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Kelsey Boudin

Kelsey Boudin, President and Founder of Grand River Agency

About Kelsey Boudin

http://kelseyboudin.me

President and Founder, Grand River AgencyWith over 17 years of diverse experience in print journalism, digital media marketing, and nonprofit administration, Kelsey Boudin founded Grand River Agency (formerly Southern Tier Communications Strategies) in 2020. The agency specializes in offering contract-based strategic communications, content marketing, grant proposals, website design, and public relations services to small businesses and nonprofits. Kelsey's career spans roles as an editor, content creator, and grant writer, reflecting his expertise in leading successful digital marketing campaigns, securing funding, and executing various projects.

Posts by Kelsey Boudin:

nonprofit social media

Leveraging Nonprofit Social Media for Maximum Impact

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Yes, I said “leveraging.” It’s not enough for nonprofits – of any size – just to use social media. You must leverage nonprofit social media for maximum impact. 

But what exactly does that mean? 

At Grand River Agency, we understand the vital role social media plays in advancing your nonprofit organization’s mission. In today’s digital landscape, social media is essential for so many wonderful reasons. We also recognize that smaller nonprofits often face challenges due to limited time, staff, resources, and expertise to handle all aspects of digital media marketing effectively. That’s where we come in to help you navigate the world of nonprofit social media marketing and build a strategy that works. 

It’s often a first touchpoint for others encountering your nonprofit brand – from the individuals and systems you serve to the donors and grant funders who support your mission. Nonprofit social media is on the front lines of building awareness, promoting programs, leading conversations, calling for action, appealing to donors and celebrating impact. 

Leveraging Your Nonprofit Status for the Most Effective Digital Marketing Strategy

You have at your disposal so many tools and resources not available to individuals and for-profit businesses.

Exclusive Nonprofit Social Media Marketing Tools

As a nonprofit organization, you have access to a range of tools and resources that can grab a legitimate digital marketing edge. For instance, only nonprofit organizations can take advantage of $10,000 A MONTH in FREE Google Ads. (Look into it. You’ll be glad you did!)

You can receive services, support and perks across a variety of platforms – JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE A NONPROFIT! By enrolling as a charitable organization, you can access free or reduced software memberships, digital advertising options, and ample social media training opportunities. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Pinterest offer special features for nonprofits, such as “donate” buttons and fundraising tools, technical support, and production resources. 

Don’t overlook free training opportunities offered to nonprofits by pretty much any platform. Don’t just go out there and “wing it.” Learn the best practices, tools, skills and expert insights to guide your posting.

Let’s supercharge your nonprofit’s online presence and fundraising potential. (Here’s a more comprehensive list of nonprofit social media resources.) 

Nonprofit Storytelling Guide

The Right Content Experience (For the Right People, at the Right Time)

Knowing your target audience is crucial for successful social media marketing. This can be tougher for nonprofits. Many for-profit businesses can target a single demographic of consumers most likely to, well, consume. But nonprofits must appeal to mission recipients and mission supporters alike. (As our good friend, nonprofit fundraising guru Joanne Oppelt would say, “Money follows mission.”)

If you want money to build your mission, you NEED money to get there. So many nonprofits have misguided fundraising strategies that handcuff themselves into campaign failure.. 

The obvious prescription is a social media presence that appeals to the donors, grantors and philanthropists who support your cause financially – by becoming storytellers of impact for the people and systems you serve. 

Social media allows for storytelling at your fingertips. Heck, you can even use your smartphone to shoot videos, take pictures and write content that showcases your mission in action. Highlight stories of individuals whose lives have transformed by your initiatives. Inspire potential donors and humanize your organization’s impact.

Choosing the Right Social Media Platforms

Selecting the right social media realms is crucial for reaching your target audience. But what are the most effective platforms for nonprofit social media?

Instead of trying to be on every platform, focus on those aligning best with your nonprofit cause and resonate with your audience. 

Facebook and Twitter are popular digital homes to communicate nonprofit missions. But platforms like Instagram and even TikTok have emerged as even more suitable for visually engaging and trendy missions. If your target donors are professionals, LinkedIn remains the standard for outreach that educates prospective donors and allows them to envision themselves as a key supporter.

Don’t be afraid to experiment!

Creating a Content Calendar

Consistency is key on social media. By creating a content calendar, you can plan and schedule posts strategically. You must post regularly – the ideal definition of  “regularly” varies by platform.

Your content calendar doesn’t have to be complicated. A simple Excel spreadsheet or Google Sheet will do. Use the calendar to strategize relevant and timely campaigns, organize your posts across platforms, and include a mix of content types, such as blog posts, infographics and videos. Highlight upcoming events, fundraising campaigns, societal issues, and third-party wisdom related to your cause. 

Be flexible and willing to adjust. Social media is a great place to receive instant feedback on what’s working and what’s not. If people aren’t engaging, it’s not working.

Communing With Your Audience

Don’t talk at your audience. Discuss your mission with them. Commune with them. Remember that social media is a two-way conversation. 

While you seek to share your message, take the time to listen and respond to your audience. Engaging in dialogues with your followers helps build relationships and creates a loyal community of supporters. This online community amplifies your message to back your charitable cause. 

Respond to comments and messages promptly, and use polls and surveys to gather insights from your audience. People love being heard! Analyze social media metrics to understand your followers’ engagement and preferences. (Here are 16 key social media metrics you need to track in 2023.) 

Optimize your strategy accordingly.

Collaborating with Other Nonprofits & Influencers

Collaboration is a powerful strategy on social media. Partnering with other nonprofits allows you to share resources and reach a wider audience. Collaborate on events, co-create content, and cross-promote each other’s initiatives. 

Reach out to influencers with an interest in your nonprofit cause. They can provide a significant boost in credibility and exposure. Influencers with large followings can help introduce your nonprofit to new audiences interested in your mission.

Even Small Nonprofits Can Achieve So Much on Social Media

At Grand River Agency, we know even small nonprofits can achieve significant impact on social media. We’ve mentored and facilitated digital marketing success for organizations serving a variety of awesome community missions!

It’s an entire digital toolbelt to directly connect with your target audiences, showcase your mission’s impact, and rally support. With the right nonprofit social media strategy, your nonprofit can make a big splash and thrive in the digital age.

If you need help, don’t hesitate to reach out for a FREE CONSULTATION!

nonprofit marketing tips

5 Great Nonprofit Marketing Tips to Boost Your Impact & Outreach

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Working as a grant writer at a small nonprofit some years ago, I was also tasked with most of the organization’s marketing responsibilities. It tends to work that way at places with limited resources. The staffer with any strat-comm skills whatsoever is thrown on every grant proposal, every social media post, every blog, every press release, every correspondence to board members, etc.

That’s no gripe. Nonprofit marketing is of the utmost importance – and it’s a shame so many organizations can’t (or won’t) invest in it as a critical capacity. Some nonprofit executives flat-out underestimate the value of such activities. It’s vital not only for community outreach, but just as importantly to appeal to donors, grant funders, volunteers and other supporters.

That former nonprofit job was several full-time jobs rolled into one: a Jack-of-all-trades comms professional: grant writer, digital marketer, journalist and program developer. The experience provided a crash course in nonprofit marketing tactics – what to do and, just as importantly, what NOT to do.

How to Do Nonprofit Marketing … The RIGHT Way

These nonprofit marketing tips are hard-learned lessons that guide me (and my digital marketing team) today as we serve nonprofits around the country. If you’re a small nonprofit with limited resources, these tactics are particularly effective to stand out in the noisy, crowded digital realm where larger organizations with massive budgets suck up most of the oxygen.

Here are 5 great ways to improve your outreach and shout your nonprofit’s mission from the digital mountaintop. Stand out. Show your impact. Grow your impact! 

1. Craft Compelling Stories

It all starts with storytelling. Great nonprofit marketing is great storytelling. As I always say, “We all have a story to tell. Let’s tell it well.”

Storytelling is a powerful tool that resonates with people emotionally. Share stories that tug on the heartstrings. Stories of individuals whose lives have been positively impacted by your organization’s work. Whether it’s a testimonial, success story or touching experience, stories humanize your cause and create a deeper connection with your target audience(s). By sharing authentic and impactful narratives, you inspire empathy, support and engagement from your community.

Tell these stories across the most appropriate platforms. It may be tempting to spam every social media account, email blast, newsletter and blog post to share your story. But there are appropriate times and places for all of it. Pay close attention to the analytics – when and where your followers are most likely to see and engage with your content.

Nonprofit Storytelling Guide

2. Build a Strong Online Presence

Having a strong digital presence is crucial for any organization today, including nonprofits. Unfortunately, the same misguided mindset that handcuffs organizations in fundraising also stops many nonprofits from confidently leveraging the best digital marketing tools at their disposal. 

Create and maintain a professional website that clearly communicates your mission, programs and impact. Ensure that your site is mobile-friendly, ADA-compliant and easy to navigate. Embrace the power of social media to connect with your audience. Identify the platforms where your target audience is most active and focus your efforts there. 

Consistently share relevant content, interact with your followers, and leverage social media resources available only to nonprofits to raise awareness and drive action. We often recommend the Google Ads Grant as a fantastic starting point for nonprofit marketing clients. Take advantage of $10,000 a month in free advertising from Google!

3. Be Deliberate With Your Email Marketing

Email marketing is a tough cookie to crack. Only in email marketing would open rates less than 20% and click-through rates less than 2% be considered good. Yet, it’s still widely considered to be one of the most powerful digital marketing tactics – if done correctly. Be intentional with your email content. Keep it informative, educational, interesting and engaging.

As a nonprofit, you have an advantage. Most people tune out marketing emails from businesses. They’re typically spammy and always with the underlying goal of making a sale. Your nonprofit email contacts are likely individuals and organizations that believe in your mission: program participants, volunteers, donors or community partners. They’ve supported before; they’ll support again!

Share updates, event invitations and fundraising campaigns directly with your target audience(s). Segment your email list to personalize the messages based on each recipient’s interests and engagement level. AND ALWAYS THANK YOUR SUPPORTERS through ongoing personalized emails, making them feel valued and always connected to the cause.

4. Collaborate with Partners & Influencers

Collaboration amplifies your nonprofit’s reach and impact. Identify potential partners in your community who share similar values and goals. Partner with local businesses, other nonprofits or influential individuals who can help promote your cause to their audiences. (Helpful hint: You should be working alongside community partners anyways to be taken seriously for grant funding and large donations. There’s power in numbers.)

Collaborations can take various forms, from joint events and fundraisers to co-branded nonprofit marketing campaigns. Even a community influencer with a decent amount of followers taking 60 seconds to talk about your mission on their Instagram Live or podcast goes A LONG WAY! It’s textbook social proof. By tapping into their networks, you can extend your reach and attract new supporters who align with your mission.

5. Host Engaging Virtual Events

Virtual connections dominate the world we live in. Think about it: How often do you meet a professional contact and connect on LinkedIn within the first 5 minutes? Hosting engaging online events is a fantastic way to bring your community together and raise money. Virtual events can include mission-oriented webinars, online workshops, virtual galas or live-streamed fundraising campaigns. 

Even after the pandemic, as philanthropists have enjoyed returning to in-person events, there’s still a lot of value in the digital option. (Who would turn down casually watching your case for support and making a donation in their pajamas?)

Be creative with your event ideas. The best promotional content almost always includes engaging posts that are most easily and readily shared. 

Nonprofit Marketing Tips to Survive & Thrive in the 21st-Century Digital Realm

At Grand River Agency, we specialize in nonprofit marketing strategies that elevate your impact and empower your mission. This capacity – often out of reach for smaller organizations with limited budgets – is among your most important investments in impact and growth. Unfortunately, it’s often overlooked or underestimated. 

Our team of experts is passionate about helping nonprofits like yours thrive in a digital landscape that favors larger budgets. We’ve got you covered, whether you need assistance with storytelling, social media management, email marketing, public relations, website development, SEO, virtual event planning, or anything else! 

Let’s work together to take your nonprofit’s marketing efforts to transform lives in your community. Get in touch with us today for a FREE CONSULTATION.

expert storytelling

The Power of Expert Storytelling in the 21st Century: Elevating Every Industry

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We live in a world where storytelling smacks us at every turn. Yet, as human beings (for the most part), we hardly even notice most of it. It’s ubiquitous. 

Most comes in the form of advertising. Forbes estimates people now take in up to 10,000 ads a day in every form and medium possible.

  • Colors
  • Fonts 
  • Logos
  • A 15-second spot on the radio during your ride into work
  • The podcast you listen to at the gym
  • This blog

The list goes on.

How much of this storytelling do we generally remember? That’s up for interpretation. Nielsen says some the half-life for recalling ads can be 24 hours – or a week. There are so many variables. Colors, fonts and smells from your favorite pizza place lodge in the back of your head, awaiting a random craving, while the substance of the ad itself fades to blackness. Longer-form digital marketing content that serves our personal or professional enlightenment can be quite memorable.

Both are effective for distinct reasons. They tell a story. They arouse memories, senses and emotions to drive action. They also inform and educate to drive action. 

Expert storytelling is critical in ABSOLUTELY EVERY INDUSTRY, especially for the small nonprofits and businesses we serve here at Grand River Agency. Why? Because our specialty is in AMPLIFYING their professional storytelling – from website design to blogging to podcasts and everything in between – to stand out against big brands with MASSIVE budgets.

The Evolution of Storytelling: From Cavemen to Corporations

A few years back, I wrote a blog on caveman storytelling. You probably already get the gist. Just as our ancestors gathered around campfires to share tales of caution and hope, today’s organizations must harness the power of storytelling to build brands, connect with audiences and drive action.

Your organization’s brand is a story – well crafted and well told. The ability to craft compelling narratives is arguably the most critical catalyst for success. Unfortunately, professional storytelling is often overlooked and very rarely invested in fully. 

Why Expert Storytelling Matters – Especially Today

Remember those 10,000 ads a day? You must cut through that noise. Somehow. 

Attention spans have dwindled as we’ve become bombarded by information from all directions, most notably the devices at our fingertips. Thus, capturing and holding their attention on those devices is increasingly challenging. Expert storytelling these days is an exercise in extreme precision. Done right, it stands out to the people you serve and creates meaningful connections.

Nonprofit Storytelling Guide

Building Brands & Establishing Trust

In a world crowded with similar products and services, brands must scramble to stand out. Expert storytelling gives brands the power to showcase their unique identity, values and purpose. 

Through compelling narratives, companies can humanize their brands, making them more relatable and memorable. Marketing today requires more tact than brazen self-promotion. You must weave an HONEST and HELPFUL storyline through your marketing efforts to foster loyalty and trust.

Inspiring Action & Driving Engagement

Professional storytelling inspires action. A marketing story – a social media post, blog, white paper, etc. – goes nowhere without that call to action. Even if that call to action is only to read more or sign up for the monthly newsletter. 

Expertly crafted stories move people emotionally, prompting them to take the next step – whether it’s becoming a customer, supporting a cause or joining a movement. In the digital age, storytelling is at the core of successful marketing campaigns, engaging audiences and sparking conversations that lead to conversions.

Strengthening Connection with Customers & Clients

Customers don’t just want products or services. They want (crave) meaningful experiences and relationships. After all, don’t you want your target audience(s) to feel comfortable and confident in their decision to opt for your goods and/or services? 

Storytelling allows businesses and organizations to connect on a deeper level, showing that they understand their clients’ needs and aspirations. And in this understanding is an underlying promise of fulfillment. It says, “Our brand is committed to you and solving your pain points.” Sharing customer success stories or testimonials strengthens the bond, demonstrating real-life impact and building further trust.

Amplifying Nonprofit Impact & Garnering Support

Marketing isn’t only a money grab for big business (and small businesses aiming to become big businesses). Nonprofit marketing can take place in many of the same channels to appeal to prospective donors, grant funders and individuals/communities served. In a very interesting way, a nonprofit marketing campaign – let’s say, via social media – can attract both supporters and folks who would benefit from its services.

Talk about two birds with one stone, right?! 

The individuals/systems served gain confidence in your mission as something they need, while funding sources gain confidence in your ability to reach wide audiences and deliver. By showcasing the human side of their work through stories of those whose lives have been improved, nonprofits ignite a desire to contribute and make a difference.

Establishing Thought Leadership & Expertise

In so many industries today, expertise and thought leadership are highly sought after. Thought leadership is such a powerful driver for decision-making. People, especially in the B2B realm, are always looking for an EXPERT. 

Professional storytelling enables organizations and business leaders to position themselves as authorities in their fields, sharing valuable insights and knowledge. By providing meaningful content that educates and informs, you can attract potential clients and nurture lasting partnerships.

Navigating the Digital Landscape

With the digital landscape constantly evolving, expert storytelling is essential for businesses to remain relevant and competitive. Social media, blogs, websites, podcasts, email marketing, and other digital platforms provide vast opportunities to share narratives and reach wider audiences. 

A cohesive and well-executed storytelling strategy ensures you effectively convey messages across multiple channels. Those channels must be chosen carefully and exclusively on where their specific audiences “live” in the digital realm. 

The Role of Expert Storytelling Consultants

While storytelling is a powerful tool, mastering it requires skill, strategy and creativity. It requires time. It requires effort. Sometimes it requires more than what you, as a C-level executive, could possibly contribute. Hiring a full-time marketing-communications staff – or even just one staff member – can be cost prohibitive for small organizations with limited budgets.

(The average marketing director salary in the US is $183,000 annually. You’d be better served to contract with a marketing agency for all the benefits of a full-time marketing staff for a fraction of the cost.)  

Many organizations, especially small businesses and nonprofits, may not have the resources or expertise to develop effective storytelling campaigns. This is where expert storytelling consultants come into play.

Professionals like us are well-versed in crafting narratives that resonate with specific audiences in the digital realm. We have a deep understanding of how to structure compelling stories that evoke emotions, drive action and align with organizational goals. 

Embrace the Power of Expert Storytelling for Your Organization

Storytelling has transcended time, remaining a fundamental aspect of human communication. It’s rooted in human nature – a tradition and an art form that has evolved over tens of thousands of years, adapting through various mediums and technologies. 

While our ancestors shared stories through oral traditions, modern storytelling leverages the written word, images, videos, and social media to reach global audiences instantly. In that light, it drives global commerce and cooperation.

Embrace the power of storytelling and let your organization’s unique story unfold, captivating hearts and minds in the modern era. How can we help you?

digital marketing expert

Does Your Organization Need a Digital Marketing Expert? 

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Yes, and I can think of 3 HUGE reasons why you need a digital marketing expert. 

But, in nearly two decades working in professional communications in an economically depressed region, I’ve seen first-hand how organizations either fail to recognize the importance of digital marketing or lack the capacity to invest in it – even if they wanted to. 

Successful organizations, whether small businesses or nonprofits, must have a digital marketing expert (or, in our case, a team of digital marketing experts) to guide a variety of communications tactics. In today’s fast-paced digital world, the impact of such strategic communications on growth, visualization, perspective and outreach can’t be underestimated. 

Frankly, if you’re not actively and devotedly working toward a beyond-basic digital presence, you’ve already lost the game. Standing out – promoting your business or nonprofit mission – in all the noise reverberating the digital realm is incredibly difficult. “Winging it” just won’t work.

What is Digital Marketing? (Yes, That’s An Actual Question We’ve Heard) 

Digital marketing involves advertising products and services through digital platforms. Tactics include website search engine optimization (SEO), social media, video marketing, email outreach and so much more. But here’s the crucial part: your digital marketing efforts shouldn’t bombard consumers with endless self-promotion. Instead, you must be helpful, informative and inspiring. 

Why is a Digital Marketing Expert Important to Your Organization?

By meeting your audience where they are, engaging them in the digital realm and providing valuable content, you can nurture informed decisions and build trust in your brand. It fosters a stronger connection with your ideal customers, clients and supporters.

Why do you need a digital marketing expert? Because the sheer volume of content produced, digital tools used and complex strategies employed requires experience and capacity – typically well beyond what a small staff or team-of-one could manage.

Remember those three reasons? Here they are!

1. Understanding Your Online Market 

Without a digital marketing expert, you may miss out on understanding the intricacies of your online marketplace and where your organization stands within it. Digital content marketing dynamics can differ significantly from traditional channels, including customer profiles, behaviors, competitors and options for marketing communications. 

A digital marketing expert knows how to utilize online tools and platforms, such as SEO keyword research, social analytics and email click-through rates. And those are just a few. They can be quite complex – in the weeds, if you will – and difficult to know which to prioritize. We can help you make sense of this data to adjust your strategy or create an even stronger plan to engage your online audience effectively.

Nonprofit Storytelling Guide

2. Choosing the Right Platforms & Outreach Strategies 

Selecting the right digital marketing platforms and outreach strategies depends on the nature of your products or services and the audience you aim to target. A one-size-fits-all approach won’t work. 

A digital marketing expert tailors your strategy based on comprehensive research and experience to determine the best platforms, timing and content types to best engage and resonate with your audience. Quite often, a comprehensive strategy involves a mix of different content types and platforms – from SEO blogging to the perfect high-ROI social media channels to reach your people “where they live in the digital world.”

Whether it’s captivating YouTube ads or informative white papers, your content choices must be strategic, data-informed and fitting for your unique needs.

3. Staying Ahead of Your Competitors 

All of this leads to your ultimate goal behind “standing out” to digital consumers: to stay ahead of your competitors. Now, admittedly, the many wonderful nonprofit organizations we serve may not have “competitors,” per se. But whether you’re a small business or a nonprofit, digital marketing efforts must certainly compete with others occupying the same digital space. 

In the ever-evolving digital landscape, your own marketing tactics must be informed by a deep understanding of the who, what, when, where, why and how. A key component of that also requires understanding how your competitors operate.

A digital marketing expert can delve into research and analysis to pinpoint tactics, identify strengths and weaknesses, and craft a strategy to outperform others online. Embracing competitive analysis allows your organization to offer better, more compelling content.

Choosing the Right Digital Marketing Expert for Your Organization 

Selecting a great digital marketing expert is a BIG decision for your organization. Depending on your needs, some expert agencies may have specific skill sets for targeted purposes, while others may offer a broader focus. At the end of the day, EVERY organization in EVERY industry needs expert storytelling capacity. Most of that storytelling these days takes place – you guessed it – online.

At Grand River Agency, we’re proud to be a team of versatile digital marketing experts who can cater to your organization’s specific needs, providing expert advice, research-driven strategies, and creative solutions to maximize your online presence and drive meaningful results.

Having a digital marketing expert on your team is no longer optional — it’s essential. Contracting with a strat-comm firm like ours is often a stronger, more effective (and more cost-effective) choice for your budget.