How to Project Manage Your Nonprofit Story
Here comes this month’s *SMIT (Single Most Important Thing I have to tell you). After a month of discussing content marketing, and using a blog as the hub of your marcom strategy, this month I’m channeling a wonderful post from Marketing Profs about Six Content Marketing Opportunities You’re Missing. Thank you Daniel Kuperman! Confession: this is mostly Daniel (italics); I’m just framing/sharing — and clairifying. It’s what I do. And, after all your hard work, let’s face it: CONTENT IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE.
You’ve got great stuff to share with the world! Let’s presume you’ve been paying attention, have a great content marketing plan, content curation strategy and content editorial calendar. Now what?
Brainstorm every possible use for your great content. Don’t waste it! This month’s SMIT reminds us that when we develop our content marketing plan we tend to give much-deserved attention to typical channels such as blogs, press releases, videos and familiar social media channels. But there are other less-used touch points we shouldn’t forget about, including the following:
1. On-Hold Messages
Ditch the on-hold music and the typical sales pitch for something your customers, prospects, and partners will enjoy listening to. You can get creative here. A theater organization could have audio from their current play. An animal rights organization could choose relevant music selections (Born Free?).
2. Invoices
Invoices are a lost opportunity, because you could be sending quality content with your invoice (or on the invoice itself) that might capture the customer’s attention and continue building trust. Bonus points if you send content that makes the customer smile. Paying bills is no fun. This can apply to pledge reminders as well. They don’t have to be dry and boring. They can be inspiring.
3. Post-Sales or Post-Support Surveys
When you send customers surveys to fill out about their experience with you, make sure you reward their feedback accordingly. Give them something they don’t expect—something they will have use for. Giving out Starbucks cards, for example, can become expensive quickly. So why not give customers great content at the end of the survey? For nonprofits, testimonials — or perhaps a note or a drawing — from those who’ve been helped are great.
4. Welcome Email or Letter
Typical emails or letters that welcome new customers after a purchase fall short of delivering anything of value. Why not use that opportunity to provide the newly acquired customer great content she can use and share? Bonus points if you customize the content to what was purchased. (Boilerplate “Welcome to the XYZ family” messages are disregarded as junk.) This holds true for new donor welcome letters as well. Send a welcome package that includes some of your best content. They’ve never seen it before, and you already have it. No brainer.
5. Holiday Card
Whether you send customers a physical or virtual card, email, video, etc. during the holidays, you should take the opportunity to give them something that will increase their trust in you and your company. Show off your company’s personality—and your staff. Put a face behind the communications that customers usually receive from you. Bonus points if your holiday card entices customers to share it with others. This is where you can share your best visuals. If you’re using Pinterest, steal something from one of your boards. If you use Instagram, select one of your best photos. Or just repurpose something from a photo shoot from an annual report or newsletter.
6. Confirmation Emails
When someone makes a purchase, or when you send out shipping notifications, do you optimize the message for great content, or leave it as the standard boring text file? Use this opportunity to engage the customer and increase her trust. You may be using a CRM that doesn’t allow you to tailor the confirmation email. However, if you can do so, please do. This is no time to sound robotic. You are trying to engage with your content, so make it as warm and personal and relevant as possible. Remind folks that they made a good decision in choosing to get involved/invested with you!
What ideas do you have for content channels we forget about?
Are you optimizing the use of your mailing envelopes? Email signatures? Signage? What else can you think of that’s hiding in plain sight?
You can find other 2012 SMITs here:
