Content Marketing for Nonprofits

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.

• Foreword xxiPreface xxvWhat Is Content Marketing? xxvIt’s a Long Trek xxviStop, Think, and Discuss xxviiAcknowledgments xxixAbout the Author xxxiPart One Finding a New Path: The Power of Content Marketing 11 Hearing the Call of the Wild: The Case for Changing Your Communications Approach 3The End of the Target Audience 4Participants, Supporters, and Influencers: Your PSIs 6Seismic Shifts Affecting Your Marketing Strategy 7Media Shifts: More Channels, More Choices, More Power to Decide 7Demographic Shifts: The Four Generations of Your PSIs 13How Each Generation Views Philanthropy 14How Media and Demographic Shifts Affect Communications Choices 17Why You Need to Respond to These Shifts 19The Inner Angel–Inner Bookkeeper Problem 20Why It Matters: Your PSIs Decide Relevance, Not You 212 Understanding This Trek: How Content Marketing Is Different 23The Theory of Change for Nonprofit Content Marketing 24How to Stop Interrupting and Start Attracting 25How Inbound and Outbound Communications Work Together 28Communications at Volunteer Match before and after Content Marketing 28Nonprofit Communications with and without a Content Strategy 30Focusing Less on Channels and More on Reactions 32Example: Remaking a Newsletter Using Content Marketing 33The Power of Becoming a Favorite Nonprofit 35Finding Your Nonprofit’s Marketing Maturity Level 36Why It Matters: Favorite Organizations Win 433 Planting Your Flag at the Destination: Setting Content Marketing Goals and Measuring Progress 45Why Are You Communicating in the First Place? 46Starting Your Goals Discussion: The RelativeImportance of Short-Term Fundraising 48Fundraising Communicators versus Community or Brand-Building Communicators 58Aligning Your Goals with What Defi nes Success 59Measuring Content Marketing Progress: Are We There Yet? 62Measuring Exposure versus Engagement 63Five Ways to Measure Marketing 64Setting SMART Objectives 68Why It Matters: Goals Get You Moving 71Part Two Who Will Go with You: Redefining Your Marketing Relationships 734 Making Friends on the Trail: What Supporters, Participants, and Influencers Want from You 75Why People Give, Volunteer, and Advocate 76What Supporters Want from You 80What Volunteers Want from You 82What Advocates Want from You 85What Influencers Want from You 87Reaching Overlooked Program Participants 91How Your Needs and Theirs Come Together 92Leaving Content Cairns for People at Different Stages 96Why It Matters: They Are Your Partners, Not Your Audience 1005 Deciding on Your Trail Name: The Voice and Style You Want to Be Known For 101Picking Your Content Personality or Voice 102Customizing Your Voice with Tone and Style 109Taking on Big, Serious Issues in a Funny Voice 111Bringing Out Your Personality in Social Media 112No Matter Your Personality, Add the Three G’s 113Why It Matters: You Need Them to Recognize You 1156 Carrying the Load: How to Staff Your Content Marketing Strategy 117The Role of the Nonprofit Communications Director 118Helping Staff Understand the Basics 120Creating a Culture Where Everyone Is a Marketer 122Facilitating a Board Retreat on Marketing 125An Easy Way Others Can Help: Storytelling Stringers 127Supporting Your Team with a Marketing Bank 128Creative Briefs and Job Requests 133Dealing with Resistance 136Why It Matters: You Can’t Do It as Well Alone 137Part Three Envision the Journey: Preparing Your Content Marketing Plan 1397 Mapping It Out: Sketching Out Your Big Picture Communications Timeline 141Identifying Big Events and Milestones 142Identifying Your Primary Calls to Action 143Identifying Your Major Story Arcs 146The Big Picture Communications Timeline for Lillian’s List 154Why It Matters: You Have to Get Your Story Straight 1578 What You’ll Talk About: Deciding on the Core Topics You Want to Be Known For 159Developing Your List of Core Topics or Themes 160Three Kinds of Content: Evergreens, Perennials, and Annual Color 161Reliable Evergreens: Content with Staying Power 162Perennial Favorites: Long-Term Content You Actively Tend 168Annual Color: Short-Term, Splashy Content 171Combining Your Priorities with Their Interests 171Putting Some Cheese Sauce on That Broccoli 173Why It Matters: Good Conversation Requires Substance 1749 Building Your Itinerary: Designing Your Editorial Calendar and Adding Your Original Content to It 177You, the Media Mogul 178Why You Need an Editorial Calendar 179Finding the Right Tracking Process 181Organizing Your Editorial Calendar 183Using Spreadsheets and Calendars Together 184Planning Ahead: How Far Out Should You Look? 188Letting Your Editorial Calendar Evolve 189Planning a Reasonable Amount of Content 190Selecting Communications Channels: The Big Six 193Finding the Right Frequency of Communications 196Producing Good Content Takes Time, So Choose Wisely 197Still Not Sure? Start Here 199How Much to Map, How Much to Merge 199Using Editorial Meetings for Final Calendar Decisions 200Why It Matters: You Need a Dynamic Plan 20210 Conserving Energy on the Trail: Repurposing Your Original Content 203Making One-Third of Your Content Repurposed 204It’s Not Cheating; It’s Media Mogul Genius 204Determining What’s Ripe for Repurposing 206Five Favorite Ways to Repurpose Content 207Seventeen More Ways to Repurpose Your Content 213Repurposing Challenge: Getting More Mileage from an Awards Program 215Using Technology to Reheat and Remix 217Why It Matters: Repurposing Saves Lots of Time 21711 Handling Surprises along the Way: How to Merge in What You Can’t Plan 219Preparing for Serendipity and Surprises 220Little Bets: Getting Creative and Other Experiments 220Letting a Little Bet Grow into a Way of Life 224Newsjacking: Taking Advantage of the Headlines 224How the Firelight Foundation Newsjacked the Facebook IPO 228Crisis Communications: Responding to Bad News 229Why It Matters: You Really Can Predict the Unpredictable 232Part Four Set Out on Your Trek: Implementing Your Content Marketing Strategy 23312 Living in the Moment: Create Relevant Content for Here and Now 235The Six R’s: How to Be Relevant 236Bringing the Six R’s Together 248Why It Matters: We Pay Attention Only to What’s Relevant 25113 Your Swiss Army Knife: Reliable Nonprofit Content That Always Works 253Eleven Favorite Types of Articles 253Focusing on Results 257Giving Your Supporters a Role in the Story 260Telling a Posthole Story 261Dressing Up Your Dogs 262Writing the Headline First 264Why It Matters: Don’t Struggle, Do What Works 26614 Foraging and Filtering: Curating Content Created by Others 267Reasons to Shine a Light on the Good Work of Others 268Finding Content to Curate 270Sharing Curated Content 273Always Give Credit—You’re a Curator, Not a Thief! 274Using Conversation as the Content, Both Created and Curated 275Curating User-Generated Content 275Lessons on Curating User-Generated Content 278Why It Matters: They Are Smarter Than You Are 27915 The Best Trail Mix Recipe Ever: Adding Metaphors and Humor to Your Communications 281Why Nonprofits Need Metaphors 282Coming Up with the Right Metaphor for Your Organization 284Twenty-Five Metaphors for Your Nonprofit 286Twelve Worn-Out Metaphors Your Nonprofit Should Avoid 289Using Humor in Nonprofit Communications 290Why Funny Works 292Connecting with Humor 293Why It Matters: Creativity Pays Off with Greater Engagement 29516 High Tech on the Trail: How Technology Helps You Implement Your Content Marketing Strategy 297The Right Technology Is Part of Your Staffing Strategy 297Some of My Favorite Tech Tools 302Why It Matters: They Expect a Good Experience 303Part Five The Right Provisions for the Journey: What You Need to Know about the Channels You Choose 30517 Websites 307What’s Different about This Communications Channel 307Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 308Seven Mistakes to Avoid 309Five Great Examples to Learn From 31018 Blogs 313What’s Different about This Communications Channel 313Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 313Seven Mistakes to Avoid 315Five Great Examples to Learn From 31619 Email 317What’s Different about This Communications Channel 317Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 317Seven Mistakes to Avoid 319Five Great Examples to Learn From 32020 Print Newsletters 323What’s Different about This Communications Channel 323Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 323Seven Mistakes to Avoid 324Five Great Examples to Learn From 32621 Facebook 329What’s Different about This Communications Channel 329Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 330Seven Mistakes to Avoid 330Five Great Examples to Learn From 33122 Twitter 333What’s Different about This Communications Channel 333Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 333Seven Mistakes to Avoid 335Five Great Examples to Learn From 33623 Google+ 337What’s Different about This Communications Channel 337Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 338Seven Mistakes to Avoid 339Five Great Examples to Learn From 33924 Video 341What’s Different about This Communications Channel 341Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 342Seven Mistakes to Avoid 343Five Great Examples to Learn From 34425 Images 345What’s Different about This Communications Channel 345Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 345Seven Mistakes to Avoid 346Five Great Examples to Learn From 347Contents xvii26 Pinterest 351What’s Different about This Communications Channel 351Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 352Seven Mistakes to Avoid 353Five Great Examples to Learn From 35427 Mobile Devices 357What’s Different about This Communications Channel 357Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 357Seven Mistakes to Avoid 359Five Great Examples to Learn From 360Conclusion: Don’t Go If You Won’t Have Fun 363Nonprofits Included in This Book 365References 369Index 377Figures and TablesFigures1.1 Distribution of New Donors by Age in Two Origin Channels: 2010 Medians 192.1 Theory of Change for Nonprofit Marketing 253.1 How Nonprofit Communicators Describe Their Positions and Goals 473.2 Average Total Donations by Age Group 503.3 Number of People in the United States Aged Fifty-Five to Eighty-Five, 2000–2050, by Generation 513.4 Donor Pools by Generation 533.5 Volunteer Rates by Age Group, 1974–2010 543.6 Most Important Goals for Nonprofit Communications Strategies in 2013 563.7 Ranking Acquisition versus Retention among the Top Three Goals 604.1 What Motivates People to Get Involved in a Social Issue or Cause? 794.2 Engagement Pyramid 937.1 Big Picture Communications Timeline 1427.2 Big Picture Communications Timeline: Events out of Your Control 1447.3 Big Picture Communications Timeline: Events within Your Control 1447.4 Big Picture Communications Timeline: Main Calls to Action 1477.5 Big Picture Communications Timeline: Story Arcs 1527.6 Lillian’s List Timeline 1558.1 Big Picture Communications Timeline: Core Topics by Content Category 1638.2 Big Picture Communications Timeline: Core Topics by Content Category and Time of Year 1709.1 Content Plan Spreadsheet Page for Nonprofit Marketing Guide 1859.2 Editorial Calendar for Nonprofit Marketing Guide 1879.3 How Nonprofits Ranked Communications Channels in 2013 1939.4 Very Important Communication Channels for Nonprofits with Large and Small Budgets 1959.5 Types of Content Nonprofits Expect to Produce in 2013 19811.1 Life of a News Story 22511.2 How to Newsjack 22712.1 Washington Humane Society ’s Hurricane Sandy Email 249Tables1.1 Generations by Birth Year 141.2 How Each Generation Relates to Nonprofits 152.1 Nonprofit Communications with and without a Content Marketing Strategy 313.1 Most Popular Goal Combinations for Nonprofit Communicators in 2013 578.1 Tabby Cat Rescuers Core Topics by Content Category 1649.1 Sample Editorial Calendar for a Monthly Email Newsletter 1819.2 Relative Importance of Communications Channels to Nonprofits 19410.1 The Archie Bray Foundation’s Email Open and Click Rate, December 27, 2011 20810.2 The Archie Bray Foundation ’s Email Open and Click Rate, November 8, 2012 21010.3 The Archie Bray Foundation ’s Email Open and Click Rate, December 12–13, 2012 21110.4 The Archie Bray Foundation ’s Email Open and Click Rate, December 31, 2012 211