Nonprofits are implementing content marketing into their communications strategies as a cost-effective way to enhance donor acquisition and retention, storytelling and representation of the nonprofit sector. Without a call to action or a direct pitch, content marketing offers supporters informational content in a range of mediums, including blogs, white papers and website copy. Nonprofits can also produce video documentaries, social media, SEO, newsletters, webinars and podcasts, among other types of content. With authoritative content, nonprofits come off as thought leaders in the industry.
Content marketing draws interest among potential and current supporters
Traditional marketing is losing effectiveness.Mashable reported on an infographic from Voltier Digital that found the majority of 25-to-34-year-olds have left a site because of a pop-up ad. Additionally, 86 percent of people skip television advertisements and 44 percent of direct mail is never opened. People don’t have to receive annoying emails anymore; they can just unsubscribe.
One reason why traditional marketing isn’t working anymore is because people now possess more control over what information they receive. With a one-way communications model, outbound marketing doesn’t offer audience members a voice, whereas inbound marketing stimulates conversation among individuals. Additionally, supporters enjoy greater value, as they consume new information. Nonprofits attract prospective donors and volunteers through search engines and social media instead of advertising and cold calls.
While nonprofits benefit from content marketing in securing supporters, businesses are demonstrating its effectiveness by customer acquisition. For example, 67 percent of B2C companies acquired a customer through Facebook, and 57 percent of businesses attained a customer through a company blog, according to Voltier Digital’s infographic. Since businesses experience effectiveness with inbound marketing, there’s no reason why nonprofits wouldn’t as well.
Content marketing saves nonprofits money
Nonprofits don’t have huge budgets for marketing, according to Content Marketing World. Inbound marketing is relatively inexpensive, and nonprofits enjoy better ROI. To show the cost comparison, outbound marketing costs 62 percent more per lead than inbound marketing. Additionally, 3 out of 4 content marketing outlets cost less than any outbound channel.
Individuals enjoy informative, educational and relevant content
Content marketing is all about offering individuals value and earning their loyalty. Webserves suggested producing relevant content, since supporters prefer consuming pertinent information rather than learning about a service via advertising. In fact, 70 percent of consumers prefer learning about a company through articles, not ads, and 60 percent of customers feel better about a company after consuming custom website copy. Additionally, captivating content is the top three reason individuals choose to follow brands on social media.
Nonprofits can offer individuals compelling content by incorporating personal stories. Webserves recommended nonprofits find testimonials from people who have benefited from services. These stories will deeply impact people and motivate them to contribute time or money. Bloomerang suggests nonprofits generate educational content since it offers these organizations a greater chance of acquiring new supporters.
According to Content Plus, when organizations regularly post quality content, they build loyalty with an individual. Supporters will likely come back consistently for information or choose to subscribe to a blog.
Blogs and social media boost an organization’s online presence
Online platforms increase visibility and sales. Content Plus reported that 63 percent of companies who post content through social media increased their marketing effectiveness. Additionally, the study found that companies who housed a blog resulted in 55 percent increase in visitors. These results will be about the same for non-profit organizations.
Often, people search online for answers to their complex questions. Nonprofits who utilize content marketing have the opportunity to drive traffic by anticipating those questions. With specific keywords within blog entries or social media sites, nonprofits attract an online target audience and potential donations.