If you’re a not-for-profit in Ireland, why does content marketing offer you so much? Ask yourself… ‘Why would you donate to your cause?’ Put simply, your donors need to know what you’re spending their money on and how this money is helping those in need. In this blog, we’ll look at practical content marketing tasks for charities and the not-for-profit sector.
This is the first in a series of blogs all about practical help for content marketers in every sector. If yours is not covered today, keep an eye out in the coming weeks….
If you’re a small or medium sized charity, here are 5 things you can do right now to kick-start your content marketing efforts
- Blogging – a basic foundation for your content marketing. Your blogs must inform and educate. They should paint a picture of the awful circumstances the people you are helping find themselves in. If you help people with painful or debilitating illness, ensure they have a voice. If it’s a tragic situation in a far flung country, tell people what life is like there and how their donations do so much to help.
- Video – videos must tell a story. It might be an option to highlight people you have helped and ask them to do a short on-screen piece. Seeing the difference donations make in the life of one person can be very powerful. It’s best to focus on who you have helped and not to focus on yourself. Webcams and camera phones mean this is possible for everyone. Just remember to work on your script first!
- Podcasts – recording equipment is inexpensive and easy to use these days. Initially, write scripts on an engaging topic, record it and publish online. Engage media organisations in your online discussions and through social media or old-fashioned email, let them know about new podcasts on burning issues. Or sometimes, people might just prefer content in different forms. Experiment and keep an eye on analytics to see what works and what doesn’t.
- Your ‘about us’ page – does it give a genuine insight into your directors and the leading figures in your organisation? Smaller charities in particular must grab every opportunity for publicity and telling the world about their cause. Write extensive profiles of your leading lights and ensure every radio and TV station is aware of their updated online profile and that your top people are available for comment/interview on relevant issues.
- Preview and review events – you will no doubt he holding events to raise funds and you should ensure these are well covered on your blog or video content. Preview every event and review it too.
Raising funds is not easy but if you are a smaller charity, content marketing can offer you serious advantages. Make the most of your website and get it working as hard as everyone else in the office. And if you need help on content marketing ideas, just get in touch with an experienced content marketer like me!