This is my last post... Well, ok, just for a while. I am taking a brief hiatus to spend some time on a really important project – being a new mom. And while this new role, frankly, is more than my chronically over-tired brain and body can currently handle, I’m also starting a brand new job (read below), all while living 3,000+ miles away from my Seattle home where my husband and I not-so-patiently await the completion of our adoption of what we believe is the world’s cutest little boy. So hopefully, you’ll all forgive me for my inability to offer sage marketing advice (or anything even reasonably close to that) for a couple of months.


But, to tide us over, let’s review some of what we’ve covered over the past year in Reid on Marketing.

1.    Marketing is NOT a dirty word. It’s one of the most strategic things you can do to ensure the success of your organization.

2.    How NOT to have an identity crisis: Building your Brand. It’s not just for Super Bowl ads, you know.

3.    Developing your story: Creating a message strategy that compels others to action and firmly – and positively – positions your organization in the minds of your key stakeholders.

4.    Speaking of stakeholders: Who are yours? Having a good story doesn’t matter much unless you know who to tell it to! Identify and prioritize the individuals, groups or organizations that matter most to the success of your organization.

5.    The proof is in the plan: Putting it all together and taking it on the road. Your strategic communications plan is your roadmap to using marketing & communications to help your organization fulfill its important social mission.

6.    Getting inside their heads. Market research is just as important in the non-profit sector as it is in the for-profit world – maybe more so. You have limited resources and no time to spare. Make sure you understand where you stand, what the issues are and how your messages are coming across.

7.    Tools of the trade: Developing the basics. Like construction of a house, building a strong brand and a powerful mission-focused organization requires a variety of specialized and highly flexible tools. You may have limited funds or personnel, but don’t scrimp on the foundation of your brand.

8.    Getting noticed: Life in the public (relations) eye. They aren’t called “news releases” for nothing – be sure to write compelling, noteworthy press releases that help journalists write a great story.

9.    Avoid getting noticed [for things you don’t want]: Handling any crisis with ease. You can’t plan for everything, but you can plan for how you deal with adverse situations – and you can come out even stronger than before!

10.    Have some fun. Yes, fun. Marketing and communications is high-stakes strategic work, but it’s also one of the best places to help inject a healthy dose of creativity, innovation and fun into your thinking and your organization.


Thanks for reading and hanging with me this past year. It’s been incredibly rewarding to hear from you and continue the dialog. You are helping shape (and in some cases, re-shape) the world and I can’t wait to see where you take it.


Note from Social Edge: Diana Reid recently joined Unitus as the Vice President of Communications & Fundraising and will start a new blog in the spring to discuss social marketing from a real-world perspective.


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Diana L. Reid, Conscious Communications