In the world of nonprofits budgets are low and expectations are high. Therefore not every organization can afford to market itself effectively with such constraints. After recognizing this dilemma, Adrienne Lynch founded, Adrienne Nicole Productions a full-service video production company that creates content for nonprofit organizations and other cause-based initiatives. With more than 10 years of production experience (CMT, BET and MTV) and an Emmy nomination to her credit, Lynch is helping nonprofits exceed their expectations by reaching more members and investors while remaining within budget.
Rolling out hit the set with Lynch as she talked the value of finding one’s niche, balancing the financial aspects of her industry, and key networking tips.
You seem to have found a niche focusing on videos for socially conscious projects. How important was identifying that niche to your overall business model?
Finding a niche in an existing market is key to having a successful business. If an entrepreneur doesn’t identify his or her specialty there is no reason a consumer should try them over an established business. If you want to succeed, you must either meet a need that isn’t being met or if it’s already being met, find a better and cheaper way to do it.
Many nonprofits have limited to zero budgets for such services that you provide. How do you balance the financial challenges with your mission to give these projects greater exposure?
Dealing with lower nonprofit budgets is a challenge we face daily. At the core, I really want to help everyone, so if an organization can’t afford a complete video package, we can strip some things to get closer to their budget. If they have no budget, I’ll give them some advice as to how they can shoot the video themselves. It won’t look like one of our productions, but it’s something smaller nonprofits can work with.
How important is networking in your field of work? What strategies do you employ?
Networking is one of the most important things I do, especially face-to-face networking. I make sure I attend events where nonprofit professionals convene, participate in online conversations and tap into my own professional network. Your personal contacts are your best referrals. They know you and already trust your work, so it’s an easy sell.
