Making content that engages your audience is not a novel idea, but it is increasingly crucial to your nonprofit success in the modern internet world. A content creation strategy entails organising, creating, and overseeing written or consumable interactive content that is helpful and accessible to your audience.
- Your content creation strategy should inspire readers to donate to your nonprofit cause.
- Effective storytelling taps into emotions. It’s about creating narratives that evoke empathy, compassion, or inspiration.
Top Content Creation Strategies by Nonprofit Experts
This article will consider effective ways nonprofits can leverage content creation in their marketing efforts.
1. Create a Content Strategy Unique to Your Nonprofit
A lot of the decisions you make will be guided by your website content strategy. This allows you to be aware of the most crucial content, what may be reused or repurposed, and what content needs to be developed.
According to HeyDay, a digital marketing and PR platform, content ought to incorporate the core focus of an organisation. “Your content should align with your organisation’s mission, goals, and values. It should reflect the core values of your organisation and support its overall mission. By developing a clear strategy for creating and distributing content, you’ll be able to ensure that all of your efforts help realize your nonprofit’s goals.”
Also, a content strategy will help direct particular decisions about website design and development. This is largely because it clarifies the goals, target audience, and desired results.
2. Create Purposeful Content
It’s now easier than ever for the organisation to match each interest level with the appropriate content. This can spark discussions and ultimately help to achieve the very primary objectives of a nonprofit.
Corinna Keefe, a content marketer at Shorthand, a brand publishing platform has this to say: “Planning on a large scale enables you to think about the overall message you’re sending. Each case study, annual report, and interview becomes another chapter in your story. That’s more engaging for readers, and it helps to build your case over time.”
Here’s where a segmented content distribution approach can be powerful. To begin with, determine who the target audience is for each article, why they are interested in the topic or what they hope to get from it. Also, understand what constitutes a successful touchpoint and conversion.
3. Leverage a Content Calendar
Thirdly, plan out every piece of content you intend to publish for the upcoming week in advance. Don’t leave yourself frantically searching for content at the last minute.
Ilia Jones, a Content Marketer at Arcstone, a Nonprofit digital marketing platform, highlights the approach to take in content calendar creation.
“Before you can start mapping your content, it’s best to know what needs to be done. A content calendar can help nonprofits hit those important campaign dates. You might need to promote your search for volunteers for a big donor push, for instance, and a calendar will help you backtrack to the dates to start posting. A content calendar can also help you mix up your content so you aren’t always sharing the same information.”
In essence, it is best to choose one or two topics that your organisation is focused on each week or month, and then develop content that addresses those issues. Once you’ve determined what your audience would find interesting, you may consider how to optimise your posts for search engines and organically include your keyword or phrase.
4. Adopt Impactful Storytelling
As we all know, storytelling can effectively establish a human connection with some of your nonprofit campaigns. Also, it helps readers relate to your goal.
“Stories have an unparalleled ability to connect people emotionally to a cause. Real-life stories from those directly impacted by the non-profit’s work — be it beneficiaries, volunteers, or donors – carry an authenticity that resonates profoundly. These stories humanise the mission, making it relatable and compelling for the audience,” says Pepper Content in its blog article.
According to the expert marketing platform, “Non-profits should strive to present genuine narratives, avoiding exaggeration or embellishment.” It further stated that “Authentic stories build trust and credibility, fostering a stronger connection between the organisation and its supporters.”
Effective storytelling taps into emotions. It’s about creating narratives that evoke empathy, compassion, or inspiration. By conveying the emotional journey of individuals connected to the non-profit, the audience will more likely forge a deep, meaningful connection with the cause.”
Presently, some of the most innovative communicators are expanding how they employ video as a primary medium for storytelling and goal-oriented content distribution. Essentially, the aim is to increase audience reach and engagement.
5. Diversify your multimedia approach
The days of developing one kind of content and counting on it to meet all of your nonprofit’s communication requirements are long gone. Hence, the most successful nonprofit marketers of today are aware of the value of diverse tactics. The secret isn’t only to try out different formats; it’s also important to have a methodical, well-thought-out content distribution plan so that your finished product can look great across a variety of media.
Anne Stefanyk, in a Nonprofits Source blog article, puts it this way: “Your content strategy shouldn’t be one-dimensional. Incorporating a variety of content, from explainer videos to interactive polls, will help engage your audience on multiple levels.“
“Consider incorporating the following multimedia elements into your content:
Photos
Videos
Gifs
Interactive charts
Quizzes
Polls.”
Using both audio and video, share your nonprofit stories. To make a bigger impression, try to find ways to expand your messaging nationally or worldwide. Also, assemble a list of resources for your audience. Post articles, exchange best practices, write content, and more. As far as trying out novel approaches to narrating your story goes, the possibilities are endless.
6. Improve Fundraising Efforts
Your content creation strategy should also inspire readers to donate to your nonprofit cause. Ryan Jones, Content Marketer at Keela, a nonprofit software platform, reiterates that “fundraising and content marketing often exist in silos, especially at large nonprofit organisations. But if you’re building a nonprofit’s content strategy the right way, content can support fundraising, resulting in a bonus for your bottom line.”
He adds that “starting in the early stages of planning, if your content team knows what types of fundraising will occur, they can easily slot in content to support it throughout the year. And since content boosts engagement and awareness, your fundraising team will have a large, primed, trusting audience that is ready to give.”
7. Research Content Distribution Channels
Lastly, creating content is important as we all know. However, you need to have diversified content distribution strategies in place to maximise return on investment and connect with the audiences that can change the world.
Jenna Martin, Content writer at Philanthropy News Digest, a daily news service emphasised that “the last step in creating an effective content strategy is knowing exactly which channels to use to optimise the time spent on and overall engagement with your content.”
“Use your channel metrics to identify both short- and long-term strategies. Both should include more than one channel (what the marketing world calls an omni-channel strategy). A strategy also should incorporate online channels (including social media) as well as offline channels such as conferences and direct mail.”
Conclusion
The current environment demands that nonprofits need to be more involved, driven, and smart in their communication. Not to mention, many components of the world around us require serious thought, attention, and commitment, ranging from environmental factors to human causes. Likewise, you shouldn’t stop your marketing efforts in creating impactful content. Rather, increase impact by putting in place a diverse content plan to target new audiences.
If this article resonates with you, we welcome your thoughts, suggestions, and questions.