Content marketing effectively attracts people and sets you apart from other nonprofits. Think of it as storytelling—telling stories about what your nonprofit stands for. People want to read content that educates, entertains, and inspires them. If you create your content correctly, your audience will see your human side and the need to support your organization.
Overall, your goal is to create awareness rather than ask for donations right now. When you share stories that highlight the positive consequences of your work, those stories evoke emotion, which can make people feel much closer to your nonprofit.
How do you want readers to feel when they encounter your organization’s content? Energized? Empowered? Empathetic? Maybe you want them to feel angry and ready to fight the ills and causes alongside you. Perhaps you want them to feel hopeful about the cure you present and encouraged to join your movement.
These nuances should be clearly identified and codified with specific examples in your content marketing strategy. Your voice and tone will need to be carried through every single one of your content channels by everyone who writes for you.
Whether your goal is to recruit more volunteers or donors or build a pipeline of talent, you will want to leverage content to build your email list.
What type of content should you create?
Work to create evergreen content—what will never be irrelevant to your audience, no matter how much time passes. In general, content that gives knowledge and shares information tends to be evergreen. Make plans to repost it, to draw people’s attention to it again at a later time.
When you tell stories through your content, be open and honest. This will help you create powerful stories that will touch and move your audience. Be personal and relatable so your audience can better understand your nonprofit and your mission.
Always remember, quality over quantity. Do not drown your audience in content that offers no value for them. And use as many visuals as possible. People love visual storytelling, so that is why video has ranked as the number one form of media for a few years. Content marketing strategies also frequently include blogs, infographics, and case studies.
But even with a careful emphasis on visual storytelling, you cannot cater content to someone you do not know. Pursue an understanding of the people who serve as your ideal donor or ideal volunteer.
How do you promote and measure your content marketing?
You primarily promote your content through social media, email marketing, and native advertising. The term native advertising refers to the use of paid ads that match the look, feel, and function of the media format in which they appear. You can research specific demand-side platforms that offer native advertising placements.
In general, potential supporters or volunteers should not feel forced to donate or volunteer on the spot. Instead, as noted already, you want to create awareness. In this case, subtlety is the key to success.
However, you should include a call to action, such as to sign up for an email or follow your social media account. When someone responds, we call that a “conversion.” As you provide consistent and quality content, people will feel as if they have connected with your nonprofit and will more likely respond positively to your calls to action.
Content marketing might feel subtle, but it bears measurable results:
- Content marketing efforts can double average site conversion rates. (Source: HubSpot)
- Expect conversion rates of roughly six times higher than with any other digital marketing strategies. (Source: ABG Essentials)
A good content marketing strategy can help your organization increase general awareness, appear closer to the top of search results, and ultimately help you attract more donors, volunteers, and other supporters.
An excellent content marketing strategy, on the other hand, will take awareness to the next level: ensure that the people you encounter can engage with your organization on a deeper level and are driven to take action to help you achieve your mission.
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