Driving Community Impact with USI
A Multi-Channel Marketing Approach
THE CHALLENGE
Urban Strategies, Inc. (USI), a national nonprofit, plays a critical role in advancing economic mobility, housing stability, education, health, and policy change within under-resourced communities across the United States. Despite a meaningful mission and an active field presence, their digital marketing efforts lacked structure, consistency, and alignment across platforms. Content was created in silos, performance tracking was inconsistent, and opportunities to connect with audiences through storytelling and strategic campaigns were being missed.
USI needed a marketing strategy that would not only reflect their impact but also help streamline content execution, drive audience growth, and ensure that every effort was measurable and aligned with organizational goals.
THE OPPORTUNITY
USI brought us on board for Marketing Strategy and Consultancy to align their digital presence with their mission-driven work. Key areas of focus included:
Marketing Consultancy & Strategy: Providing high-level strategic direction across social media, email marketing, blog content, and YouTube, with ongoing consultancy sessions to review performance, identify growth areas, and align initiatives with USI’s organizational goals.
Content Strategy & Direction: Developing a content strategy grounded in USI’s five core pillars to ensure consistency, relevance, and clarity across all channels.
Podcast Strategy & Integration: Recommending a long-form podcast format as the anchor content, designed to establish thought leadership and community voice. I outlined how each episode could be repurposed into YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, email content, and blog posts to create a cohesive and scalable content ecosystem.
Optimizing Campaign Tracking: Implementing UTM tracking and standardized campaign naming conventions to allow for accurate performance attribution, audience insights, and campaign-level reporting.
Building Multi-Channel Workflows: Creating aligned strategies for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Email, with a focus on community storytelling, educational content, and mission amplification.
Introducing Project Management & Tools: Streamlining internal processes using Buffer, tagging protocols, and scheduling tools to reduce friction and improve content output consistency.
Establishing KPIs & Performance Benchmarks: Defining measurable goals and reviewing data monthly to drive iteration, ensure accountability, and identify high-performing content types across each platform.
Providing AI & Video Strategy Guidance: Offering creative direction for YouTube Shorts, thumbnail optimization, and repurposing workflows, while advising on the integration of AI tools to speed up content ideation and scripting.
THE IMPACT
While USI is still implementing the full strategy, early adoption of several key recommendations led to noticeable improvements in digital performance. Following our consultancy sessions, the team began posting more regularly and making incremental changes — resulting in a 108% increase in Facebook reach and a doubling of interactions. Instagram saw a 681% jump in reach and a 175% rise in engagement, while LinkedIn followers grew by 2%. YouTube views climbed 38%, and website activity saw a 30% boost in new users and a 27% increase in active users.
These gains reflect the power of even partial implementation — and the potential impact of a fully executed, data-driven strategy. Today, USI is equipped with a comprehensive marketing plan, clear KPIs, and streamlined tools to scale its digital footprint. As implementation continues, these early results serve as proof of what's possible when strategy and mission align.
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- Lois Sarfo-Mensah, Principal | Chief Strategist at 3 Pillars