Although content marketing is often associated with for-profit businesses and corporations, nonprofits and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) also rely on content marketing to be found online.
I can vouch that your nonprofit has a mission.
Can you make sure the public knows what your mission is?
This is where content marketing comes into play.
if you are not sure What is content marketing or why it’s important, read this first.
Many times, for-profits and non-profits treat sales and marketing as two separate entities.
Although nonprofits and NGOs are not selling anything, they are raising money and definitely need to be discovered to support their organizational goals.
Both types of businesses are more successful when they combine forces and ensure that the “sales” (or fundraising) and marketing teams are on the same page.
Even if you run a small nonprofit in which your fundraising and marketing “team” works as one person, you can still benefit from reviewing the steps below.
At the end of the day, your nonprofit or NGO has three main goals: promoting your organization’s message, increasing brand awareness, and helping to unite supporters in a cause.
Content marketing can help with all three. Here’s how.
Promote your organization’s message
Before promoting your organization’s message, make sure you have a solid understanding of the time requirement effect.
Research shows people are more likely to respond positively when asked to share their time produce an emotional response They may remember — not when asked to share a monetary donation.
Of course, your nonprofit needs monetary donations to survive, but it’s better to have an emotional response first, which in turn will motivate donors to give more, rather than outright asking them to donate up front.
Your nonprofit or NGO content marketing should include opportunities to mention monetary donations; however, make sure it also includes invitations for time donations.
Additionally, it would be beneficial to provide the opportunity to donate other personal resources, such as expertise, that ultimately impact your nonprofit.
Ultimately, the goal of promoting your organization’s message should be to foster a giving mindset—one in which donors don’t feel pressured to donate individually.
raise popularity of brand
In order to start increasing your brand awareness, the public must first know you exist and know what your organization’s goals are (hence why promote your organization’s message in the first place).
Remember the ice bucket challenge?
You might be next!
When you set goals to increase brand awareness, you are essentially setting goals to increase website traffic, increase donations (revenues), gain audience trust, and establish yourself as an authority in your industry.
Sometimes you focus on one target at a time; other times you can hit two (or three or four) birds with one stone.
First, you need to determine content type You want to use to promote your brand:
Some brands may work when using all of the above; however, others may want to focus on one or two.
No matter what your nonprofit or NGO is centered on, you should choose at least two Content Marketing Strategy listed above to help increase your brand awareness.
Just as there are many “learning styles” in the classroom—hands-on, teacher-led—there are many ways to consume content.
If your brand can spend across multiple platforms, you may see an increase in donations.
Help rally supporters around a cause
As the number of places and platforms your brand appears increases, so does the authority you have.
If you consistently produce high-quality content, not only will you have an audience that considers you trustworthy, but you’ll also have an audience that spreads your content—whether through retweets, shares, or the old-fashioned good word-mouth .
get email
It is vital to keep in touch with all the people who are interested in your cause.
If someone lands on your website, make sure you have a way to prompt him/her/them to share contact information so you can continue the conversation.
The more emails you get, the more potential donors you have.
If you use a platform known for working with nonprofits (like Salesforce), they have lots of documentation and nonprofit specific procedures on how to get emails and use them wisely as a nonprofit.
Know your audience
at least once a year, Conduct audience research For your target constituency (donors, volunteers, anyone on your mailing list).
Ferris Bueller told us: “Life moves fast. If you stop and look around every now and then, you might miss it.”
This sentiment does not exclude your supporters.
As the world changes, people also change the way they feel and behave.
In fact, your organization’s priorities may change.
Use an annual survey to consider what your audience values and what drives them to take action.
Make your content relevant
Knowing your audience will help you determine how to make your content relevant.
Essentially, people want to help others, but people also lead busy lives and may need to be reminded of ways they can help others.
Part of your content marketing plan should include producing relevant content.
If your videos, webinars, podcasts, etc. include descriptions or examples of opportunities that ordinary citizens can relate to or participate in, you will see an increase in support for your cause.
Creating Opportunities for User-Generated Content
Along with making your content relevant comes user-generated content.
If you give donors the opportunity to show their support for your cause by posting while using the hashtag, people will not only support your cause, but increase your brand awareness.
It’s a win-win!
Users and followers are encouraged to include their own personal information in the hashtag so they feel a personal connection to your cause.
takeout
Content marketing is not reserved for for-profit businesses; nonprofits and NGOs can and should benefit from it too.
Don’t keep scrolling when you see “tips and tricks” for content marketing – read on!
To maximize your “sales,” work as a team to promote your organization’s message, increase brand awareness, and help rally supporters using a variety of platforms.
More resources:
Featured image: Dragana Gordic/Shutterstock
