Let’s get one thing straight: If your social impact message isn’t clear, it doesn’t matter how fancy your visuals are or how clever your wordplay sounds in your head.

If people don’t get it, they won’t feel it. And if they don’t feel it, they won’t act on it.

This is the reality for too many justice-motivated organizations.

We get so caught up in our passion and our big-picture vision that we end up speaking in ways that, honestly, exclude the very people we’re trying to reach.

Let’s be real: Social impact marketing often leans way too intellectual. We toss around jargon like “intersectionality,” “systems change,” or “capacity building,” and we expect everyone to keep up.

We load our posts with acronyms—DEI, ESG, BIPOC, CDFI—assuming everyone is in on the same conversation.

But they’re not.

Most folks don’t speak “nonprofit” or “social enterprise.” They speak human.

And if we want to truly connect with diverse audiences—including people who don’t have a college degree, people who speak English as a second language, or people who are simply scrolling in the few spare minutes they have while juggling work, kids and life—we’ve got to simplify our language.

The Case for Simplicity

Look, many on our team are journalists by training. We’ve spent years learning how to write for real people—not policy wonks, not academics, not funders.

We’ve learned that the best messages are the ones that hit home. And the ones that hit home are usually the simplest.

Think about it: Social media platforms are designed for quick, bite-sized content. Short-form video is booming because we’ve got about three seconds to hook someone before they scroll on. Even if you’re writing a blog post or an email newsletter, people are skimming—not hanging onto your every word.

So why are we still writing like we’re in a graduate seminar?

When you write in a way that’s accessible and easy to scan, you’re making a choice to include more people in the conversation. That’s equity in action.

The Power of Plain Language

Here’s a little secret from the world of journalism: Reporters write to an eighth-grade reading level.

That’s not because they think readers are uneducated. It’s because they know that people are busy, distracted and overwhelmed. They want to make it easy to get the point.

The same rule applies to social impact marketing.

When you simplify your language, you:

• Invite more people in, including those who aren’t insiders in your field
• Make your content easier to understand for people whose first language isn’t English
• Increase the chances that your message will stick in someone’s mind

And let’s talk about acronyms for a second.

Sure, some are universal—USA, IRS, NAACP. But most are not.

If you’re throwing out “CDFI” or “BIPOC” without explanation, you’re creating a barrier.

Journalists use AP Style for a reason: They spell it out on first reference so everyone is on the same page.

If your message is really that important, why make people work harder to understand it?

Why Consistency and Authenticity Win

Let’s get back to the bigger picture here.

You can have the best video production team, the slickest graphics, the most cutting-edge design. But if your message is inconsistent—if one post sounds like a PhD thesis, the next one a corporate press release, and the next a Gen Z meme—you’re going to confuse people.

And when you’re chasing viral moments, it’s easy to lose sight of what really matters: building trust.

Consistency doesn’t mean every post has to sound the same. It means your voice is recognizable. It means your values shine through, over and over again. It means your audience knows what you stand for—whether they see your TikTok post, your website, or your next community event.

Authenticity? That’s the glue that holds it all together.

You don’t have to have a “perfect” brand. In fact, perfection can feel a little fake these days.

What people want—especially in the social justice space—is realness.

They want to see that you’re in it for the long haul, that you care, that you show up even when it’s messy.

That’s why opening lines like these work:

Let’s say you run a climate justice nonprofit. You might open a blog post or video with a bold, clear statement like:

• “We’re not just planting trees. We’re dismantling the systems that got us here in the first place.”


This grabs people’s attention because it challenges the surface-level solutions and positions your organization as one that’s going deeper.

If you’re a Black-owned mental health collective, you could start a post with a controversial opinion:

• “Most therapy spaces weren’t built with us in mind. It’s time to change that.”


This sparks curiosity and signals that your work is different—tailored to your community’s real needs.

For a Southeast Asian immigrant support organization, you could open with a moment in time:

• “The first time I walked into a government office and no one spoke my language, I realized we had to create a system that actually works for our community.”


This storytelling approach draws people in, helps them relate, and shows the problem you’re solving.

If you’re leading a social enterprise that trains formerly incarcerated folks in tech, try a vulnerable statement like:

• “I used to believe second chances were a privilege. Now I know they’re a right.”


That’s raw, real, and makes your mission personal.

Or if you’re running a youth arts nonprofit, you could start with a unique insight:

• “Our students don’t just need art supplies—they need spaces where they’re told their voices matter.”


It reframes the conversation from just “giving kids something to do” to empowering them as changemakers.

Start there. Then keep it simple, keep it honest, and keep showing up.

It’s About Them, Not You

At the end of the day, the golden rule of social impact marketing is this: It’s not about what you want to say—it’s about what your audience needs to hear.

Ask yourself:

• Who are you really trying to reach?
• How do they prefer to receive information—through quick videos, short posts, infographics, or personal stories?
• What will motivate them to take action, whether that’s showing up to an event, signing a petition, or simply sharing your message with a friend?

When you lead with empathy, when you simplify your language, and when you stay consistent and true to your voice, you make space for more people to join you.

That’s how movements grow. That’s how change happens. And that’s how your message goes from being just another post on the feed…to something that actually moves people to act.

Let’s not overcomplicate it. Speak their language. And keep it simple.