The Challenge of Content Marketing for Non-Profits

In case you have been living in a cave somewhere for the last couple of years, let me enlighten you. Content marketing is king. Whether you are trying to cultivate a community of supporters (and customers), become known as a thought leader in your field, establish your brand or refresh a tired brand, increase your visibility – you have to embrace content marketing. Simply put, content marketing is the creation of original content, including blogposts, photos and videos, studies and “white papers”, surveys and testimonials, and the consequent sharing, distribution and publishing of the same. Content marketing may also involve curating and sharing resources, some of which may not be original – giving credit where credit is due, of course.

Businesses are turning to content marketing in greater numbers all of the time. According to some studies, many companies are spending far more on online content marketing than they are on radio, television, and print advertising. This makes perfect sense when you consider the trend towards more people getting information from the internet than from magazines, newspapers or other traditional channels. Another recent report notes that “an impressive 82%” of marketers are using content marketing as a core strategy, compared with lower numbers who use search engine marketing, live events, traditional public relations, and print/TV/radio.

Most non-profits have engaged in content marketing of a sort forever, whether this includes printing and mailing brochures or catalogs, publishing studies, or sending out an annual report. The internet and various web tools have just made the entire process easier to do – and more challenging at the same time. But don’t shy away from the challenge. Instead, learn to become a dominant force!

A survey by the Content Marketing Institute showed that 92% of non-profit professionals surveyed were using content marketing, although only about a quarter of those questioned had a content marketing strategy, or considered themselves competent in this area. The first step, then, should be to develop a content marketing strategy.

An effective strategy will address some key points. For example, what platforms should you use? Because of its seeming ubiquity, over 90% of non-profits are using Facebook as a key platform, although studies have shown that LinkedIn and Twitter generate more revenue. Another issue involves personnel. Who should run your content marketing plan? Can you afford to hire a full-time person or will the tasks be delegated to someone whose plate is already full (a not uncommon problem with most non-profits)? If you are going to do the work in-house, should it be overseen by a seasoned manager, or given off to a “young person who ‘gets’ this stuff”? Who will create original content, and how do you set up effective scheduling and follow up to make sure that you are continually giving your customers/followers something to make them think about you? Do you have an audience you already want to reach, or are you trying to engage new people – or both? How do you prove a return on investment (ROI) for your content marketing efforts? What are your goals for your content marketing plan – fundraising, loyalty, engaging volunteers, reaching potential customers? The list goes on.

There are a lot of resources, and no shortage of organizations – including Innovaision – who can help you with develop a useful and productive content marketing strategy. If you are a non-profit who hopes to survive and continue your mission into the future, it’s high time you started!