“Content marketing is the practice of creating relevant and compelling content in a consistent fashion to a targeted audience, focusing on all stages of the [donor development] process, from brand awareness through to brand evangelism.”
Instead of traditional outbound marketing methods like buying print, radio or internet ads and hoping for prospects, content marketing takes the inbound marketing approach of pulling donors toward your organization through the development of consistent, high-quality content. By producing and distributing valuable information – and lots of it – you enhance your Nonprofit’s reputation, create brand loyalty and ultimately inspire more revenue from your donors.
“Content marketing” has become one of the biggest buzzwords of the digital marketing space within recent years. Successful Nonprofits, corporations, small businesses and even government institutions now understand that to become an authority in their industry, they need to provide proof of their expertise and the content to back it up.
The concept of content marketing is actually nothing new. The first customer magazine to hit the shelves was “The Furrow” from John Deere. Launched in 1895 it now has a circulation of 1.5 million in 40 countries and 12 different languages. Costco publishes The Costco Connection magazine for free each month as a value added feature for their members. This magazine serves to tell the Costco story and ultimately attract and retain customers.
These days, the digital equivalent of a customer magazine is an organization’s blog, which usually serves as the central hub for broadcasting creative and informational content that provides real value to your target market. The content utilized can take many forms, including videos, whitepapers, infographics, e-books, case studies, Q&A sessions and how-to guides.
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Is Content Marketing Important?
Yes. We are living in the information age, and donors and volunteers have the ability to access information via Google and Social Media by doing a simple search. With well-crafted content, you will be able to reach your audience through a variety of these new media channels, and if your content is strong enough, it may even go viral!
The key findings from a 2014 Nonprofit Content Marketing Report show that 92% of nonprofit professionals are using content marketing to entice donor and volunteers. Out of the ninety-two percent, sixty-nine percent have someone who oversees the content marketing strategy. Out of the sixty-nine percent, sixty-five percent are producing more content than a year ago.
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About Ian Lauth
With an extensive background in marketing and design, Ian’s role at Winspire is to develop external communications, brand expansion and product delivery processes to help Nonprofits maximize their fundraising revenue.
Ian serves as the Editor-in-Chief for Winspire News, creating and managing blog content, newsletters, eBooks and other resources for Nonprofit fundraising professionals. You can also find Ian on Google+.
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