With more than 1.4 million nonprofits in the U.S., standing out in this oversaturated market isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. But most charitable organizations have lofty goals and minimal funding, so their leaders can’t afford to experiment with cutting-edge marketing strategies to put their groups on the map.
There is one proven strategy that won’t break the bank. Content marketing has helped brands of all sizes attract large, dedicated followings, and it can also give nonprofits the opportunity to reach potential volunteers, donors, and supporters without drying up shallow marketing budgets. And because only 25 percent of nonprofit professionals have a documented content strategy, this space is ripe for opportunity.
Take the March of Dimes, for example. Since 1938, the March of Dimes has been sharing inspirational stories about the thousands of families it has helped. In recent years, the organization has increased awareness and funding by sharing the stories of its national ambassadors online through a multidimensional content marketing strategy.
Regardless of your organization’s mission, a thoughtful content marketing strategy can help your group highlight compelling stories, reach the right people, and garner much-needed attention.
How Content Can Work for You
Most people want to serve their communities, but knowing where to start can be difficult. Establishing an online presence can help draw interested volunteers to your organization. Producing relevant, engaging content also offers the opportunity to:
- Build credibility and address bad press. Before giving or serving, potential donors and volunteers likely will search Google or Charity Navigator to learn more about your organization and what it does. Having articles published on relevant sites means they’ll see your messages first. If there are negative news stories about your group, your educational and uplifting articles will offer a counterbalance to those views and help to bolster your nonprofit’s reputation.
- Transform employees into advocates. Most people work for nonprofits for a reason: They’re passionate about the cause and want to make a difference. By involving employees in the content creation process and encouraging them to share your articles with their networks, you can help spread the message in an authentic way and inspire others to take action.
- Gain attention from national chapters. If your organization is a local branch of a larger nonprofit, it might not be getting the backing that larger chapters enjoy. By creating high-quality brand content, you can highlight the amazing things your chapter is doing, and that will help you get noticed by the national chapter.
- Build another avenue for increasing visibility and education. By producing educational, non-promotional content that showcases your authentic perspective, you’re starting a conversation with your nonprofit’s audience — potential volunteers and donors. As you publish more articles, your SEO ranking will improve organically, putting you front and center with even more potential supporters.
- Gain more media coverage. Editors at publications are actively seeking content to fill their editorial calendars. Your published articles might catch the attention of an editor, and that person might contact you about doing a news story on your group. You might be able submit content to an editor and build a long-lasting relationship. Oftentimes, getting placed in publications is free as long as you adhere to the publication guidelines and provide valuable information to readers.
Although creating and submitting content to editors is a time investment, it’s one that continues to pay off well after an article goes live. This is a free outlet to spread awareness, enhance your group’s online presence, and get the funding and support you need to truly make an impact. With a few passionate team members, you can write a killer article that serves these functions and many more.
Influence & Co. believes in the power of content marketing and giving back, so we have established a program to provide free help to nonprofits.
We recently wrapped up a four-month partnership with Children’s Literacy Initiative. We helped the group’s executive director publish articles in relevant publications such as Bright Hub, TeachThought, and Edutopia. These articles showcased his expertise, raised awareness about critical issues in the field of education, and introduced Children’s Literacy Initiative to new audiences.
Now, we’re working with Heart of Missouri United Way to educate its audience about the return on investment of its Community Impact model, which focuses on strategies that help at-risk youth succeed in school and in life. We’re also excited to help the group build brand awareness in the mid-Missouri community.
5 Ways to Energize Your Online Presence
In our experience with brands and nonprofits, we’ve discovered a few best practices for deploying a content strategy that accomplishes your goals and more. Here are a few things we advise our clients to do:
- Identify your audience and goals. Never start content marketing until you have a solid foundation in place. Your content strategy should answer questions about your goals, target audience, and intended tone. You also should know what your competitors are doing.
- Show what you know. You’re creating content to educate the people you want to reach and build meaningful relationships with them. Simply promoting your organization won’t accomplish these goals; you have to identify the unique insight your leaders can share with the world. Adopt your audience’s perspective — what would they like to read or learn more about? When you share valuable information with readers, they’ll be more likely to give their time and resources in the future.
- Create a blog. Blogging is a great way to share stories that reflect your organization’s passion and strengthen connections with visitors. Your blog is the place to openly discuss what your organization has to offer your audience and the community.
- Tap into your social networks. Once you publish an article or blog post, expand its reach by sharing it on social networks. Adhere to the 80/20 rule — share external sources and engage in conversations 80 percent of the time, and share your own content or notify people of upcoming events 20 percent of the time.
- Get active on LinkedIn. After you set up a blog and establish a social media presence, you should explore publishing on LinkedIn. Identify team members who have strong LinkedIn networks, and encourage them to regularly publish articles that highlight your organization’s strategy.
Your nonprofit has inspiring stories to share, and content marketing is the perfect way to connect your organization with people who care. Don’t wait for others to come to you; actively spread the word about your cause. You can then attract the attention and support you need to live out your mission and leave a lasting mark on the world.
