We've spent time, talent, and resources crafting marketing or business plans for our small businesses that ultimately collect dust on the shelf. Did you know the same thing happens to non-profit organizations?
In a dynamic breakout session at the Frederick Nonprofit Summit, Illumine8’s founder and CEO, Christina May, shared our answer to the seldom-used marketing plan that ails us: “1-Hour Marketing Plan”. In this interactive 1 hour workshop, we worked with local Frederick area non-profits on crafting a bespoke marketing roadmap, regardless of budget constraints, to amplify their influence and yield meaningful outcomes to drive their missions in the community.
Leaders in both for-profit and nonprofit sectors can appreciate the departure from theory alone and marketing strategy presentations that leave you with knowledge but no action plan.
Illumine8’s presentation allowed you to focus on what you can do now with an outcome-driven, actionable blueprint for your main goal — driving audience or leads to your organization and business.
1-Hour Marketing Plan vs Traditional Marketing Plans
It used to be our standard practice to create comprehensive brand analyses for every business we partnered with. We’d compile detailed, multi-page plans and reports and present them to our clients with gusto. The problem? These plans often took up space instead of being put into action. They took major resources to create, leaving little budget, time, or energy for the execution of the plan.
These plans were also extremely complex. While appropriate for large corporations, small businesses, and smaller organizations don’t have the internal teams or external resources to implement these large plans.
Business owners, nonprofit leaders, and staff face similar marketing hurdles: lack of time, limited resources, and the pressure to achieve results. Attempting to tackle these challenges with extensive plans, content calendars, and campaign committees often leads to false starts, biased content, and unsatisfactory outcomes.
It's time for a change. Planning is pointless without action. With this lesson in mind, we introduced our approach to an actionable marketing plan that can be completed in an hour or less at the Frederick Nonprofit Summit.
The 1-Hour Marketing Plan Workshop
The 1-Hour Marketing Plan workshop session equips organizational leaders with a tangible marketing blueprint they can implement immediately. In a classroom-style conference environment, attendees engage in hands-on exercises and receive valuable resources, including a detailed worksheet, to guide their marketing efforts.
Interactive exercises
The session begins with Christina introducing the common traps organizations fall into with traditional marketing plans. Following this introduction, the interactive workshop exercises start. Through a combination of examples and live audience use cases, attendees work to identify their product or service offer, key audience persona, customer challenges, and solutions. Christina walks attendees through writing their one-hour marketing plan on the 1-Hour Marketing Plan Worksheet, guiding them to match their audience's challenges with their organization's solutions. This framework gives the attendee content topics, promotion channels, and connection opportunities to get the right message to their target audience.
Choosing the right marketing channels
One of the presentation's highlights was the exploration of various marketing channels available to organizations, regardless of budget constraints. Christina provides practical advice on selecting the most effective channels for different types of organizations. Attendees learn how to leverage social media, email campaigns, and other digital platforms to maximize their outreach efforts.
Real-world insights and practical tools
Throughout the session, Christina shares real-world examples from the audience that illustrate the opportunities for audience reach. These examples provide valuable insights and inspiration, demonstrating how effective marketing strategies can amplify an organization's influence and achieve meaningful outcomes. Unlike traditional lecture sessions, attendees appreciate the action orientation of the presentation.
“You put us to work! You let us design our own individual plans, and I loved it.” - SOS Safe Ride
“Succinct, clear, encouraging.” - Heritage Frederick
Continuous support and follow-up
Christina emphasized the importance of follow-up and continuous improvement to ensure a lasting impact on their organization. She encourages attendees to use the provided resources to refine their marketing plans and track progress. In addition to the live workshop, Frederick Non-Profit Summit leaders received a list of tools and resources to help implement the 1-Hour Marketing Plans they completed during the session.
The Frederick Nonprofit Summit
It was an honor for Illumine8 to participate in the 2024 Frederick Nonprofit Summit, held on June 12 at Frederick Community College. This annual event, hosted by the Ausherman Family Foundation and the Delaplaine Foundation, offers high-quality, affordable educational opportunities that enhance the skills and knowledge of Frederick’s nonprofit board members, leaders, staff, and volunteers.
About the Frederick Nonprofit Summit
The Frederick Nonprofit Summit aims to address the need for affordable, high-quality educational opportunities within Frederick County. Since its inception, the summit has become an annual tradition, bringing together a diverse group of nonprofit professionals. Each year, the organizing committee curates a lineup of dynamic presenters and workshops that cover the latest trends and best practices in the nonprofit sector.
A diverse audience
The summit attracts many attendees, including current and prospective board members, nonprofit leaders, staff members, volunteers, and individuals interested in learning more about the nonprofit world. This diverse audience reflects the summit's collaborative spirit, fostering a rich exchange of ideas and experiences.
Tailored learning experiences
Recognizing that each nonprofit and professional has unique challenges and goals, this year’s summit was designed to offer a customizable learning experience. Attendees could select from different 60-minute sessions throughout the day, allowing them to focus on topics that directly address their organizational and personal needs. Sessions covered various subjects, including governance, fundraising, marketing, and human resources.
Bring the 1-Hour Marketing Plan Workshop to your next event
Interested in bringing an actionable workshop to your next event? Transform your attendees’ marketing in just one hour. Attendees step into this session and leave armed with a tangible marketing blueprint. The 1-Hour Marketing Plan Workshop can be tailored to smaller executive teams, classroom settings, or large conference formats.
Illumine8’s CEO, Christina May, is a dynamic presenter whose ability to distill complex concepts into actionable strategies makes her an ideal speaker for your next event. Whether your audience comprises business leaders, marketing professionals, or goal-driven teams, Christina's insights will equip them with the tools and knowledge they need to drive growth and achieve their goals. Fill out our speaker request form to bring the 1-Hour Marketing Plan live to your next event.
