How to create compelling content with readers in mind

By Jacki Averkamp

Content marketing can be a powerful way for an organization to advance its mission. There’s a reason 90% of marketers include content in their strategies. In the nonprofit world, where a lack of resources is a challenge for many, content creation can easily fall by the wayside.

Content marketing campaigns cost 62% less than other types of campaigns. Depending on your goals, it could be an easy and effective way to achieve them. The best content is made with your audience in mind. But how do you create good content marketing? Here are five tips.

Know your audience

The key to creating content your readers will love is to understand what they want. Think about the people you want to reach—are they potential donors, volunteers, board members or employees? Maybe you have a very specific demographic in mind or maybe you hope to engage an entire community.

Remember the definition of content is broad. There are different types of content marketing that cover everything from emails and social media posts to news, blogs, videos, photo galleries, interactive experiences and more. By knowing your audience and their preferences, you can work backward and determine the best ways to engage.

Draw up a plan

Set clear goals as you work through content planning. Decide on priorities, like growing your audience, increasing website referral traffic, recruiting donors or adding volunteers. With your audience and objectives defined, put together a content plan based on available resources.

Consider which social media platforms to prioritize. For example, Facebook® has more than 3 billion monthly users worldwide. X (formerly Twitter®), in comparison, has about 611 million. Knowing the audience you’re trying to reach—and what platforms they use—should inform your strategy.

Use data to inform decisions

If you already have useful data on the people you want to engage with, use it from the start. If not, collect some. Create surveys to better understand your audience. Distribute them online and hand them out at community events. Encourage in-person participation by offering promotional items, like stickers and tote bags, to anyone who completes a survey. For online participants, send an air freshener or can holder as a thank-you. These surveys could have many benefits. Beyond collecting information, you might find leads on stories you can incorporate into future content.

Write for your audience

You’ve used the best information to make decisions. Now it’s time to execute. As you compose emails, news stories, blogs, social media posts or other types of content, keep your audience in mind. Find inspiration from other successful organizations that engage with similar audiences. Experiment with different content strategies, including varied formats and the inclusion of graphics, images and video, to see what catches attention. Keep your brand front and centre. If you’re sharing stories about your employees or volunteers, use photos of them sporting pom beanies/toques or trucker caps.

Fine tune as you go

Allow flexibility with your strategy. For example, if the number of blog posts you’d planned to write each month is too many, it’s OK to dial it back (or add more if your plan didn’t include enough posts). Adjustments may be necessary based on audience feedback or your resources. Be open to new ideas and scrapping current ones if things aren’t getting the results you anticipated.

You may find your readers are more likely to engage with content from events or in-the-moment happenings. Lean into what’s working. For example, your social media audiences may be especially interested when your organization is involved in community events. When your nonprofit helps with a charity run/walk, encourage engagement by entering everyone who interacts with your post into a prize draw for a massager or running belt.

It’s a journey, not a destination

Producing compelling content that connects with your audience takes time, creativity and hard work. And it’s an ever-evolving process. What is effective one day may not be the next. By continuing to learn about your readers, using thoughtful planning, monitoring data, writing for your audiences and adjusting as you go, you’ll make strides toward drawing readers in and capturing their attention.

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