We recently had a trending post in our community ask Are blogs on their way out? The general consensus was no, a blog should be an important component of any nonprofit content strategy even in today’s media environment with a focus on using it for SEO purposes. BUT creating a successful nonprofit blog does require planning and strategy.
Why should you even bother?
Blogging gives you more freedom than other social networks like Facebook, Instagram, and X while also giving you a potentially bigger audience than email. You have complete control over the content and don’t have to worry about your content disappearing based on the whims of billionaires.
Blogs are a also great way to establish your organization’s personality and tone. A blog post can include photos, videos and infographics easily making it one of the most versatile communications channels out there.
Plus, Google loves new content so having a blog on your website can help with your overall search rankings and allow you to gain new supporters as well.
7 Tips for Creating a Successful Nonprofit Blog
1. Establish the type of blog you’ll write.
You can mix and match blog types, but I think that it’s helpful to have one primary direction in mind. Think about what goals you want your blog to achieve. Some categories include news, advocacy, toolbox, storytelling, and CEO/ED/Staff. Read more about the Six Different Kinds of Nonprofit Blogs.
2. Brainstorm ideas.
One of the hardest things about blogging is coming up with ideas for posts. What posts would help you achieve your goals as well as appeal to your ideal reader? Take time to jot down 20 ideas. A successful nonprofit blog knows its readers and what they want. Ask some of your more ardent supporters what they would like to read about. Sign up for our free Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts for content ideas.
3. Have a regular feature.
Come up with a few regular columns that you can create on a weekly basis. How-to posts or question and answer posts, and news round ups relating to your cause are all good examples. It’s one less post you have to get creative with and it creates things for readers to look forward to.
4. Use repurposed content.
Since blogging gives you more freedom than social networking and email, it’s an ideal medium to re-work content from other channels. If you got a good response to a social media post, expand on it with a blog post highlighting some of the comments. Re-work newsletter articles by adding more graphics that may better explain your point, but would be difficult to read in an email.
5. Be consistent.
The best blogs offer content on a regular basis. Using an editorial calendar will help you keep track of what content you are putting where and when, so channels reinforce each other. It will also help you stay focused on your audience and your goals for the publication. Being consistent not only keeps readers coming back continually, but it will also help with your Google search ratings.
6. Make it easy to share.
Share your blog posts on your social media channels so they can be easily shared by others. You also want to include ways to connect with your social networks.
7. Optimize for search.
Our highest ranking pages (besides our homepage) are blog posts. It requires strategy and some patience to see results, but your blog is a great way to boost your SEO. For more see Blog SEO: How to Search Engine Optimize Your Blog Content. We are also holding a Master Class on SEO strategy on October 23rd.
Social media has changed it for sure, but blogging still has its place in content marketing.
Need more blogging help? We have resources and discussions happening in our private community right now! Not a member of our community? Join now! It’s free.
