Power of Content Marketing for nonprofits

There are so many marketing channels available for nonprofits that it sometimes becomes quite difficult to decide which one to choose, especially when you are pretty low or tight on budget and do not have big experience in promoting non-profit organizations. Luckily there is enough information on the efficiency and popularity of different channels specifically for NPOs promotion. Of course, the best NPO marketing strategy always includes content marketing and there is no doubt it is a TOP tool you should never forget about if you are result-oriented in the activities of your organization. If you are completing a strategy in a nonprofit marketing and web agency and this strategy does not include Content Marketing then maybe you should reconsider the agency and choose another one. 

What is the most important for your nonprofit? Most probably it is to complete its mission, right? But how are people supposed to learn about your mission? It’s up to you to tell them about it because you need them to help you succeed. And when we say “tell” we definitely mean content marketing and the whole set of beautiful tools and formats it grants you. 

You may wonder how come both businesses and nonprofits can use the same channel, having completely different goals and objectives. But don’t worry. Even though non-profit organizations and initiatives are not actually selling things and services to earn they are still financially oriented because they need to raise money, attract donors and funds, and cover the financial side of their initiatives. 

One of the best ways to find a supporter is through emotional connection. And you’ll have different options to develop one through content. The more your raise your brand awareness the more emotional will people get about your organization and what you do. This point is also very important even if you are not directly looking for donors. Simple supporters are more likely to attract donors’ attention to your organization and shape the necessary reputation. 

How can content marketing help your nonprofit?  

Actually, there are 3 goals that you can easily put on the content marketing channel when planning your strategic and tactical actions to promote your nonprofit. Here they are:

1. Brand awareness

The more people know about you the more association they will have with your organization and your activities. So when choosing an organization to work with, partner, donor, or even volunteer they are most likely to select the one they know. Let them know about you. 

1. Brand promotion

It is the message of your organization that you will promote. And this way let the world know about your mission.  

1. Audience acquisition

You will attract supporters, workers, volunteers, donors, and any other kind of audience you need with the help of audience-oriented content. 

What content type could you use for nonprofit content marketing? 

There are multiple content formats that suit different marketing purposes. Depending on your organization’s tone of voice, general objectives, and audience you want to appeal to you can wrap the same message into different types of content and test which one works better for you. 

Basically, there are three main types of content: 

1. Text (emails, ebooks, blog articles, etc.)

2. Static Media (photos, pictures, illustrations, etc.)

3. Dynamic Media (videos, GIFs, animation, podcasts, webinars)

Of course, they can be mixed in order to complete the best content combination for your needs. For example, your email can include also media, and branded illustrations, or you can consider including infographics and photos in your article, and so on. 

What are the tactics? 

It depends on your nonprofit promotion and marketing strategy. The main approach we would recommend to you would be usefulness in each piece of content. Inform people, entertain them, talk to them, make fun, deliver strong and important messages, reflect those messages in different ways (different types of content), and start the conversation. 

Did you notice what’s the most important here? It’s not the content and its format – those are just the means you can use. While the most important is your audience. You should have your audience profiles formed, reviewed, and updated each year. Otherwise – how will you know how to talk to people if you do not know those people? Moreover, the more engaged and loyal your audience is the more content it generates itself. And there’s no promo campaign that would work better than user-generated content. 

Use the power of content and include content marketing in your strategic plan.