The concept of a blog can be terrifying. What do I write about? Where do I post it? How do I maintain it? We know it can be scary to start your own blog, but the benefits make blogging so worth it! As a nonprofit organization, there is a lot to gain by keeping a blog. Whether you only get around to posting every other week or you have a dedicated content writer who posts every other day, blogging is an absolute must. And don’t get discouraged if you don’t see immediate results, according to TrafficGenerationCafe, one you write 21-54 blog posts, blog traffic generation increases by up to 30%! Still not convinced to start a blog? Here are 6 reasons why your nonprofit must be blogging in 2015.
1. Helps You Connect With Your Donors and Volunteers
It costs more to acquire a new donor than to retain one, so why not work a little harder to retain yours? Blogging offers the opportunity to connect with your donors and volunteers throughout the year. Not only can they feel more connected to your organization by reading your blog posts, but you can also use your blog posts as a reason to reach out to a donor you haven’t heard from in awhile.
For example, when you write a fascinating blog post on the way your organization’s donations help the community, send it to your donor, Bill, in an email. Bill would love to see how his donations are being used and this opens up the door for further communication.
2. Improves Your SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of getting found online. And do you know who wants to get found online? Nonprofit organizations looking to acquire new donors and volunteers, of course! Here are a few ways blogging benefits your SEO:
- Keywords
Utilizing your common keywords in your blog title and blog content will help increase your chances of turning up in search results. So, next time someone is looking for an “animal rescue organization” to donate to, you may just pop up!
- Fresh Content
Websites with content that is frequently updated are also more likely to turn up in search results, because this signals to search engines that you are active and relevant. Weekly blogs allow you to keep your content fresh, encouraging search engines to pay more attention to your site.
- Links
Links play a vital role in search engine optimization. The more that external sites link to you, the better you look to search engines. How does this relate to blogging? Blogging creates shareable content that other people want to link to.
3. Helps Drive Donations
You know those great conversion paths you have on your website? Add a couple more! Writing a blog offers you the opportunity to link to your volunteer page and donation forms, continually driving traffic to convert. Stories that tug at the heartstrings should drive more conversions as well.
4. Allows You to Tell Your Story
Every nonprofit organization has a great story. The challenge is figuring out how to tell it. While a solid mission statement and detailed “history” page can really get the point across, blogging can help you take it a step further. With blogs you can continue to tell your story, expanding upon the details and really digging deeper. You can even tell ancillary stories which branch off from your main narrative, such as stories of how others have benefited from your services.
5. Provides Shareable Content
Blog posts can be repurposed in a myriad of ways by both your organization and supporters. If you’re looking for social media fodder, write a blog and you have content to pull from for days, even weeks! Also, developing an e-newsletter that features your weekly blogs each month will help you get your content in front of more eyes while providing educational value. And as mentioned in point 2, others will be more likely to link to you if you have interesting content on your site.
6. Spreads Awareness
As you write more blogs, you will see your search engine optimization begin to improve. The major benefit to this is that you are spreading awareness about your organization, reaching fresh eyes in geographically dispersed locations! That means new, potential donors and volunteers will be reading your blog across the country. So instead of paying for a TV ad in California or hosting a fundraiser in Boston, you can start a blog!
We hope these 6 points were enough to convince you to start a blog. If you need assistance setting up, writing, or maintaining your blog, contact Informatics.
Stay tuned for more nonprofit digital marketing blogs this month!
5 Ways Nonprofits Can Use Social Media for Fundraising
10 Features of a Successful Nonprofit Email Design
Nonprofit Ultimate Guide to Search Engine Optimization
