Communications and marketing are often used interchangeably but actually refer to two separate roles. Trying to define the two can be tricky as there is some overlap and they can mean slightly different things in different organisations. To add an extra level of confusion, in small charities they are often combined into one position, which you might see referred to as a marcomms role. Freelance consultants might also specialise in one or both.
In this post I share some broad definitions based on my approach to deciding which is which. I also explain what I include in my offer as a writer and communications consultant so you can see how it works for me in practice.
Comms
Communications tends to lean more to education than promotion, and is about fostering connection and understanding. It includes developing consistent messaging, sharing what the charity, group or project does and why, and explaining any relevant specialist or technical information.
Marketing
Marketing is about generating demand for an offer, this might be sign ups for events, ticket sales or increasing membership. It tends to be where branding and advertising sit. Press and PR can be another separate role but can also sometimes sit with marketing. It’s focused on dealing with media outlets, publicity and managing the reputation of the organisation in the public eye.
Points of connection
Both communications and marketing are focused on understanding audiences and developing messages that will resonate with them. They’re also both about building trust and often involve inspiring an emotional connection.
What about campaigns?
Lots of charities work on campaigns designed to raise awareness about a particular issue in the hope of bringing about change. You’ll also see campaigns which share the impact the charity has in order to do things like recruit volunteers, raise funds or increase membership. Copywriting for these is one of the places where communications most strongly overlaps with marketing as it’s about creating content that is designed to inspire action as well as to inform.
What do I include in my communications offer?
My core offer is aimed at small charities and not-for-profits, community groups running small scale projects (for example local history, environmental or education projects) and churches. It is shaped around four specialisms which draw on my experience in outreach and communications.
- Content ideas and strategy – if your social media feeds feel stuck, you’re short on ideas for blog posts, or not sure what information to include on your new website, I can help you generate ideas and develop simple strategies for your content.
- Writing support – I provide copywriting and editorial support to help make your short and long form writing as effective as possible.
- Resource packs and guides – I can create reference guides and resource packs, tailored to your organisation or project, to support your communications.
- Writing – I can write blog posts and features for your website or print publications.
Read more
These deep dive blog posts explore two of my areas of expertise and include ways that I can help you with them, drawing on the four specialisms above.
- Helping charities and community groups use local history to engage with new audiences
- Helping churches share their environmental stories
What don’t I offer?
Essentially anything from the marketing section above! If you’re looking for support with branding, advertising, sales or press then you need someone who focuses on those areas and can provide you with the specialist help you need. I will however provide editorial support with press releases for organisations where I’m already working with them on other areas of their communications. I also don’t offer ongoing hands on management for social media, email newsletters or website administration.
Shelly Dennison 