SEO Content vs. Newsletter Content: Getting Results With Your Nonprofit Blog

We all have that one parent or relative who sends seemingly random text messages without necessary context, or who verbally launches into the middle of a detailed story in which a) key “introduction” information is missing, or b) we’re not interested because we’re not really the best target audience for it. Either way, this makes for an awkward and unrewarding one-way interaction that many of us try to (tactfully) escape. But there’s good news: you can help your nonprofit’s blog content get far better results if you keep this kind of encounter in mind.

If your nonprofit has a blog (and it should), you understandably might be tempted to use it primarily as a place to market your organization’s services, tout its achievements, bring visibility to its challenges, and alert readers to important upcoming fundraisers and other events. In fact, this is a common practice among many nonprofits. But there are two major elements of blog writing that can make or break its effectiveness: understanding who your audience is and what kind of content will interest readers where they are in order to motivate them to take action.

If your articles are focused primarily on your organization and its operations, you’re starting at the middle-to-end of your “conversation” with audiences. Don’t worry: there’s a great place for this writing approach. It’s just not your blog.

It’s your newsletter. 

As forms of communication, blogs and newsletters can both be highly effective at gaining greater support for your nonprofit. However, they accomplish this in very different ways, and it’s essential to plan the content for each with these disparate goals in mind. That’s because they are, in fact, two different parts of a larger content strategy to get results for your nonprofit. 

Here’s the difference between the two—and why SEO content for your blog can not only expand your newsletter audience but boost your organization’s success as a whole.

Newsletter Content vs. SEO Content

In both newsletter and SEO content, keeping your target audience or target market in mind is key. To do this, it helps to clearly define the audience for each and consider where they are in their relationship with your nonprofit.

Your Newsletter

Your newsletter has a very specific purpose, which is, of course, to keep reader-supporters up to date on what’s happening in your organization. It also has an equally specific target audience, which is your existing list of email or hard copy newsletter subscribers.

 

Your email and “snail mail” subscribers are the target audience you’ve already won over to at least some degree, even if they haven’t yet decided to donate. They know your organization exists, and they’re interested in its updates and internal workings. By sending them news and updates, you’re giving them exactly what they have signed up to receive, which means you can and should continue to do so in full (but coherent) thick-of-the-plot detail.

Your Blog

Unlike your newsletter, your blog content (ideally) appears in results from major search engines like Google. This means that your target blog audience is everyone on the entire internet who cares, or might be persuaded to care, about the particular issues your organization seeks to address. And the majority of internet readers out there don’t even know your nonprofit exists, much less know if they want to sign up for your newsletter—yet. 

 

The purpose of your nonprofit’s blog posts should be to reach as many new readers as possible—and convince them to join the ranks of your existing supporters. In other words, they are strangers, and you want to make a good first impression to win them over (preferably as a poised speaker who complies with accepted conventions for polite conversation).

Content Marketing Strategy Is Like the Donor Journey

If any of this sounds familiar, it’s because a successful nonprofit content marketing strategy is similar to (and integral to) the donor journey you’re already familiar with. Your newsletter content is positioned somewhere in the “research,” “decision,” or “appreciation” portion of the general donor journey map: the middle-to-late point at which your target audience is already aware of and interested in your work. Your blog content, on the other hand, is located at the very beginning of the journey, in the “awareness” portion.

 

The goal of your blog content should be to get the largest possible audience of internet readers to read your articles and become invested in your organization. First, you’ll need articles that show up in more internet searches so that more readers will be able to find them. For that, you’ll need high-quality search engine optimized (SEO) content.

…And It’s Funnel-Shaped

We’ve established that blog content exists at the beginning of the reader/donor journey, and that it should be search engine optimized so that your articles land on the first page of Google results in relevant searches. Put another way, nonprofit content strategy as a whole works best as a funnel. 

 

Your blog content exists at the top of the tunnel (TOFU), which roughly correlates to the “awareness” stage of the donor journey, or the point at which readers first have an opportunity to learn that your organization exists and what it does. However, your newsletter subscribers are at the level of interest where they:

 

• Know your organization exists and want to learn more about it (the “research” part of the donor journey)

 

• Have decided to donate (the “decision” point)

 

• Have donated and want to see the difference their contribution has made (the “appreciation” point)

 

This places your newsletter at the middle or end of the donor journey and somewhere in the middle of your content marketing funnel (MOFU) or the bottom of it (BOFU). Newsletter content is located somewhere in the middle or end of your “conversation” with readers as well.

 

How SEO Content Works and Gets Results for Your Organization

We’ve established that your blog content exists at the beginning of the donor journey, the top of your content marketing funnel, and as the context or “why” for readers’ future interactions with your organization. At this early stage, your blog should offer content that will interest as many readers as possible. If you’re wondering what sorcery works best here, it’s simple: give internet searchers the answers to questions they are Googling. Offer them valuable information on broad, education-oriented topics that intersect with your organization’s mission.

 

Here’s how well-constructed SEO blog content boosts your readership and supporter base.

It Gives Audiences What They’re Looking For, First and Foremost

General topics related to your mission won’t bring every single internet reader sprinting toward your nonprofit with their wallets open. However, they will reach the largest possible niche audience who shares (or may come to share) your nonprofit’s concerns, and they provide organic, no-pressure reasons to support its mission. Even niche audiences use fairly general terms to search for information on Google. Keeping topics broad helps your content show up in more Google searches—and land in front of more sympathetic readers’ eyes.

It Is Both a “Hook” and a Public Service

By designing your blog topics as the answers to frequently-searched questions rather than news specific to your organization, you’re crafting an effective “hook” for readers. Yet because you’re offering sound information, it’s a more than ethical move. When it’s well-researched and well-presented, your content will indeed offer audiences the essential answers it promises, plus a good deal more besides. 

It Alert Audiences to Your Organization’s Existence

When your content is designed to hold audiences’ attention all the way down to the last word, it will motivate people to also read your Call to Action section (CTA) at the end of each blog post. Your CTA is where your readers—most of whom will, again, have come to your article via a Google search, not your website—will first learn that your organization exists. They’ll see how your mission connects to the information they’ve been given. And since they were interested in the topic before they found you, they may want to take the actions suggested in your CTA. 

It Establishes Your Organization as an Authority on Your Subject

Offering information that is as credible, objective, and compelling as it is valuable also helps to establish your nonprofit as an authority on all topics related to your work. Google refers to this quality of content as reflecting experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (EATT). 

 

EATT-style content will not only capture readers’ attention, but build your nonprofit’s credibility in their minds as they work their way through your article. The more confident readers are in the insights your content offers, the more faith they will put in your organization by association. 

It Still Drives Readers to Take Action

The trust you’ve built with high-quality, widely relevant content can lead readers not only to click on the internal links in your CTA, but check out your social media pages and other parts of your website. The more time new audiences spend engaging with your content, the more likely they will be to take action in the ways you want them to: subscribing to your newsletter, volunteering, donating, sharing your posts on social media, and more.

 

When you design your content with general audiences in mind, you’ll get more people interested in learning about your organization, what it does, the “big picture” of why your work matters, and how they can support your mission. This brings you a big step closer to having an audience who will be motivated to sign up for your newsletter—or whatever other priorities your nonprofit may have.

 

In short, SEO blog content offers a polite and logical introduction that works well for interesting readers in having a deeper conversation with your organization. It also presents your nonprofit as a reliable teacher readers will want to consult and support rather than a rambling relative who’s trapped them in a self-absorbed monologue.

 

If you’d like your blog content to start showing up in internet searches and start drawing in readers, but don’t have experienced SEO bloggers on staff, Nonprofit Megaphone can help! As a Google premier partner, we’ve helped hundreds of nonprofits draw traffic to their websites and increase clicks and conversions through our expert content. Our writers are trained not only in writing high-quality blog articles tailored to your organization’s voice, but in keyword research and best practices for SEO in general and Google in particular.

 

Contact us today for a free consultation and the opportunity to explore our wide variety of content plan options. Check out our case studies to learn more about our services, including Google Grant Management, Facebook fundraisers, and content creation. 

The post SEO Content vs. Newsletter Content: Getting Results appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

Top Free Nonprofit Content of 2022

This time of year, it is easy to reflect on the past 12 months and think about how you’ve grown, what you’ve accomplished, and how things have evolved.

A lot has changed in the nonprofit sector and at Nonprofit Hub! We’ve published heaps of free content, overcome challenges, and made good memories all along the way.  Officially, this marks my one-year anniversary on the Nonprofit Hub team! So, I decided to take a step back, get reflective, and highlight some of our top content and resources from 2022.

Let’s take a dive into our most popular content from the past year!

 

Most Downloaded Guide of 2022: A Nonprofit’s Guide to Digital Advertising The Nonprofit’s Guide to Digital Advertising walks you through how to get started and what channels are most effective for cause-oriented organizations like yours. This guide will teach you: What digital advertising is, and how it works for nonprofits How much should a nonprofit invest in digital advertising Why digital advertising is effective for nonprofit organizations Retargeting campaigns for nonprofits Paid search campaigns for nonprofits Paid social campaigns for nonprofits Get the guide>>

Top Webinar of 2022: What Nonprofits Need to Know About Corporate Partnerships Nonprofit-corporate partnerships are relationships in which a nonprofit and a for-profit business work together to meet shared goals. These relationships can provide immense value for both parties involved. From creating your ideal partner persona to evaluating your nonprofit’s revenue growth potential to reviewing practical inbound and outbound strategies, Brittany Hill will walk you through what you need to know to take your prospecting efforts to the next level. Watch the webinar>>

Most Popular Blog Post of 2022: 7 Steps to Compelling Staff Bios on Your Nonprofit Website If you’ve spent any time in the world of nonprofit copywriting, you’ll have heard the maxim: people give to people, not causes. We like people. We care about real people because they remind us of those we love and care about. However, many nonprofits forget that the same applies to our own organizations as well, not just our fundraising materials. We’re in the relationship business. Major gifts fundraisers—how much time do you spend getting to know your donors? Then it makes sense to let your donors get to know you too! Here’s why you should include staff bios on your website. Read the blog>>

Top Partner Education Program Resource: 7 Proven Grant Management Best Practices for Growing Nonprofit Funding In the E-book provided by Sage Intacct, 7 Proven Grant Management Best Practices for Growing Nonprofit Funding, we break down why nonprofits pursue grants as part of their funding mix, how the grant management process works, the seven proven best practices for grant management, how automated financial tracking and reporting aids compliance and helps earn renewals, and how to increase reimbursement through automated billing. Get the ebook>>

Cause Camp 2022 Highlights: Grand Rapids, MI Cause Camp 2022 was one of my favorite memories of the year! Over 500 attendees from across the nation came together to learn new ways to further their nonprofit mission. Held in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Cause Camp created a shared experience that inspired nonprofit workers to grow. Join us again for Cause Camp 2023 in Cedar Point, Ohio! Sign up here>>

Most Listened to Podcast of the Year: Think Globally, Act Locally with SDGs You don’t need one more acronym, right? We hear you. The nonprofit sector is riddled with abbreviations of ways to do more good. LOI, DAF, and even NPO. That said, there is one more acronym that we should all be aware of SDG, or in other words, Sustainable Development Goals. These seventeen goals are agreed upon by the United Nations as initiatives to complete by the year 2030, and much of the world is on board. They address everything from poverty to gender equality and have the potential to change the world…as do you. In this episode, Katie talks with Kim Fuller of Phil. Kim’s agency specializes in helping charities gain support, traction, and impact while pursuing alignment with the SDGs. Listen to the episode>>

The post Top Free Nonprofit Content of 2022 appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

The post Last-Minute Gifts for Nonprofit Pros appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

The post That’s a Wrap! Our Top Nonprofit Professional Development Resources of 2021 appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

The post Tools to Grow Your Nonprofit Mission appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

1. Don’t wait for them to call

That’s like waiting for lightning to strike to power your lights. Make friends with your local media: TV (don’t forget programs on local PBS stations), newspapers (both daily and weekly), and radio (a local station, affiliated with a national outlet can be a conduit to a national story). Check out the business press in your hometown, the local college’s newspaper, and alumni magazine, localized online websites and blogs, specialty publications, and freelance writers.

2. Start small

A small story, even an announcement about your special event or volunteer project, in a weekly newspaper could lead to interest from the local TV station. A local TV story could lead to its affiliate network’s interest. A story on the local NPR station could lead to a national spot. Frequent and consistent contact with local media raises the odds of getting some great exposure.

3. Tell a riveting story

CNN Heroes does not feature organizations, but individuals who are doing something extraordinary. That person has usually founded an organization, but it is the personal angle that often grabs media interest. Similarly, entrepreneurial efforts and small niche nonprofit groups often appeal most to news media.

4. Monitor and communicate

Monitor the national media to hone your eye for what makes compelling stories. Then track local newscasts, newspapers, and magazines, and tune into local radio stations for examples of feel-good stories and for the names of reporters who cover them.

Follow those reporters through their social media. Reporters use social media tools to both communicate with their followers and to find and research topics and ideas they want to pursue. Reporters do not wait at their desks for press releases to arrive. They are active on all the social networks, constantly scanning for ideas for their own stories.

Do not pitch reporters through their social media. Instead, use that media to understand what reporters are interested in. Then develop a pitch that is crafted to an individual reporter’s particular needs. Deliver that pitch through the channel that reporter or blogger prefers–email is often the preferred method–and only approach one reporter or media outlet at a time.

However, don’t just send general information about your organization. Highlight specific people and specific actions. Emphasize what makes your story different, and how it is relevant to issues that are already hot topics. Unusual situations and stories that are relevant to current local or national issues are more likely to capture the attention of a reporter.

5. Make your website media-friendly

Once a reporter or blogger knows about you, the first thing they hit is your website. Set up a media or press room, stocked with news releases, fact sheets, and free-to-use photos and videos.

Include links to media stories that have been done on your organization. Provide good contact information, including email addresses and phone numbers of people reporters can contact immediately. Respond right away to any interest by any media anywhere. Writers, bloggers, and reporters work on deadlines. If you don’t respond right away, they will find another organization.

6. Speak up

Don’t hesitate to communicate with the media, if you have a good, relevant, and people-focused story to tell. The media are looking for feel-good stories. Yours just might be the right one.

Author Bio:

Hannah Butler works as an essay writer. Besides, she likes sharing her experience in the form of articles. In this case, she has her own section at the essay help service. In the future, she is going to start writing a blog in order to describe her working methods to others.

The post 6 Steps to Get the Press to Tell Your Story appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

If you’re about to start blogging for your nonprofit organization, there are a few hard-and-fast rules to follow, but here are some of the best practices you need to adopt in order to make it the best blog it can be.

Match content to your target audience.

The language, tone, and style of your blog posts should match your organization’s intended audience. For example, if you’re writing to humanitarian NGOs about a new outreach project, you can write more than just an announcement for a fund-raising event. 

Mix up post length.

When creating a content marketing strategy, make sure to include blog posts of varying lengths. Short-form posts, those containing only 300 to 500 words, can be read quickly and are a great way to keep your readers engaged.

Meanwhile, long forms, posts that consist of 1,500 or more words, boost credibility, and allow you to include relevant keywords that will help increase SEO ranking. While this type of posts tends to be less mobile-friendly, studies show that long-form blogs receive the most shares on social media. 

Write engaging content. 

Your blog posts should show your nonprofit’s existing needs and how it’s able to meet them – in an engaging manner. This could be anything from sharing quality stories, videos, photos, etc. More importantly, make sure that each post provides value to your readers.

Make it useful and relevant.

Your blog posts need to show that your nonprofit organization is an authority. You can do this in many different and creative ways:

• Add stats and facts into your stories
• Highlight past successes
• Post news, updates, and press releases related to your cause
• Share helpful information, resources, and how-to’s

The possibilities are virtually endless. But if you don’t know how to get started, you can always get a field expert to write for you. If not, get the help of a professional writer to keep you on the right track.

Share compelling stories.

If you want your content to truly connect to your audience, they need to be able to evoke powerful emotions. You can do this by sharing compelling, personal stories related to your organization. 

Another excellent way to inspire your audience is by sharing these stories through visual content, videos, or audio. 

Choose attention-grabbing images.

According to statistics, visual content can generate up to 94% more views, with a projected 37% increase in engagements if an article contains compelling visual elements. 

Share photos that capture the true essence of your organization’s mission. These are images that are not just visually pleasing, but also capture the cause and effort of your nonprofit. 

There are plenty of online resources to create attention-grabbing visuals for your blog posts. You can find thousands of templates to use for your marketing materials, infographics, social media posts, etc. Canva for Nonprofits, for example, provides qualified nonprofits with free access to premium-quality images. 

Let your volunteers shine.

One thing that’s just as important as highlighting the cause of your organization, is giving equal importance to its volunteers.

Whether it’s people volunteering to your fundraiser, a committee member, or even a guest blogger, it pays to highlight them and show your audience how they have been helping your cause. 

The great thing about letting your volunteers shine is that it validates them for the effort and time they’ve put in, inspires others to get involved or become part of your cause, and encourages others to share their volunteer efforts with family and friends. This will not only direct people to your blog, but will also spread awareness about your organization and its mission. 

Update your blog regularly.

Blogging should have a rhythm. Whether it’s daily or four times a month, your readers should be able to rely on fresh and relevant content on a regular basis.

Running a blog for your nonprofit organization is a noble cause, but it’s even better if you make it a stellar success. Simply follow the best blogging practices we’ve discussed above and you’re well on your way to taking your blog from grassroots to movement. 

Author Bio:

A lecturer for over a decade, Carol Duke dedicates her knowledge and expertise to teaching and researching new, efficient ways for students to learn using technology. During her spare time, Carol works as a blog writer and co-editor at IHateWritingEssays.com essay writing services review blog. Apart from teaching, she works part-time as a freelancer and blogger, with focus on education. Carol enjoys traveling to different countries and loves to try out local delicacies.

The post Best Blogging Practices for Nonprofit Organizations appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

The sheer amount of SEO services out there can make your SEO process confusing. The parameters of indexing and ranking your content depend upon a lot of experimentation. These methods help you figure out what works for you.

Here’s a compilation of tips that can help you index and rank higher and faster. 

1. Repurpose content

Continually changing your content will help to match the expectations of constantly evolving consumer’s minds. There will always be gaps in your content, and it’s up to you to adapt your strategy. SEO Services adds value to your growing content.

Minor mistakes can directly affect your ranking statistics. So, your drafts should be checked and rechecked by experts to ensure that your content is concise and relevant. Make sure that the paragraphs are properly spaced, and there are many bullet points and subtopics to emphasize the highlights. 

Make your content versatile and flexible. While repurposing the content, make sure you’re changing your strategy along with recent trends and developments. Outdated content doesn’t do much for your website and, consequently, for your business.

2. Build a strong email marketing campaign

Email lists are still essential in establishing a strong foundation of subscribers to your service or website. Start by sending emails to all your current contacts. This is the easiest way to build a strong email marketing campaign.

There are plenty of great tools you can use to build your email marketing campaign. The major thing to remember is that you don’t need to make outright demands or requests, but subtly touch upon topics of interest after careful research and analysis.

Apart from the backlinks, make it a point to add internal links to your pages.

3. Content auditing is essential

A content audit helps in generating comprehensive reports of various parameters about the page. This helps you to stay updated with the information without confusion. There are plenty of plugins that can help carry out audits. Also, every page needs to be evaluated on a frequent basis to generate optimal results.

Audits reveal mistakes and help you to be aware of potential mistakes. After your audit, you can find out your SEO rank and make any necessary changes.

4. Optimize content frequently

Content optimization should be at the forefront of your SEO plan. Content formats can vary depending upon the preferences of the targeted consumers. Whether it’s written formats or videos, all of it can be repurposed to obtain maximum information.

Also, optimized content provided by the execution of SEO services helps you rank higher. Being organized helps a great deal in this context. Well-structured information focusing on keywords, backlinks, and so forth can help in knowing the worth of your content to a large extent.

Optimized content gets you higher up on the search results and drives a lot of organic traffic to the website. When done frequently, you can easily determine the index and rank on Google.  

5. Check the quality of links

You would never want a broken link or an incorrect URL to affect the performance of your website. Backlinks to blank pages result in dead pages.

Any pages with the error 404 can be identified as broken pages, which can be corrected either through reinstating or redirecting. You can also request changing the URL path to save you a lot of trouble later. SEO services help a great deal in determining link quality and page authority.

6. Maintain the relevance of embedded links in videos

Videos are great for embedding links. With every niche, the chance of ending up on a clickable page is high, with links that are embedded into videos. The only thing to pay attention to is the fact that the videos should be relevant to the links that are embedded in them.

It has been observed that the organic search is elevated with these efforts. A little effort goes a long way, and this particular initiative is proof enough of that. You can understand which of the videos are being used for this purpose through the tag of affiliate marketing.

Conclusion

Considering that the impact of these small changes is huge, every webpage should be investing their time and resources into their promotions. SEO services provide a range of actionable strategies that will improve performance and monitor and track progress.

All of the tips mentioned above are like carefully thought out plans which can make a world of difference for your business. It’s only a matter of minutes, but it does so much for your online visitors and the feed that you are frequently promoting. For more information on how to write for SEO, check out this article. 

Author Bio:

The post SEO Tips To Index And Rank Faster appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

However, drawing an audience to your website is only half the battle. Good SEO practices ensure visitors are more engaged and prepared to donate. This means focusing on keywords, link building and content that’s specific to your charity.

Support from an SEO consultant can help bring more relevant, engaged traffic to your website.

 1. Decide whether you need a pro-bono SEO consultant

SEO specialists provide valuable insights you may not know about otherwise. If you have a new site, SEO can help generate traffic and visibility. For existing websites, proper SEO can help increase brand awareness.

Look at similar websites, if they rank higher on Google then take note of what they’re doing differently. You could discuss any potential improvements with your volunteer SEO specialist.

Remember, much SEO action happens behind the scenes. If websites with less content and poor keyword visibility are ranking higher, there’s a chance your site requires off-page work. If you’re still unsure where you’re going wrong, a good SEO consultant can help.

 2. A basic understanding of SEO

Having a basic understanding of SEO will help you find the best volunteer SEO specialist for your charity. This can be as elementary as knowing that SEO can help your website rank better with Google. Alternatively, this article from Google offers an informative guide to beginner’s SEO.

An important thing to know about SEO is that quick results are rare. An SEO consultant needs upwards of four months to make improvements to your site and before seeing benefits. So, make sure you enlist a volunteer SEO specialist who’s available long term.

3. Know what you want to achieve

Even if you know very little about SEO, I’d recommend having an idea about what you want to achieve via an SEO specialist.

For example, if you’re confident your site’s structure is optimised, a volunteer SEO consultant may develop a keyword or link-building strategy. If you’re starting from scratch, your goal could simply be to rise in Google’s rankings for specific key terms.

Whatever the case, most SEO consultants will complete a full site audit when they begin working with you. An audit will pick up everything from duplicated links to H1 titles that need fixing. So, if you don’t have a clear goal in mind then your SEO consultant will be able to help.

4. Research volunteer SEO specialists

Once you know what you’d like to achieve, start looking for the right SEO volunteer. There are many ways to find an SEO specialist, begin by scouring LinkedIn, Facebook groups and making targeted Twitter searches. There are also plenty of websites dedicated to finding volunteers. Try Reach Volunteering, Charity Job or Volunteering Matters to begin your search.

SEO knowledge is versatile and applicable to most organisations, so a consultant doesn’t need prior experience with charities. Similarly, many consultants work with both big and small nonprofit organisations seamlessly. The important thing is that they are knowledgeable and avoid black-hat techniques. Google sees through keyword stuffing and other underhand tactics.

5. Discuss your goals with an SEO consultant

Discussing your goals will help you decide if a volunteer SEO consultant is right for your nonprofit. Make sure they understand your goals and ensure they’re passionate about your charity’s cause.

Time keeping is also an important aspect. Amine Dahimene SEO consultant says, “When interviewing, make sure the candidate has enough time to work your website and is committed to the agreed number of hours. To keep on top of this, it’s good to have regular catch-up meetings.”

Speaking with an SEO consultant helps paint a clearer picture of your website, laying the foundations for them to create a strategy.

6. Say no to black-hat tactics

To ensure your SEO specialist will create long-lasting positive changes, there are some key things to avoid.

One warning sign is if they guarantee a #1 ranking over a short period. Whilst it’s achievable over time, this isn’t guaranteeable and big leaps in rankings normally take months.

You should also avoid keyword stuffing. This technique involves unnecessarily repeating keywords over the course of one page. Google penalises this because it’s bad for user experience and is blatantly pandering to search engines.

Neglecting technical errors is a warning sign. Good SEO specialists recognise the importance of keeping the site’s back-end up to scratch. Ignoring it completely could be detrimental to how Google views your site.

Whilst their services are being offered for free, an SEO specialist using underhand tactics could result in Google penalising your site. Avoid this at all costs.

So, what are you waiting for? Begin your hunt for a volunteer SEO specialist now.

The post How to Find a Volunteer SEO Specialist for Your Nonprofit’s Website appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

Exemplified by Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram Stories, ephemeral content includes photos and videos that are available for only a short time.

While most social media timeline posts exist forever, Stories are set to disappear in 24 hours. Even channels like Twitter and TikTok are now developing their versions of Stories.

Ephemeral content allows nonprofits to generate new content regularly, thus boosting awareness and engagement — and you can add top stories to your highlights section.

Of course, it is important to remember not to create too many stories within 24 hours — in fact, you don’t have to post every day, only about three times per week, as this Hootsuite study found.

With that in mind, let’s explain how nonprofits can leverage ephemeral content to increase their views and fundraise.

1. Be Authentic

Authenticity has become a key factor in driving social media content — photoshopped visuals and decadent lifestyle imagery are now being forsaken even by celebrities.

Instagram marketing, including stories, is focused on putting real people in the limelight — staff members, volunteers, people you are helping—and making the content more personal. 

Ephemeral content in Stories gives followers a sneak peek into life in an organization and puts a human face to a brand name.

Show people your office, a day in the life of your organization, behind the scenes work on fundraising events, or inject a bit of humor into your story.

This humanizing of the brand makes the nonprofit more appealing to audiences—they feel connected to the company, which encourages them to engage further and to donate.

Source

2. Engage Audiences

Ephemeral content should primarily be used to entertain and educate followers

These posts don’t need to be polished—Instagram and Snapchat Stories are designed to capture a moment — making them excellent tools to fundraise on social media.

Not only can you stream live from anywhere — as long as you have WiFi or data — but Stories also offer augmented reality options that add an element of fun.

These filters and stickers give your nonprofit brand personality — and if you can create your own, you make more interactive opportunities for yourself.

You can hold Q&As with key members, volunteers, and thought leaders — use the Q&A sticker or insert a poll to create an interactive environment for followers, as the Innocent Project did.

Also, consider creating and using hashtags in your Instagram stories — though clicking on the hashtag may not always show your content, the potential reach is still huge.

To create such targeted content and AR filters, nonprofits can use several social media tools, many of which are free or offer reduced nonprofit plans.

3. Pair Ephemeral Content With CTAs

Ephemeral content can’t just entertain — it needs to be actionable. Creating well-worded calls-to-action or CTAs is a necessary step when strategizing social media plans.

Within your ephemeral content, you can include a text CTA, encouraging viewers to visit your website, attend a live event, or to send a message, as in the example below.

On Instagram stories, if you have over 10K followers, you can include the option to swipe up to click on the CTA.

Not all nonprofits have so many followers — for smaller followings, you can include a prompt to click the link in your bio. 

Most platforms now offer other CTA options like fundraising stickers and buttons, which makes it easier for followers to click through to donate to your nonprofit.

Source

4. Boost Views by Advertising Ephemeral Content 

Let’s get this out of the way — advertising does require monetary investment, which a lot of nonprofits do not have.

But, advertising through ephemeral content like stories can get you views that you wouldn’t be able to reach organically.

First, you will need to create a Facebook advertising account to create campaigns on Facebook and Instagram. 

Once you do, you can set the necessary metrics such as how many days you want the ad to run, on which platforms, and how much money you are planning to spend.

Facebook allows you to get granular with your target audience — you can choose as wide or narrow an audience as you want and it will show you the approximate reach.

It is best not to aim for too wide a reach for your ad — you will get the views you’re looking for but won’t be able to draw in qualified leads.

On the flip side, going too narrow could leave out whole swathes or targets. There’s a middle ground that you need to decide on for the best results.

Takeaways: Ephemeral Content Helps Nonprofits Fundraise

Ephemeral content is a powerful tool for increasing reach, but you need to consider your nonprofit goals when creating these posts. Also, keep these points in mind:

• Ephemeral content should your most authentic self
• It should be used to entertain and educate audiences
• You need to include CTAs to evoke actions from your audience
• You can use ephemeral content to advertise your brand

Now you have the tools you need to use ephemeral content to spread awareness and fundraise.

Author Bio

Ronita Mohan is a content marketer at Venngage, the online infographic maker and design platform. Ronita regularly writes about nonprofit marketing, sales, and small businesses.

Twitter: @Venngage

The post How You Can Leverage Ephemeral Content appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.