How to make big-picture strategic decisions about your content, followed by pragmatic and doable tactics on everything from editorial calendars to repurp
Table of Contents
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
