Getting Started in Nonprofit Content Marketing

I just got back from a remarkable marketing conference in Boston called Inbound.  Thousands of marketing professionals across an array of industries came together for three days in August to learn, network and hear from industry thought leaders like Seth Godin, Arianna Huffington, and Charity: Water’s Scott Harrison.

The title of the conference, Inbound, focuses on marketing that attracts people, and gets your organization  found online. According to the book Inbound Marketing by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah, “Traditional ‘outbound’ marketing methods like cold-calling, email blasts, advertising, and direct mail are increasingly less effective. People are getting better at blocking these interruptions out using Caller ID, spam protection, TiVo, etc. People are increasingly turning to Google, social media, and blogs to find products and services.” While I think a blend of outbound and inbound strategy is key for nonprofits because of the communications and giving preferences of Generation X, Y, Baby Boomers, and Matures, I think we can all agree that people are not only doing more research online about where they will buy, but also where they will give!



As you know, eTapestry provides you a consolidated view of your constituents’ giving history, interests, relationships, and more and allows you to see a more holistic view of your supporters so you can effectively segment and communicate to them. Knowing about your supporters’ preferences is really the foundation for creating content that resonates with donors and prospective donors and will help get the right message to the right people at the right time!

In addition to proven outbound tactics like direct mail and email communication, a great inbound tactic for nonprofits is blogging. A blog is an excellent place for nonprofits to start developing content to share stories from the field, visual content like pictures and videos of beneficiaries, and educate supporters about your cause. A local Charleston nonprofit, Water Missions International does a great job of this in their blog called  Field Notes. Blogging regularly can also “tell” Google that you are an expert in this area, so the more content you create, gets shared, and linked to, the more Google will “tell” people to go to your blog to learn more about related topics and questions. For example, when you search “clean water,” Water Missions International shows up on the first page of Google rankings because they do a nice job of publishing content on their website related to providing people with clean water!



Craig Davis, CCO at J. Walter Thompson, says it’s time we “…stop interrupting what people are interested in and be what people are interested in.” As an organization that is making the world a better place simply by carrying out your mission on a daily basis, you ARE inherently interesting to people! So begin creating compelling content about your mission and sharing it across a variety of channels – people are eager to hear your story!