According to Great Nonprofits, there are 6,978 nonprofit organizations in the Denver area; each is special in their own way. But, with that many organizations vying for attention, we must ask ourselves two important questions: 1) Do you want to blend in, or do you want to stand out? 2) Do you want to look "pretty" or do you want to be effective?
Content marketing offers the perfect platform for nonprofit organizations to set themselves apart from the crowd. According to the Content Marketing Institute, "It’s a marketing process to attract and retain customers by consistently creating and curating content in order to change or enhance a consumer behavior."
Content Marketing is not new. As a matter of fact, the concept is over 100 years old. One of the most famous examples are the Burma Shave roadside signs. They were a popular advertising campaign that ran from 1927 until 1963, which consisted of rhymed messages sequentially staked on the side of the road and ending with “Burma-Shave.”
SHE PUT A BULLET… THROUGH HIS HAT… BUT HE'S HAD CLOSER… SHAVES THAN THAT… WITH BURMA-SHAVE
IS HE LONELY… OR JUST BLIND… THIS GUY WHO DRIVES… SO CLOSE BEHIND? …BURMA SHAVE
Today, content marketing includes everything from thought-provoking blog posts, to relevant pictures, informative infographics, and engaging social media projects. It is a marketing technique of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience – with the objective of driving positive audience actions.
When you’re looking to influence people and build a powerful online presence, authority is the way to go. People respect other people who have authority, expertise, and impressive credentials just like they respect people in lab coats and police uniforms. And, they respect authority even more when you demonstrate it rather than simply claiming it.
Content marketing allows you to position yourself as an authority in your space; because when making a donation, donors want to learn before they contribute, and they want to be assured their donation is well spent. If you're the authority in your field you're more than halfway there.
In future posts we'll examine content marketing in more detail. In the mean time, if you have questions, don't hesitate to contact Questus Strategies for consulting ideas on how to fuel your Internet marketing for greater awareness, engagement, and funding opportunities.