Content Marketing for Nonprofits

Foreword xxi Preface xxv What Is Content Marketing? xxv It’s a Long Trek xxvi Stop, Think, and Discuss xxvii Acknowledgments xxix About the Author xxxi Part One Finding a New Path: The Power of Content Marketing 1 1 Hearing the Call of the Wild: The Case for Changing Your Communications Approach 3 The End of the Target Audience 4 Participants, Supporters, and Influencers: Your PSIs 6 Seismic Shifts Affecting Your Marketing Strategy 7 Media Shifts: More Channels, More Choices, More Power to Decide 7 Demographic Shifts: The Four Generations of Your PSIs 13 How Each Generation Views Philanthropy 14 How Media and Demographic Shifts Affect Communications Choices 17 Why You Need to Respond to These Shifts 19 The Inner Angel–Inner Bookkeeper Problem 20 Why It Matters: Your PSIs Decide Relevance, Not You 21 2 Understanding This Trek: How Content Marketing Is Different 23 The Theory of Change for Nonprofit Content Marketing 24 How to Stop Interrupting and Start Attracting 25 How Inbound and Outbound Communications Work Together 28 Communications at Volunteer Match before and after Content Marketing 28 Nonprofit Communications with and without a Content Strategy 30 Focusing Less on Channels and More on Reactions 32 Example: Remaking a Newsletter Using Content Marketing 33 The Power of Becoming a Favorite Nonprofit 35 Finding Your Nonprofit’s Marketing Maturity Level 36 Why It Matters: Favorite Organizations Win 43 3 Planting Your Flag at the Destination: Setting Content Marketing Goals and Measuring Progress 45 Why Are You Communicating in the First Place? 46 Starting Your Goals Discussion: The Relative Importance of Short-Term Fundraising 48 Fundraising Communicators versus Community or Brand-Building Communicators 58 Aligning Your Goals with What Defi nes Success 59 Measuring Content Marketing Progress: Are We There Yet? 62 Measuring Exposure versus Engagement 63 Five Ways to Measure Marketing 64 Setting SMART Objectives 68 Why It Matters: Goals Get You Moving 71 Part Two Who Will Go with You: Redefining Your Marketing Relationships 73 4 Making Friends on the Trail: What Supporters, Participants, and Influencers Want from You 75 Why People Give, Volunteer, and Advocate 76 What Supporters Want from You 80 What Volunteers Want from You 82 What Advocates Want from You 85 What Influencers Want from You 87 Reaching Overlooked Program Participants 91 How Your Needs and Theirs Come Together 92 Leaving Content Cairns for People at Different Stages 96 Why It Matters: They Are Your Partners, Not Your Audience 100 5 Deciding on Your Trail Name: The Voice and Style You Want to Be Known For 101 Picking Your Content Personality or Voice 102 Customizing Your Voice with Tone and Style 109 Taking on Big, Serious Issues in a Funny Voice 111 Bringing Out Your Personality in Social Media 112 No Matter Your Personality, Add the Three G’s 113 Why It Matters: You Need Them to Recognize You 115 6 Carrying the Load: How to Staff Your Content Marketing Strategy 117 The Role of the Nonprofit Communications Director 118 Helping Staff Understand the Basics 120 Creating a Culture Where Everyone Is a Marketer 122 Facilitating a Board Retreat on Marketing 125 An Easy Way Others Can Help: Storytelling Stringers 127 Supporting Your Team with a Marketing Bank 128 Creative Briefs and Job Requests 133 Dealing with Resistance 136 Why It Matters: You Can’t Do It as Well Alone 137 Part Three Envision the Journey: Preparing Your Content Marketing Plan 139 7 Mapping It Out: Sketching Out Your Big Picture Communications Timeline 141 Identifying Big Events and Milestones 142 Identifying Your Primary Calls to Action 143 Identifying Your Major Story Arcs 146 The Big Picture Communications Timeline for Lillian’s List 154 Why It Matters: You Have to Get Your Story Straight 157 8 What You’ll Talk About: Deciding on the Core Topics You Want to Be Known For 159 Developing Your List of Core Topics or Themes 160 Three Kinds of Content: Evergreens, Perennials, and Annual Color 161 Reliable Evergreens: Content with Staying Power 162 Perennial Favorites: Long-Term Content You Actively Tend 168 Annual Color: Short-Term, Splashy Content 171 Combining Your Priorities with Their Interests 171 Putting Some Cheese Sauce on That Broccoli 173 Why It Matters: Good Conversation Requires Substance 174 9 Building Your Itinerary: Designing Your Editorial Calendar and Adding Your Original Content to It 177 You, the Media Mogul 178 Why You Need an Editorial Calendar 179 Finding the Right Tracking Process 181 Organizing Your Editorial Calendar 183 Using Spreadsheets and Calendars Together 184 Planning Ahead: How Far Out Should You Look? 188 Letting Your Editorial Calendar Evolve 189 Planning a Reasonable Amount of Content 190 Selecting Communications Channels: The Big Six 193 Finding the Right Frequency of Communications 196 Producing Good Content Takes Time, So Choose Wisely 197 Still Not Sure? Start Here 199 How Much to Map, How Much to Merge 199 Using Editorial Meetings for Final Calendar Decisions 200 Why It Matters: You Need a Dynamic Plan 202 10 Conserving Energy on the Trail: Repurposing Your Original Content 203 Making One-Third of Your Content Repurposed 204 It’s Not Cheating; It’s Media Mogul Genius 204 Determining What’s Ripe for Repurposing 206 Five Favorite Ways to Repurpose Content 207 Seventeen More Ways to Repurpose Your Content 213 Repurposing Challenge: Getting More Mileage from an Awards Program 215 Using Technology to Reheat and Remix 217 Why It Matters: Repurposing Saves Lots of Time 217 11 Handling Surprises along the Way: How to Merge in What You Can’t Plan 219 Preparing for Serendipity and Surprises 220 Little Bets: Getting Creative and Other Experiments 220 Letting a Little Bet Grow into a Way of Life 224 Newsjacking: Taking Advantage of the Headlines 224 How the Firelight Foundation Newsjacked the Facebook IPO 228 Crisis Communications: Responding to Bad News 229 Why It Matters: You Really Can Predict the Unpredictable 232 Part Four Set Out on Your Trek: Implementing Your Content Marketing Strategy 233 12 Living in the Moment: Create Relevant Content for Here and Now 235 The Six R’s: How to Be Relevant 236 Bringing the Six R’s Together 248 Why It Matters: We Pay Attention Only to What’s Relevant 251 13 Your Swiss Army Knife: Reliable Nonprofit Content That Always Works 253 Eleven Favorite Types of Articles 253 Focusing on Results 257 Giving Your Supporters a Role in the Story 260 Telling a Posthole Story 261 Dressing Up Your Dogs 262 Writing the Headline First 264 Why It Matters: Don’t Struggle, Do What Works 266 14 Foraging and Filtering: Curating Content Created by Others 267 Reasons to Shine a Light on the Good Work of Others 268 Finding Content to Curate 270 Sharing Curated Content 273 Always Give Credit—You’re a Curator, Not a Thief! 274 Using Conversation as the Content, Both Created and Curated 275 Curating User-Generated Content 275 Lessons on Curating User-Generated Content 278 Why It Matters: They Are Smarter Than You Are 279 15 The Best Trail Mix Recipe Ever: Adding Metaphors and Humor to Your Communications 281 Why Nonprofits Need Metaphors 282 Coming Up with the Right Metaphor for Your Organization 284 Twenty-Five Metaphors for Your Nonprofit 286 Twelve Worn-Out Metaphors Your Nonprofit Should Avoid 289 Using Humor in Nonprofit Communications 290 Why Funny Works 292 Connecting with Humor 293 Why It Matters: Creativity Pays Off with Greater Engagement 295 16 High Tech on the Trail: How Technology Helps You Implement Your Content Marketing Strategy 297 The Right Technology Is Part of Your Staffing Strategy 297 Some of My Favorite Tech Tools 302 Why It Matters: They Expect a Good Experience 303 Part Five The Right Provisions for the Journey: What You Need to Know about the Channels You Choose 305 17 Websites 307 What’s Different about This Communications Channel 307 Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 308 Seven Mistakes to Avoid 309 Five Great Examples to Learn From 310 18 Blogs 313 What’s Different about This Communications Channel 313 Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 313 Seven Mistakes to Avoid 315 Five Great Examples to Learn From 316 19 Email 317 What’s Different about This Communications Channel 317 Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 317 Seven Mistakes to Avoid 319 Five Great Examples to Learn From 320 20 Print Newsletters 323 What’s Different about This Communications Channel 323 Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 323 Seven Mistakes to Avoid 324 Five Great Examples to Learn From 326 21 Facebook 329 What’s Different about This Communications Channel 329 Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 330 Seven Mistakes to Avoid 330 Five Great Examples to Learn From 331 22 Twitter 333 What’s Different about This Communications Channel 333 Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 333 Seven Mistakes to Avoid 335 Five Great Examples to Learn From 336 23 Google+ 337 What’s Different about This Communications Channel 337 Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 338 Seven Mistakes to Avoid 339 Five Great Examples to Learn From 339 24 Video 341 What’s Different about This Communications Channel 341 Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 342 Seven Mistakes to Avoid 343 Five Great Examples to Learn From 344 25 Images 345 What’s Different about This Communications Channel 345 Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 345 Seven Mistakes to Avoid 346 Five Great Examples to Learn From 347 Contents xvii 26 Pinterest 351 What’s Different about This Communications Channel 351 Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 352 Seven Mistakes to Avoid 353 Five Great Examples to Learn From 354 27 Mobile Devices 357 What’s Different about This Communications Channel 357 Seven Ways to Make Your Content Work Here 357 Seven Mistakes to Avoid 359 Five Great Examples to Learn From 360 Conclusion: Don’t Go If You Won’t Have Fun 363 Nonprofits Included in This Book 365 References 369 Index 377 Figures and Tables Figures 1.1 Distribution of New Donors by Age in Two Origin Channels: 2010 Medians 19 2.1 Theory of Change for Nonprofit Marketing 25 3.1 How Nonprofit Communicators Describe Their Positions and Goals 47 3.2 Average Total Donations by Age Group 50 3.3 Number of People in the United States Aged Fifty-Five to Eighty-Five, 2000–2050, by Generation 51 3.4 Donor Pools by Generation 53 3.5 Volunteer Rates by Age Group, 1974–2010 54 3.6 Most Important Goals for Nonprofit Communications Strategies in 2013 56 3.7 Ranking Acquisition versus Retention among the Top Three Goals 60 4.1 What Motivates People to Get Involved in a Social Issue or Cause? 79 4.2 Engagement Pyramid 93 7.1 Big Picture Communications Timeline 142 7.2 Big Picture Communications Timeline: Events out of Your Control 144 7.3 Big Picture Communications Timeline: Events within Your Control 144 7.4 Big Picture Communications Timeline: Main Calls to Action 147 7.5 Big Picture Communications Timeline: Story Arcs 152 7.6 Lillian’s List Timeline 155 8.1 Big Picture Communications Timeline: Core Topics by Content Category 163 8.2 Big Picture Communications Timeline: Core Topics by Content Category and Time of Year 170 9.1 Content Plan Spreadsheet Page for Nonprofit Marketing Guide 185 9.2 Editorial Calendar for Nonprofit Marketing Guide 187 9.3 How Nonprofits Ranked Communications Channels in 2013 193 9.4 Very Important Communication Channels for Nonprofits with Large and Small Budgets 195 9.5 Types of Content Nonprofits Expect to Produce in 2013 198 11.1 Life of a News Story 225 11.2 How to Newsjack 227 12.1 Washington Humane Society ’s Hurricane Sandy Email 249 Tables 1.1 Generations by Birth Year 14 1.2 How Each Generation Relates to Nonprofits 15 2.1 Nonprofit Communications with and without a Content Marketing Strategy 31 3.1 Most Popular Goal Combinations for Nonprofit Communicators in 2013 57 8.1 Tabby Cat Rescuers Core Topics by Content Category 164 9.1 Sample Editorial Calendar for a Monthly Email Newsletter 181 9.2 Relative Importance of Communications Channels to Nonprofits 194 10.1 The Archie Bray Foundation’s Email Open and Click Rate, December 27, 2011 208 10.2 The Archie Bray Foundation ’s Email Open and Click Rate, November 8, 2012 210 10.3 The Archie Bray Foundation ’s Email Open and Click Rate, December 12–13, 2012 211 10.4 The Archie Bray Foundation ’s Email Open and Click Rate, December 31, 2012 211