How to Create a Privacy Policy…and Why You Need To

 

Do You Need a Privacy Policy

Think you’re too small to need a privacy policy for your business or nonprofit? Think again!

Facebook thumbs up or downFacebook’s in hot water because they violated their own privacy policy. Don’t assume that just because you’re small–and you’re not doing anything “wrong”—that you don’t have to pay attention to privacy issues.

If you have a website, a POS system, an email list, or process customer data in any way, you should have privacy protocols in place and post a privacy policy on your website. While Facebook is probably too big to fail, chances are, you’re not.

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How to Use the Power of Symbols

Kate McKinnon wearing pink pussyhat in SNL skit
Kate McKinnon plays a Russian woman surreptitiously donning a pink pussyhat as “Vladamir Putin” brags about the happy population in this Saturday Night Live skit that aired on the night of the Women’s March.

Who would have thought that a pink hat could become a symbol of resistance?

Symbols are one of the most effective ways that you can build your brand, convey a concept, or launch a campaign.

A symbol can be a visual image, gesture, object, or idea that represents something other than itself. Merriam Webster describes a symbol as a “visible sign of something invisible.”

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What is Nonprofit Marketing?

Good Egg Marketing- How to Market NonprofitNonprofit marketing is the process of motivating people to do or believe something, such as donate time or money, make a purchase, change a behavior or belief, take an action, or become more aware of an organization or issue.

Like for-profit businesses, most non-profit marketers seek to increase awareness and perception of their organization or cause, persuade people to believe or do something, and use their resources effectively.

While not all of the tactics that companies use to market themselves will work for nonprofits, the main principles of marketing apply to both sectors. Here are the top three marketing components that every organization should use.

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How to Use Marketing Stunts to Stand Out

Marketing Stunt by Rob Greenfield
Rob Greenfield gets himself into some cold water. (Photo by Brent Martin.)

My nephew, Rob Greenfield, is a born marketer and a prodigy when it comes to marketing stunts. His degree is in aquatic science, chemistry, and biology, but he owned his own marketing company, has an enormous social media following, and has been featured in dozens of media outlets.

Rob’s primary goal is to inspire social change, not to sell toothpaste or even solar panels, but he’s also developed an impressive ability to promote himself as a brand. The key to Rob’s marketing success is his use of storytelling and stunts to grab our attention. While most of us are unlikely to take up dumpster diving, we can learn a lot from his techniques.

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Do Labels Matter? Yes, They Do

Non GMO Project Verified LogoUSDA Organic, Fair Trade, B Corp, LEED Certified Non-GMO Project Verified…

There are hundreds of labels, certifications, and seals in the marketplace. The Ecolabel index lists 459 ecolabels alone.

It can be time-consuming and sometimes expensive to get your product, company, or organization certified. Does certification matter? Will it have any impact on your bottom line? Should you bother pursuing certification?

In a word, yes. And here’s why.

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Are You a Competitor or a Collaborator?

People seated at a table collaborating on a project
Photo by Jennifer Leonard, Creative Commons

It may sound counterintuitive, but the best way to grow your business may be through collaboration, rather than competition.

Americans are brought up to believe that we can’t collaborate with our competitors. There are even laws against price fixing, when competitors get together to agree on pricing. Yet, in many cases, being a collaborator rather than a competitor may be key to your success.

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How to Market Good Eggs (or anything else)

generic carton of eggsPeople who type “egg marketing” into a search engine often land on my website, goodeggmarketing.com.  I hatched my company name because I like to think of myself as a “good egg,” not because I raise chickens. But since I call myself an EGG-spert, it’s time I shared my thoughts about how to market them.

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