD’s new vice president of advancement and engagement who was hired to spearhead these marketing efforts.  “I had the first-hand experience of working with NLT while I was the marketing manager at another San Diego nonprofit.  We were able to develop a strategy that helped us attract new donors, raise awareness and increase revenue.”

The focus for VOSD in 2012 will center around building a dynamic membership program that encourages San Diegans to take ownership of their local news.  In addition, the organization will expand its corporate, community and media partnership programs to further diversify its revenue sources.

“Voice of San Diego is a pioneer in a dramatically shifting journalism environment where local investigative reporting often falls through the cracks,” said Eric Poerschke, NextLevel Thinking’s Managing Partner.  “The public service they, and other models like them around the country, provide is integral to a healthy democracy.  We are very excited to help them develop a business strategy that allows them to grow and flourish.”

When Developing a Marketing Approach, Appeal to an Emotion

“People don’t ask for facts in making up their minds. They would rather have one good, soul-satisfying emotion than a dozen facts.”

{Robert Keith Leavitt}

The Definition of Authentic Marketing

“Authentic marketing is not the art of selling what you make but knowing what to make.”

{Philip Kotler, Marketing Author}

A good landing page will target a particular audience, such as traffic from an email campaign promoting a particular ebook, or visitors who click on a pay-per-click ad promoting your webinar.

Click Here to read An Introductory Guide to Building Landing Pages from Hubspot.

What Should You Be Doing?

“The more you engage with customers the clearer things become and the easier it is to determine what you should be doing”

{John Russell, President, Harley-Davidson}

Let Them Know What You Are Doing

“For a business not to market and advertise is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you are doing but no one else does.”

{Stuart H. Britt, US Advertising Consultant}