Most people in the business world have at least heard the concept that blogging for your business has many benefits and will ultimately have a positive effect on your bottom line. But did you know that nonprofit organizations also benefit from blogging? An argument could be made that there are more benefits to nonprofits blogging compared to business!
According to Nonprofit Marketing Trends, 64% of nonprofits use blogging as a part of their overall communications/marketing strategy. Let’s take a look at the six top reasons that nonprofits should incorporate a blog into their overall communications plan.
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Search Engine Optimization
SEO is the key to having people find your website and the more fresh, relatable content you provide on your website, the better your SEO. Enter the blog! It’s an excellent way to get traffic to your website, which should be your hub for communicating with all your various audiences.
According to Hubspot, companies who blog receive 97% more links to their website (HubSpot). It is reasonable to believe this would be a similar case for nonprofit organizations.
What does that mean? Think of it this way: people are more likely to share a blog post on social media than they are a static page from a website. The more opportunities you provide to share links that end up on your website, the better.
Thought Leadership/Credibility
Your blog is the place where you can show your knowledge of your nonprofit’s “industry.” This provides education, but it also shows potential donors, volunteers, and clients that you are trustworthy to know what you’re doing.
The posts do not have to be profound to be thoughtful and impactful. Share your organization’s goals and reflect on the influence it has made on people and the community.
Platform Ownership
Too many businesses and nonprofits think that social media is enough for sharing their message. In this blog, I go into detail about why that’s not the case, but the biggest reason is platform ownership. Facebook and other social media sites may allow you to post, but they control who sees the content.
Your website/blog (and to a large degree, your newsletter) is the only platform you can fully own. This allows you to have all the control.
Brand Accessibility/Community
Your nonprofit is made up of and serves human beings. Display that through your blog! People do business with people, and that is especially important in nonprofit organizations. You should highlight your employees, volunteers, clients, and provide glimpses into your culture and mission/goals.
A few years ago, Hubspot estimated that by 2020 (ahem, now), people would manage 85% of their relationships without talking to a human. Use your blog to build a community, reach multiple generations, and draw people together. Allow your blog to be a place where people can converse and work together, even if the blog simply serves to spark the conversation.
Education
It is important to educate your donors, volunteers, and clients on what your organization does and why it is so significant, i.e., keeping them aware of the need. A blog can also provide appropriate resources that help your constituents.
You can use blogs to send out updates on the court cases related to what your nonprofit does, new discoveries, and educate them on how to navigate your nonprofit (to name a few uses!).
Engagement Opportunities
Engagement opportunities is an advantage that is unique to nonprofits compared to business. First, blog writing and management provides new volunteer opportunities for individuals and teams (including great team-building exercises for the right company).
Blogs are also a great sponsorship amenity. We do this for GiveCamp NWA and WordCamps across the world usually use blogs as a sponsorship amenity. It gives the sponsors an advantage that is more valuable than simply having their logo on your website.
Let’s Get Started!
Do you want to start a blog for your nonprofit but aren’t sure how? I offer a variety of blogging services including teaching you and your staff how to blog for yourself, from strategy to execution. I offer discounts on my training sessions for all nonprofits!