Your best content deepens awareness around your cause. All the things you upload to your website and social media channels build trust, thought leadership, and, quite simply, loyal fans and advocates. And it’s easier to do than you might you think.
Content Marketing: What It Is. What It Isn’t.
Content, as you may have already heard, really is king. Words, images, videos, podcasts and the like are everywhere. Regularly creating and sharing what you do best through words, images, videos, podcasts, webinars, and the like, is content marketing. It’s all about connecting and building trust over time. What is isn’t is hard sales. You know, like those paid ad boosts on your Facebook page. Simple, right?
5 Tips to Fast Content Marketing
Set aside 30 minutes to an hour to map out a simple strategy for creating content that brings people to your website and social media channels.
1) Remember what you already know. You know your mission better than anyone. You’re also the expert on your constituents and donors. What are their immediate needs? What are their concerns? How will your services and programs help them feel heard and valued? Tap your knowledge base and come up with a list of topics to share.
2) Know your “who”, “why” and “what.” Consider your objective. Why are you creating content? What do you want people to do once they’ve read your blog post or watched your YouTube video? What do they care about? What types of content work best? Make sure you::
- Decide who you’re trying to reach and why: donor or client?
- Brainstorm hot topics clients, donors and constituents care about them
- List the actions you want them to take: click to sign up, donate, share?
3) Keep it simple. Keep it conversational. Use language your audience can relate to. Be yourself, and write or speak like you normally do, with all the smarts, spunk, or passion you’d normally bring to a discussion. When you do, you’re being authentic. Your organization’s brand, mission and values will stand out.
4) Get them on your team. Become a valued resource that makes others part of the solution to the need you serve. When you help others understand how they can help solve a problem or address an issue that’s important to them, you build opportunities for a deep connection. Its a chance to get others excited or moved to act: to donate, sign up, volunteer. To get started, you can:
- Educate them on your mission’s urgency
- Share practical information
- Answer a persistent question
- Highlight – with a quick client or donor story – how your community can make a difference
5) Do at least one thing really really well. No need to leap tall buildings in a single bound. If you can “only” manage your Facebook page and an occasional blog post, that’s okay. Start where you’re at. Master those content forms. Do them very very well. Over time, you’ll gradually add to your content repertoire.
Content marketing is for the long-haul. Over time, you’ll systematically build your advocate and audience base and see the fruits of your labor. So, tell me, where are you on your content marketing journey? Share in the comments section below.
