Welcome to 2025! It’s been a few years since my last checklist for an integrated marketing campaign, so now seems like a great time to share a new and improved version of it, tailored for broader nonprofit use beyond clinical settings.
Here, my focus remains on creating integrated marketing campaigns that effectively reach and resonate with diverse audiences across multiple channels. This checklist includes specific asset sizes, formats, and strategic engagement elements to ensure consistency and effectiveness, suitable for the broader nonprofit community.
Linda’s Checklist
1) Interview project stakeholders
2) Survey locally and nationally similar campaigns to see what is out there
3) Develop creative brief with concepts, identifying rollout and performance metrics
4) Produce Creative Assets in Preferred Language(s) of Consumer:
Print Assets:
• Flyers
• Posters
• Banners on Location
Digital Assets:
• Website:
Banner
Page with Additional Information
• Social Media (images, carousels and/or videos):
Facebook/Instagram
Threads
Twitter
LinkedIn
TikTok
YouTube
Bluesky
• Business Channel Digital Media
Google
Yelp
• Digital Signage/TV Screens on Location
• Mailings to Consumers and Supporters:
Community-Facing Newsletters
Staff Newsletters
Emails to Targeted Consumers
Direct Mail (postcard campaigns supported by digital ads)
• Online Calendars
Eventbrite
NextDoor
Local Patch
TV and Radio Station Community Listings
Other Local Press TBD
• Paid Promotions and/or Earned Media
• Community Partnerships or Influencers
5) Review, Assess and Adjust
Details Behind the Checklist Items
Interview Project Stakeholders
Begin your campaign by conducting interviews with all project stakeholders to gather insights, expectations, and specific goals. This step ensures that the campaign aligns with the broader objectives of your organization and addresses the needs and perspectives of everyone involved, from leadership to department heads.
Survey Locally and Nationally Similar Campaigns
Research both local and national campaigns that are similar to yours to understand what has been effective or not. This benchmarking helps identify trends, opportunities for differentiation, and potential pitfalls. By learning from the successes and failures of others, you can refine your strategies and tactics.
Develop Creative Brief with Concepts, Identifying Rollout and Performance Metrics
Create a comprehensive creative brief that outlines the campaign’s concepts, targeted demographics, communication channels, rollout phases, and key performance indicators. This document serves as a roadmap for your campaign, ensuring consistency and clarity in messaging and goals across all channels and stages.
Print Assets (Flyers, Posters, Banners on Location): Design these materials to catch the eye and convey essential information quickly. Use compelling visuals and clear, concise language tailored to the cultural and linguistic preferences of your target audience. These assets are crucial for visibility in physical spaces where your audience frequents.
Website: Banner: Create an engaging banner that captures the essence of your campaign and draws visitors into your site.
Page with Additional Information: Develop a dedicated page that provides detailed information about the campaign, optimized for SEO and accessibility.
Social Media (images, carousels, and/or videos): Use platform-specific formats to engage with audiences on Facebook/Instagram, Threads, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, and BlueSky. For example, leverage carousels on Instagram to tell a deeper story or use videos on YouTube for long-form content.
Google and Yelp: Optimize your presence on these platforms with updated content, ensuring your campaign reaches consumers searching for related services or products.
Digital Signage/TV Screens on Location: Utilize digital signage or in-house television programming in high-traffic areas to display dynamic content related to your campaign. Adjust the content’s format and length to suit the context, such as longer informational pieces for waiting areas. An ideal message time on screen is actually two to three minuetes. This is a good way to re-purpose and lengthen social media content for continuity of stlye and messaging while benefitiing from getting more value on the investment of time for content creation.
Community-Facing and Staff Newsletters: Develop different versions of newsletters for external and internal audiences to keep both engaged and informed about your campaign’s progress and impacts.
Emails to Targeted Consumers: If you have an email list (and you should) use that to directly email consumers and supporters.
Direct Mail: Consider if your campaign is a good candidate for a direct mail campaign. like postcards to reach specific segments of your audience. Support these efforts with digital ads to enhance reach and engagement.
Online Calendars: Utilize online calendars such as Eventbrite, NextDoor, Local Patch, and TV and Radio Station Community Listings to promote events associated with your campaign. These tools help increase visibility and participation by making it easy for your target audience to find and remember your events. Don’t forget your own “Google Event” creation if there is a specific event happening.
Paid Promotions and/or Earned Media: Determine if this project would benfti from investing in paid promotions to extend the reach of your campaign and engage broader audiences. Simultaneously, develop a strategy for earned media by pitching compelling stories to media outlets, which can provide significant exposure and credibility.
Community Partnerships or Influencers: Build partnerships with community organizations and influencers who can amplify your message and help you reach deeper into your target communities. These relationships are invaluable for lending authenticity to your campaign and for tapping into established networks of trust and influence.
Final Notes for Nonprofits
Multicultural messaging: First and foremost, avoid idiomatic phrases. Keep things simple and universal. At the same time, consider the cultural nuances and language preferences of your audience in every asset created. Watch ads and media. Discuss details with native speakers.
Don’t be the star! Focus on strength-based messaging to promote empowerment. Nonprofits in particular need to not be the “savior” in narratives that can be harmful to the community being served by casting those individuals as victims who need saving.