Tap content marketing to engage the public

August 1, 2013

Tap content marketing to engage the public

For all the good nonprofits do throughout the year, they need a place where they can tell stories about volunteering experiences, share information about upcoming events and spread knowledge about their mission. These are just a few examples of the types of articles that can be a part of a nonprofit's content marketing strategy. Efforts to publish blogs, newsletters and general articles are growing in popularity across the country. Forty-nine percent of marketers who participated in digital marketing company IMN's recent study said they currently have a formal content marketing strategy in place.

Newsletters are a popular choice
Nonprofits often struggle to inform the public about what is going on within their organization. A recent article for Content Marketing World stated its a good idea to share engaging stories that can compel readers to learn more about the nonprofit. By sending out newsletters featuring the exciting things that happened recently at the organization, marketers may be draw in a bigger following. The IMN survey showed about two in three marketers share content through newsletters, and 51 percent send out informational mailings on a monthly basis.

Nonprofits that are worried about including content they have used on the blog or distributed via social media platforms should know it can be a good idea to repurpose content. Michele Linn, content development director at the Content Marketing Institute, said many organizations have different strategies in place for their online platforms, but she doesn't see a problem with sharing the same information on a few different marketing mediums.

"This doesn't mean using the same content in every channel but reimagining it so it is applicable to that channel and that audience," Linn said.

Blogs can attract a large audience
Newsletters are one way to catch the eye of donors and local businesses interested in getting involved with nonprofits, but blogs can be equally effective. Usually less formal than newsletters, blogs can cover a wide range of topics and have several authors. For example, if the organization just put on a fundraising event, it may be a good idea to ask an attendee to write about his or her experience. According to Content Marketing World, staff members and donors can also try their hand a writing a blog post. Regularly updating blogs with interesting information from different people associated with the nonprofit is part of a strong content marketing strategy.

Look outside the box for other types of content
While content distributed by nonprofits usually includes newsletters, blogs and shared news, an article for Mashable suggested organizations take advantage of technological innovations to expand their breadth of content. Custom magazines, webcasts and webinars, podcasts, video, e-books, research reports and email are other ideas marketers can use when creating their editorial calendar for the remainder of the year. By embracing content marketing, nonprofits have a low-cost option of getting people to notice the organization.

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