Content Marketing for Nonprofits A Communications Map for Engaging Your Community, Becoming a Favorite Cause, and Raising More Money

Nonprofits are communicating more often and in more ways than ever before . . .but is anyone paying attention?

In her follow-up to The Nonprofit Marketing Guide: High-Impact, Low-Cost Ways to Build Support for Your Good Cause, Kivi Leroux Miller shows you how to design and implement a content marketing strategy that will attract people to your cause, rather than begging for their attention or interrupting them with your communications. Youll learn how to plan, create, share, and manage relevant and valuable content that inspires and motivates people to support your nonprofit in many different ways.

Inside:

• Eye-opening look at how nonprofit marketing and fundraising is changing, and the perils of not quickly adapting
• Up-to-date guidance on communicating in a fast-paced, multichannel world
• How to make big-picture strategic decisions about your content, followed by pragmatic and doable tactics on everything from editorial calendars to repurposing content
• Real-world examples from 100+ nonprofits of all sizes and missions 

This book is your must-have guide to communicating so that you keep the supporters you already have, attract new ones, and together, change the world for the better.

Kivi Leroux Miller is the founder of Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com and the author of The Nonprofit Marketing Guide: High-Impact, Low-Cost Ways to Build Support for Your Good Cause from Jossey-Bass. Through training, coaching, and consulting, Kivi helps nonprofits develop and execute smart, savvy marketing and communications strategies.

Marketing for Nonprofits: A Communications Map for Engaging Your Community, Becoming a Favorite Cause, and Raising More Money 1

Foreword 9

Acknowledgements 10

Preface 11

What Is Content Marketing? 11

It’s a Long Trek 12

Stop, Think and Discuss 12

SECTION I: Finding a New Path: The Power of Content Marketing for Nonprofits 12

CHAPTER ONE: 13

Hearing the Call of the Wild: The Case for Changing Your Communications Approach 13

The End of the Target Audience 14

Your PSI: Participants, Supporters and Influencers 15

Seismic Shifts Affecting Your Nonprofit Marketing Strategy 16

Media Shifts: More Channels, More Choices, More Power to Decide 17

Demographic Shifts: Four Generations Interacting with Nonprofits 21

How Media and Demographic Trends Affect Communications Choices    23

Fail to Respond to These Shifts and You Risk Becoming Irrelevant 25

The Inner Angel, Inner Bookkeeper Problem 26

Why It Matters: They Decide Relevance, Not You 27

CHAPTER TWO 28

Understanding This Trek: How Content Marketing is Different 28

The Theory of Change for Nonprofit Content Marketing 28

Stop Interrupting and Start Attracting 30

Communications at VolunteerMatch, Before and After Content Marketing 32

Nonprofit Communications, With and Without a Content Strategy 34

Focus Less on the Communication Itself and More on the Reaction to It 36

Example: Remaking a Newsletter Using Content Marketing 37

The Power of Becoming Their Favorite Nonprofit 38

Are You Ready? Finding Your Nonprofit Marketing Maturity Level 39

Why It Matters: The Favorite Organizations Win 45

CHAPTER THREE 46

Planting Your Flag at the Destination: Setting Your Content Marketing Goals and Measuring Your Progress 46

Why Are You Communicating in the First Place?   46

Where to Start Your Goals Discussion: How Important is Short-Term Fundraising? 48

Fundraising Communicators Versus Community/Brand Building Communicators 55

Align Your Goals with What Defines Your Success 56

Are We There Yet? Measuring Your Content Marketing Progress 59

Five Ways to Measure Your Marketing 60

Setting SMART Objectives 64

Why It Matters: Goals Get You Moving 65

SECTION II: Who Will Go with You: Redefining Your Marketing Relationships 67

CHAPTER FOUR 68

Making Friends on the Trail: What Supporters, Participants, and Influencers Want from You 68

Why People Give, Volunteer, and Advocate 68

What Supporters Want from You 71

What Volunteers Want from You 74

What Advocates Want from You  75

What Influencers Want from You 77

Reaching Overlooked Program Participants 79

How Your Needs and Theirs Come Together   80

Leave Content Cairns for People at Different Stages 83

Why It Matters: They Are Your Partners, Not Your Audience 86

CHAPTER FIVE 87

Deciding on Your Trail Name: The Voice and Style You Want to Be Known For 87

Picking Your Content Personality or Voice 87

Customize Your Voice with Tone and Style 92

Taking on Big, Serious Issues in a Funny Voice 94

Bringing Out Your Personality in Social Media   95

No Matter Your Personality, Add the Three G’s   96

Why It Matters: You Need Them to Recognize You 97

CHAPTER SIX 98

Carrying the Load: How to Staff Your Content Marketing Strategy 98

The Role of the Nonprofit Communications Director 98

Helping Staff Understand the Basics 100

Create a Culture Where Everyone is a Marketer   101

Facilitate a Board Retreat on Marketing   103

An Easy Way Others Can Help: Storytelling Stringers 105

Support Your Team with a Marketing Bank   106

Dealing with Resistance 112

Why It Matters: You Can’t Do It as Well Alone   112

SECTION III Envision the Journey: Preparing Your Content Marketing Plan 114

CHAPTER SEVEN 115

Mapping It Out: Sketching Out Your Big Picture Communications Timeline 115

Big Events and Milestones 116

Your Primary Calls to Action  118

Your Major Story Arcs 121

The Big Picture Communications Timeline for Lillian’s List 126

Why It Matters: You Have to Get Your Story Straight   128

CHAPTER EIGHT 130

What You’ll Talk About: Deciding on the Core Topics You Want to Be Known For 130

Developing Your List of Core Topics or Themes   130

Three Kinds of Content: Evergreens, Perennials, and Annual Color 131

Reliable Evergreens: Content with Staying Power 133

Perennial Favorites: Long-Term Content You Actively Tend 136

Annual Color: Short-Term, Splashy Content 138

Combining Your Priorities with Their Interests 139

Put Some Cheese Sauce on That Broccoli 140

Why It Matters: Good Conversation Requires Substance 141

CHAPTER NINE 142

Building Your Itinerary: Designing Your Editorial Calendar and Adding Your Original Content to It 142

Why You Need an Editorial Calendar 143

Finding the Right Tracking Process  144

How to Organize Your Editorial Calendar   146

Using Spreadsheets and Calendars Together 147

How Far Ahead Should You Plan? 149

Let Your Editorial Calendar Evolve 149

Planning a Reasonable Amount of Content   150

Which Communications Channels to Include 152

The Big Six: Most Important Nonprofit Communications Channels 152

Find the Right Frequency of Communications 155

Producing Good Content Takes Time, So Choose Wisely 156

Still Not Sure? Start Here 157

How Much to Map, How Much to Merge 158

Use Editorial Meetings for Final Decisions on the Editorial Calendar 159

Why It Matters: You Need a Dynamic Plan 160

CHAPTER TEN 161

Conserving Energy on the Trail: Repurposing Your Original Content 161

Make One Third of Your Content Repurposed 161

It’s Not Cheating; It’s Media Mogul Genius 162

What’s Ripe for Repurposing 163

Four Favorite Ways to Repurpose Content 164

17 More Ways to Repurpose Your Content 168

Repurposing Challenge: Getting More Mileage from an Awards Program 169

Use Technology Tools to Reheat and Remix 170

Why It Matters: Repurposing Saves Lots of Time 171

CHAPTER ELEVEN 172

Handling Surprises Along the Way: How to Merge in What You Can’t Plan 172

Serendipity and Surprises 172

Little Bets: “Getting Creative” and Other Experiments 173

Newsjacking: Taking Advantage of the Headlines 176

Crisis Communications: Responding to Bad News   180

Why It Matters: You Really Can Predict the Unpredictable    182

Section IV: Set Out on Your Trek: Implementing Your Content Marketing Strategy 183

CHAPTER TWELVE 184

Living in the Moment: Create Relevant Content for Here and Now 184

The Six R’s: How to Be Relevant 184

Be Rewarding 185

Be Realistic 186

Be Real Time 188

Be Responsive 189

Be Revealing 191

Be Refreshing 192

Bringing the Six R’s Together 194

Why It Matters: We Pay Attention Only to What’s Relevant 197

CHAPTER THIRTEEN  198

Your Swiss Army Knife: Reliable Nonprofit Content That Always Works 198

Eleven Favorite Types of Articles   198

Focus on Results  201

Give Your Supporters a Role in the Story 203

Tell a Post Hole Story 204

Dress Up Your Dogs 205

Write the Headline First 206

Why It Matters: Don’t Struggle; Do What Works   208

CHAPTER FOURTEEN 209

Foraging and Filtering: Curate Content Created by Others    209

Why Shine a Light on the Good Work of Others?   209

Finding Content to Curate 211

Sharing Curated Content 213

Always Give Credit . . . You’re a Curator, Not a Thief! 214

Conversation as the Content, Both Created and Curated 214

Curating User-Generated Content 215

Lessons on Curating User Generated Content 217

Why It Matters: They Are Smarter Than You Are   218

CHAPTER FIFTEEN 219

The Best Trail Mix Recipe Ever: Adding Metaphors and Humor into Your Communications 219

Why Nonprofits Need Metaphors 219

Coming Up with the Right Metaphor for Your Organization 221

25 Metaphors for Your Nonprofit 222

The Decrepit Dozen: 12 Worn-out Metaphors Nonprofits Should Avoid 225

Using Humor in Nonprofit Communications   226

Why Funny Works 227

How to Connect with Humor 228

Why It Matters: Creativity Pays Off with Greater Engagement 229

CHAPTER SIXTEEN 230

High Tech on the Trail: How Technology Helps You Implement Your Content Marketing Strategy 230

The Right Technology is Part of Your Staffing Strategy 230

Some of Our Favorite Tech Tools 233

Why It Matters: They Expect a Good Experience   234

Section V: The Right Provisions for the Journey: What to Know About Specific Communications Tools 236

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN 237

Websites 237

What’s Different about This Communications Channel 237

Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 237

Seven Mistakes to Avoid 238

Five Great Examples to Learn From   239

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN  240

Blogging 240

What’s Different about This Communications Channel 240

Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 241

Seven Mistakes to Avoid 242

Five Great Examples to Learn From   243

CHAPTER NINETEEN  243

Email 243

What’s Different about This Communications Channel    243

Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 244

Seven Mistakes to Avoid 245

Five Great Examples to Learn From   246

CHAPTER TWENTY 247

Print Newsletters 247

What’s Different about This Communications Channel 247

Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 247

Seven Mistakes to Avoid 248

Five Great Examples to Learn From   249

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE 250

Facebook 250

What’s Different about This Communications Channel 250

Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 251

Seven Mistakes to Avoid 252

Five Great Examples to Learn From 253

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO 254

Twitter 254

What’s Different about This Communications Channel 254

Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 254

Seven Mistakes to Avoid 255

Five Great Examples to Learn From 256

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE 257

Google+ 257

What’s Different about This Communications Channel 257

Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 257

Seven Mistakes to Avoid 258

Five Great Examples to Learn From 259

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR 260

Video 260

What’s Different about This Communications Channel 260

Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 260

Seven Mistakes to Avoid 261

Five Great Examples to Learn From 262

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE 263

Images 263

What’s Different about This Communications Channel 263

Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 264

Seven Mistakes to Avoid 264

Five Great Examples to Learn From 265

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX 266

Pinterest 266

What’s Different about This Communications Channel 267

Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 267

Seven Mistakes to Avoid 268

Five Great Examples to Learn From 269

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN 270

Mobile 270

What’s Different about This Communications Channel    270

Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 270

Seven Mistakes to Avoid 271

Five Great Examples to Learn From   272

Conclusion: Don’t Go If You Won’t Have Fun 273

Accessing the Companion Website 274

Nonprofits Included in the Book 274

Meet the Author 274

Index

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