How to Work with a Marketing Agency or Consultant with Chris Barlow

2022-04-13

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Nonprofits of all sizes are strapped for capacity, and often staff isn't trained in marketing, advertising, or social media. When you lack internal marketing skills, it may make sense to hire a third party to help, whether that be a large agency or a solo consultant. Sometimes this can be more cost effective and less risky than bringing in a new full-time employee - but going outside the org requires more intentionality and oversight to ensure results.

In this episode of Nonprofit Nation, Chris Barlow and I talk about the ins and outs of hiring marketing help, how to keep agencies and consultants accountable, and where to start.

As a teen, Chris believed he’d work in a cause-focused mission or career, but when he had to just “get a job” after college, he surprisingly discovered a passion for business. After over a decade in corporate sales, he realized that while he enjoyed it, he couldn’t see himself retiring in it.

So in 2015 he founded an agency, Beeline, and volunteered with a local nonprofit to help them with their digital marketing. This unexpectedly led him back to realizing the dream he had growing up - that of doing something to serve people and a greater purpose.

Beeline focuses on helping nonprofits expand their mission and grow their donor base through digital marketing, but Chris' favorite skill and privilege is putting his two youngest boys down for a nap every day.

Here are some of the topics we discussed:

How do we know when it's time to hire some outside help
What questions should you ask a consultant
How can you measure success
How to convince the board to fund outside help

Connect with Chris:
https://twitter.com/Beeline_Chris
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cbarlow-nonprofit-marketing/

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About Julia Campbell, the host of the Nonprofit Nation podcast:

Named as a top thought leader by Forbes and BizTech Magazine, Julia Campbell (she/hers) is an author, coach, and speaker on a mission to make the digital world a better place.

She wrote her book, Storytelling in the Digital Age: A Guide for Nonprofits, as a roadmap for social change agents who want to build movements using engaging digital storytelling techniques. Her second book, How to Build and Mobilize a Social Media Community for Your Nonprofit, was published in 2020 as a call-to-arms for mission-driven organizations to use the power of social media to build movements. Julia’s online courses, webinars, and talks have helped hundreds of nonprofits make the shift to digital thinking and raise more money online.

Connect with Julia on other platforms:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/juliacampbell77
Twitter: www.twitter.com/juliacsocial
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/juliacampbell
Blog: www.jcsocialmarketing.com/blog

Take Julia’s free nonprofit masterclass,