In the ever-changing business world, it’s essential to stay ahead of the curve. That’s why innovative business leaders are always on the lookout for new trends and ways to improve their operations.
More and more, businesses have realized the importance of digital marketing in reaching their target audiences. But what about non-profits? Enterprising business leaders are stepping up to provide innovative solutions that allow these organizations to compete in a digital world.
Here is one such leader and her work in helping these non-profits and new ventures thrive online.
So without further ado, let’s meet Tonika Bruce!
Tonika Bruce is a business innovator who has taken on the challenge of leading digital marketing for new ventures and non-profits. She saw an opportunity to help these organizations bridge the gap between them and their potential donors or customers and seized it.
She is the founder and CEO of Lead Nicely Inc, a company helping new businesses and non-profit organizations, such as associations, schools, Christian Ministries establish an online presence and launch effective marketing campaigns.
As an entrepreneur with a passion for leadership, she has founded several ventures with the goal in mind to help people in these industries build business and leadership capacity. Currently, she hosts a 3-minute podcast that offers quick inspiration for leadership and business challenges.
Addressing the Challenges Facing Nonprofits and New Ventures
The Nature of Non-profit Organizations
There are a few different types of nonprofits, but generally, these are organizations not making money (profit) and exist to serve a social or environmental mission.
Many are run by volunteers and rely on donated time and services to fulfill their mission. Others may have paid staff, but most of their funding comes from donations and grants.
That is why they rely on marketing to generate awareness about their mission and services to reach these donors and volunteers.
However, since they don’t have the same marketing budget as for-profit businesses, they need to be more creative. One common way is through crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter.
Another is getting digital marketing consultants that understand their target, needs and can craft affordable solutions for them.
Do Nonprofits Need Digital Marketing?
Many nonprofits rely on donations from the public to keep them going, and in this day and age, a big part of that donation comes in the form of online giving.
Digital marketing can help them reach new audiences, connect with potential donors, and raise money for their cause. It is also true that many do not invest in marketing for fear of coming off too aggressive, among other challenges highlighted here.
Another challenge is generating traffic to their website. The non-profit websites tend to be informational rather than transactional, so it can be hard to get people visiting the site to take action or engage.
These organizations often have a limited budget, this means being strategic about resource allocation, so most of the budget cuts fall on marketing.
So how do they do this without breaking the bank? By gaining access to effective and affordable digital marketing plans that will help them stay relevant and visible.
The same applies to new businesses.
Innovating Digital Marketing for Nonprofits
As someone who started many businesses with a good number flopping, she understands the struggles of being a new entrepreneur and having a limited budget.
Tonika Bruce is now helping level the playing field for these organizations and business start-ups that can not afford an extravagant budget.
Through her digital marketing company, the business leader helps them launch and scale by offering valuable digital solutions.
From the time clients sign up for the services, they are guided through business name brainstorming all the way to navigating their digital marketing strategies that best fit their niche – logo design, website development and optimization, and social media management.
The potential client also gets an option of selecting a specific service or going for an all-inclusive package.
What sets her business apart is tailoring campaigns to specific causes or issues. For example, depending on the nonprofit’s immediate need, she will focus campaigns on raising awareness for an upcoming charity event, recruiting volunteers, or raising money for a project.
By targeting their efforts towards specific causes, these companies can make the biggest impact possible with their time and resources.
For Ms. Bruce, it is not simply about offering digital marketing solutions, it is also about empowerment and training to manage their campaigns for the future.
With this building block, she strives to not only provide solutions but also empower entrepreneurs and organizational leaders.
On a more personal level, the female business leader offers training and coaching opportunities for clients to help them develop skills to run their ventures successfully. These innovative online courses center on business strategies and team management.
Using social media platforms, Tonika Bruce shares her passion for leadership on Youtube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Future Prospects for Clients
The business leader plans to reimagine how clients access their services by creating an automated platform.
The move will automate content marketing services by connecting clients with digital strategy experts, social media managers, writers, and designers. With this, clients can handpick their content creators directly.
The Parting Shot
Considering the challenges business start-ups and non-profit organizations face, finding the right digital marketing partner can be a real blessing.
There is a lot that these groups of ventures can benefit from digital marketing. For new businesses and nonprofits, it’s a great way to get their name out and build a following.
It can also help to create awareness around important issues or causes. Not to mention, digital marketing allows them to target specific demographics, which can help reach the right people with their message.
Catch up with Tonika Bruce on her interview with Ideamensch magazine.
