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15 Content Marketing Ideas for Your Nonprofit Organization

Many nonprofit organizations become intimidated and overwhelmed with content marketing at first – even for-profit startups have the same sentiment when boosting their online presence. Nonprofits operate on limited funding and manpower because they rely on volunteers and donors for their cause. These hurdles make it more challenging for them to focus on connecting with audiences within the digital space.

But with tailor-fitted content marketing strategy and creative ideas, nonprofits can set themselves up for success in expansion and thought leadership. Content marketing can boost awareness for your nonprofit organization by reaching broader audiences. It can drive sustainable growth into your nonprofit by attracting volunteers and donors.

Why Nonprofit Organizations Need to Engage in Content Marketing 

Content marketing involves developing and distributing valuable content for companies to reach audiences and drive conversions. While marketing is usually associated with for-profit entities, nonprofit organizations can also employ these strategies to boost their cause online and attract volunteers and donors. In fact, 92% of nonprofit marketers engage in content marketing. The benefits nonprofit organizations can gain from this practice are:

  • Coming up with a better marketing mission
  • Spreading their cause more efficiently
  • Reaching broader audiences
  • Building an online community of supporters
  • Attracting potential volunteers and donors
  • Establishing themselves as thought leaders

Nonprofit organizations may operate on minimal funding and volunteers, but engaging in content marketing with the best practices can help boost your cause and expand your organization.

Content Marketing Ideas for Boosting Your Nonprofit Organization

If you’re just about to start with content marketing, you may be overwhelmed with all the options to consider. That’s why you must create a content marketing strategy tailor-fitted for your nonprofit’s capacity, position, and identity. Some content marketing ideas you can try are:

1) Applying for Google Ad Grant

Nonprofit organizations should look into the Google Ad Grant and see if they qualify for the program. Signing up for this grant allows you to have $10,000 worth of free Google text-only ads monthly. Applying for a Google Ad Grant can greatly support your content marketing efforts, especially if you struggle with limited funding. It can even jump-start your online presence.

2) Updating Your Website

Before anything else, you may want to review and revamp your website because this is where your visitors will gravitate. Look up your website on google search and test how responsive it is. Check how it looks on your smartphone or tablet, and try navigating the options. See how it loads up quickly and is pretty responsive.

It might be time to update your website if you can’t find it on search or isn’t responsive or accessible on mobile. Revamping your website with the best SEO tools and optimizing it for mobile use is a good way to start your content marketing tasks.

3) Creating Content for SEO 

Content marketing involves creating different types of content to boost your online presence. Because of this, you must know the best search engine optimization or SEO practices, involving learning its algorithm and applying these when creating content. 

You may notice that your website doesn’t show up on the first pages when you look it up – that’s because it has not matured or Google hasn’t deemed your site trustworthy and credible yet. You must create content valuable to audiences and show your authority over your topic to gain rankings on SERPs. Keyword research is still necessary for understanding human behavior in search, but Google rewards user-centric content.

When creating blogs, you may want to determine your core topic and create a pillar page where you thoroughly and exhaustively discuss your topic. You’ll create other blogs from cluster topics, which will link to your pillar page. Ensure planning your content creation according to a long-term plan to allow website maturation.

4) Using Automation

If your nonprofit has been struggling with limited volunteers to handle your content marketing, you can try relying on automation for many of your tasks. This is the best option if you want to start doing email marketing since it offers a great chance of gaining high ROIs. 

Using automation saves up time and money as it sends emails regularly to your subscribers, promoting retention. Automation can send welcome emails to users signing up for your newsletter with CTAs that seamlessly direct audiences to services.

5) Getting Active on Social Media

You may want to avoid neglecting social media because it’s also part of content marketing. Reaching audiences on these platforms is different from search engines because your content must be shorter yet engaging. You can post repurposed excerpts from blogs and other longer content on social media platforms. 

You may also create short, original content dedicated to social media posts. You can post short explainer videos, discussions, or any other content. But nonprofit marketers must remember that the tone of their content should match their social media presence.

6) Posting Analyses and Commentaries

Your nonprofit may post commentaries and critiques relevant to your cause. These may be think pieces, case studies, journal articles, and other articles that provide in-depth discussions on different topics concerning your advocacies.

But if you'll post these studies, you must tailor-fit them for blogs or pages. You must make it more engaging and shareable instead of outward-facing and telling. Publishing valuable insights on trends concerning your advocacy allows you to establish yourself as a thought leader. 

7) Incorporating Storytelling

Nonprofit organizations mustn't forget to incorporate storytelling into their content. Storytelling adds depth to your nonprofit. It establishes your identity and draws the attention of your audience. More than this, adding storytelling to your content makes it more appealing as it evokes emotions, encouraging visitors to volunteer, donate, or support your nonprofit in other ways.

You can post stories of individuals from the community you’ve been working with. You may also feature other donors or volunteers and how they feel about working with your nonprofit organization. It’s also a good way to break up the text and add vibrant imagery to your blogs and website.

8) Holding Virtual Events

You can organize virtual events, like webinars, panel discussions, live events, or question-and-answer sessions. Hosting virtual events allows you to engage with your audiences and become more intimate with them. 

You can provide in-depth discussions while they can directly share their thoughts and ask questions. You may also invite independent subject matter experts or SMEs to discuss topics relevant to your advocacy — this boosts your nonprofit’s credibility and authority.

9) Creating Infographics

Infographics are a good way to share necessary information because they’re visually appealing, easy to understand, and shareable. They can also highlight important numbers efficiently. You may turn statistics, surveys, and other data relevant to your cause into infographics. These visuals are also suitable visuals to your website and blogs to break up the text, or you may also post them on social media.

10) Uploading Videos

Visual content is encouraged in content marketing, so your nonprofit organization may not want to miss out on uploading videos. In fact, video is the most popular content format on the Internet. You can upload videos of live streams, interviews, documentaries, explainer videos, or even short films. Nonprofits may also publish animations with voice-overs.

These videos might stand alone or serve as a stand-alone for other content types you have, like an introduction to your photo gallery or an explainer to an article. Uploading videos allows you to reach a broader audience.

11) Creating Podcasts

Creating a podcast is a good way to share stories with your audiences and get more intimate with them. It’s been gaining more popularity because of its efficiency in telling stories, allowing your nonprofit to establish loyalty and even build an online community of supporters.

You can find much of the content you can turn into a podcast in your archive – you can repurpose existing blogs and pages into podcasts. The only hurdle for nonprofit organizations is the voice and face they’ll have on the podcast – they can invite individuals from the community they’re working for. You may also invite industry experts, volunteers, and even donors.

12) Publishing Annual Reports

You can publish your nonprofit’s annual reports to keep your audiences updated about your projects and activities. It can also encourage new visitors to learn more and support your cause. These reports show how your nonprofit is doing for the year by numbers and statistics. If your organization is doing great, you must release exciting news. You can make your post visually appealing and interactive to promote your nonprofit’s authenticity and authority.

13) Adding Photo Galleries 

You may also add photo galleries on your website. This is beneficial for nonprofit organizations in the arts industry, as they can hold virtual exhibitions to reach and connect to their audiences. With these photo galleries, they can share their craft. Adding photo galleries to your nonprofit website can be an appealing way to advertise and invite audiences to a physical art exhibition. It can also serve as a detailed guide accessible to everyone.

Nonprofit organizations that aren’t in the art industry can also benefit from adding photo galleries – they can keep their audiences updated with their fundraisers and events by uploading photos. These also add stories and depth to your cause, encouraging visitors to take part in your advocacy.

14) Encouraging User-Generated Content

Nonprofit organizations can also take engagement with audiences to the next level by encouraging user-generated content or USG. USG is original content created by customers and supporters about a specific brand – this can come in the form of uploading photos or videos about a brand, posting reviews, testimonials, or podcasts.

You can encourage a fund-raising activity your audiences can do to support your cause – it can be in the form of a tweet, Facebook post, or leaving posts on other platforms. User-generated content promotes engagement, authenticity, and trust in your nonprofit and cause. This can attract more audiences to support your organization.

15) Repurposing Content

Your content doesn’t always have to be new and trendy. You can repurpose existing pieces into something new to reach a broader audience and get the most out of your content. This also saves up time and funding since you won’t have to start from scratch all over again. Ensure the repurposing of evergreen and popular pieces and repackage them into something new and compelling.

Getting Creative with Your Content Marketing Strategy

Content marketing may be intimidating for some, but the right strategy and ideas can help you connect with your audiences and elevate your nonprofit organization. There are many ideas you can do to boost your online presence, from creating pillar pages and blogs to uploading videos and podcasts.

Content marketing can help establish your nonprofit organization as a thought leader, attract volunteers and donors, and drive growth in your organization. It also has tools and analytics, allowing you to track and assess your performance, promoting sustainable growth.

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