1.
Share and Comment on Breaking News
Tap
into the breaking news cycle to generate buzz for and traffic to your
blog.
write
up a quick two-paragraph summary of or commentary about the
breaking news story, add a link to the original source, and then distribute
your blog post to your communities.
Avoid
becoming a breaking news spammer.
2. Post Calls to Action
A call to action can be an urgent donation pitch, a request to sign an online petition, or a call for volunteers.
2. Post Calls to Action
A call to action can be an urgent donation pitch, a request to sign an online petition, or a call for volunteers.
3. Share Stories, Photos, and Videos from Events
Be
regularly photographing and recording videos at important events. Write
up a brief blog post summarizing the event, with a Flickr slide show
or YouTube video recapping the event. It’s good to feature quotes
from supporters who attended the event.
4. Provide Organizational Updates
If your nonprofit is launching a new program or campaign, definitely write a blog post to share the news and summarize the new program or campaign’s goals.
5. Share Stories from the Field
Encourage staff to send in reports with photos for blog posts. A first-person voice is best. This sort of storytelling applies to print materials and website articles, but it also works extremely well as blog content.
6. Interview Experts
A 10-question blog interview with an expert in an area related to your nonprofit’s mission and programs can be interesting to your supporters. Interview a professor, government official, or esteemed professional, such as a scientist, social worker, activist, or artist. Be sure to insert and bold the questions in the blog post, keep answers limited to two or three paragraphs, and always include the expert’s photo.
7. Allow Guest Bloggers to Post Commentary and Share Their Expertise
Additionally, you can ask experts to write guest blog posts. Some will be too busy to take the time to write, but others will happily embrace the opportunity. Your role is to give them a word limit, a general topic, and a deadline, and to solicit photos.
8. Share Resources and Useful Tips
Blog posts that share resources and useful tips are some of the most popular on the Social Web. For example, if you are a health nonprofit, write a post about foods that help lower blood pressure, or provide tips on how to exercise at home. If you are an environmental nonprofit, write about ways in which supporters can green their homes or garden without pesticides.
9. Solicit Feedback and Direction from Supporters
Go to the blogosphere for advice.
10. Write Numbered Lists
Numbered lists are the most retweeted, liked, and shared blog posts on the Social Web today. Seriously! Some examples for nonprofits are “10 Ways You Can Help Fight Poverty,” “Four Reasons Why the Green Economy Is America’s Future Economy,” “10 Tips to Help You Quit Smoking,” and “Eight Benefits of Volunteering.” Your nonprofit should set a goal of publishing a minimum of four lists per year, and it’s worth noting that these lists make great content for e-newsletters as well.
11. Highlight Special Donors, Fund-Raisers, and Volunteers
Blogs are a great platform for highlighting donors, fund-raisers, volunteers, and other supporters through “of the month” posts to show appreciation to the supporters and create an incentive for other supporters to do and give more. It makes them feel special and important. These posts can also be very effective in e-newsletters. Keep them brief, include a quote or two from the person being highlighted, and definitely add his picture.
4. Provide Organizational Updates
If your nonprofit is launching a new program or campaign, definitely write a blog post to share the news and summarize the new program or campaign’s goals.
5. Share Stories from the Field
Encourage staff to send in reports with photos for blog posts. A first-person voice is best. This sort of storytelling applies to print materials and website articles, but it also works extremely well as blog content.
6. Interview Experts
A 10-question blog interview with an expert in an area related to your nonprofit’s mission and programs can be interesting to your supporters. Interview a professor, government official, or esteemed professional, such as a scientist, social worker, activist, or artist. Be sure to insert and bold the questions in the blog post, keep answers limited to two or three paragraphs, and always include the expert’s photo.
7. Allow Guest Bloggers to Post Commentary and Share Their Expertise
Additionally, you can ask experts to write guest blog posts. Some will be too busy to take the time to write, but others will happily embrace the opportunity. Your role is to give them a word limit, a general topic, and a deadline, and to solicit photos.
8. Share Resources and Useful Tips
Blog posts that share resources and useful tips are some of the most popular on the Social Web. For example, if you are a health nonprofit, write a post about foods that help lower blood pressure, or provide tips on how to exercise at home. If you are an environmental nonprofit, write about ways in which supporters can green their homes or garden without pesticides.
9. Solicit Feedback and Direction from Supporters
Go to the blogosphere for advice.
10. Write Numbered Lists
Numbered lists are the most retweeted, liked, and shared blog posts on the Social Web today. Seriously! Some examples for nonprofits are “10 Ways You Can Help Fight Poverty,” “Four Reasons Why the Green Economy Is America’s Future Economy,” “10 Tips to Help You Quit Smoking,” and “Eight Benefits of Volunteering.” Your nonprofit should set a goal of publishing a minimum of four lists per year, and it’s worth noting that these lists make great content for e-newsletters as well.
11. Highlight Special Donors, Fund-Raisers, and Volunteers
Blogs are a great platform for highlighting donors, fund-raisers, volunteers, and other supporters through “of the month” posts to show appreciation to the supporters and create an incentive for other supporters to do and give more. It makes them feel special and important. These posts can also be very effective in e-newsletters. Keep them brief, include a quote or two from the person being highlighted, and definitely add his picture.
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