Top 3 Time-Wasters

1. Trying to Be Everywhere at Once

Nonprofits often fall into the trap of thinking they need to be on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and wherever a new platform popped up last week. 

The truth:

• You don’t have the bandwidth to do it all.
• More importantly, your audience isn’t on all those platforms either.

Instead of spreading yourself thin, double-down on the 1–2 channels where your people actually hang out, and do those really well. Quality beats quantity every time.

2. Chasing Vanity-Metrics

It’s tempting to chase numbers that look good on board reports, such as likes, shares, and follower-counts. But let’s be honest, likes don’t pay the bills, and shares don’t keep your programs running.

Instead, focus on engagement that leads to action:

• Email signups
• Event registrations
• Donations
• Volunteer inquiries

Impact comes from conversions, not likes.

3. Random Acts of Marketing

Oftentimes, nonprofits take a reactive approach to marketing. You know how it goes:

• The newsletter goes out if/when someone remembers
• A last-minute Facebook post begging for donations
• An outdated website gathering dust.

Not only does this scattershot approach drain your time and energy, it rarely delivers results. Consistency beats chaos every time.

The fix? Create a simple, repeatable plan. You don’t need to post daily, but you do need to show up consistently with content that matters.

What ACTUALLY Matters

1. Audience

“Everyone” is not an audience. Sure, in a perfect world, everyone would know and care about your organization. However, the truth is: trying to talk to everyone means you’ll resonate with no one.

Take time to get clear on:

• Who you’re trying to reach (donors, volunteers, program participants?)
• Why do you want to reach them (what action do you want them to take?)

The clearer you are about your audience, the easier it is to craft messages that actually stick.

2. Messaging

Now that you know who you’re targeting, it’s time to decide what you want them to know, feel, and do. And while we know you love your organization’s mission statement, the truth is your audience doesn’t want jargon, acronyms or cheesy “impact speak.” They want the basics:

• What you do
• Why it matters
• How they can help
• What’s in it for them

Keep your message simple, clear, and focused on action. Tempted to be clever? Resist. Clarity always wins.

3. Channel

You know who you’re speaking to and what you want them to do. Now it’s time to decide where you will reach them.

Instead of chasing every new social platform and shiny marketing tool, ask yourself:

• Where does your audience spend their time?
• Where have you already seen results?

From there, focus on 1-2 channels you can do really well, whether that’s email, Instagram, or in-person events. It’s better to show up consistently in the right place than scatter yourself too thin everywhere.

Quick Wins to Start Focusing

Now that you’ve decided to quit wasting time on strategies that don’t work, here are three steps you can take now to start focusing your marketing efforts:

• 90-Minute Marketing Audit: List all your current efforts. What’s working? What’s not?
• Drop the Dead Weight: If a channel hasn’t produced in 6+ months, pause it.
• Build a 30-Day Content Focus: Pick 1 audience, 1 message, 1 channel, and monitor results

You don’t have the time or energy to rehaul your entire marketing strategy, so instead, focus on cutting the noise and doubling down on what matters.

Feeling Stuck?

If you’re still unsure how to identify your audience, message, and channels, or you simply don’t have the time, Arula is here to help.

Click here to schedule a time to discuss your current marketing strategy (or lack thereof), and learn how to streamline the process.