But what if you tried something different that could get you miles farther than a sigh of relief and an evening on your couch? Instead of simply packing up your leftover swag, patting your volunteers on the back, and turning off the lights on your current event, you could (don’t hit me)—get ready for your next one.

If you’re going to plan, staff, and host one event, why not prepare for the next one at the same time? It might seem like biting off more than you can chew, but you’ll be saving time in the long run. Here are four ways to get ready for your next event before your current one is over.

1. Promote the next event now.

If you’re hosting an annual event, like a holiday fundraiser, have the date of next year’s event ready to share with people. Optimally, you could set up a table where attendees can register for next year’s event at a discounted rate, or even create a page on your website for next year’s registration. This leads to the second point.

2. Have your website ready.

You’re probably going to share the successes of your current event online. Attendees will be excited to see pictures, videos, fundraising results, etc., and you can have that landing page nearly ready to go before your event is over. On that page, promote your next event along with a date, time and, if you can manage it, a link to register. You don’t need to have all the deets nailed down in order to start promoting it. Plus you’ll catch attendees at the height of their excitement for your organization—it’s a great time for recruiting. Might as well ride that wave and get your website ready for what’s to come.

For more tips to save time when planning your event, check out the full article on Firespring.org >>

The post Save Time By Planning Your Next Event Now appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

• They highlight opportunities to grow. Look past the criticism and honestly ask yourself, “Do they have a point?” Even if they seem unreasonable, there may be a little truth embedded in their complaints. No organization is perfect. Addressing a legitimate flaw makes you better.
• They bring out your supporters. If you’ve spent the past few years building relationships with your supporters and constituents through social media, you’ve acquired some loyal followers. When someone complains about your organization, your supporters will rise to your defense. Observers may see the complaints, but they’ll see the rebuttals too.
• They keep people buzzing about your brand. Maybe not all publicity is good publicity. But if you find a way to take control of the conversation, you’ll wind up with positive PR in the end. Just stay true to your brand and be authentic with your supporters.

The key to turning a negative into a potential positive is to handle critical feedback well. Here are six tips for doing that.

Respond Promptly

Don’t let negative comments linger. The more time you let them go unanswered, the more time others have to see that someone has complained and you haven’t responded. Responding quickly, even with a message that simply acknowledges the comment, is a show of loyalty and care.

Reply Publicly for Public Complaints

If someone complains publicly, react publicly—then then take it private if necessary. By addressing the issue in a public forum, in a calm and constructive manner, you build trust—it shows that you’re not afraid to be transparent. If someone is being particularly difficult, however, it’s best to move your communication to a private channel.

Listen

Listening to your critics isn’t fun, but it could be useful. Instead of shying away, engage in conversation. Find out what their complaint is truly about. You may discover the issue is due to a misunderstanding or miscommunication, an unfortunate experience with just one person at your organization, or it may point out a flaw that you can easily address and correct.

Check out three more tips and read the full article on Firespring.org>>

The post [Social Media] Complainers Gonna Complain, and Why That Can Be Good for Your Nonprofit appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

If staring at a blank Word doc makes you feel anxious, you’re not alone. Creating web content, a blog post, an email, an e-book or a press release can be intimidating even for professionals. But once you understand some of the basics, you’ll find your fingers flying across your keyboard in no time.

Start with these seven tips:

1. Write one-to-one. Even a magazine ad or a billboard that reaches millions of readers is seen by only one person at a time. People always read as individuals, not as a group. One of the most common mistakes is writing as though you’re addressing a room full of people. Instead, imagine a one-on-one conversation as you write—actually picture an individual in your mind. That will keep your messages personable.
2. Make your marketing copy others-focused. Unless you’re writing to your mother, your message should typically not be about you. Materials like emails, brochures and direct mail should be less about what “we offer” and more about what “you’ll get.” When you write, try changing most of the sentences that use the words “our” and “we” to include words like “you” and “your.”
3. Follow the rules of engagement. Engaging copy addresses the wants and needs of its target audience. But it’s not just what you say—it’s how you say it. The best copywriting is direct and to the point, uses an active voice and often creates mental images. Professional copywriters rarely use a long word when a shorter one will do.
4. Write for your audience. For example, if your audience is not into slang, don’t try to be too hip. They won’t relate or you’ll come across as fake, and you’ll turn people away instead of engaging them. It’s hard to write compelling conversational copy when you don’t know the demographics of your audience. Be sure you have a clear picture of your audience.

For three more tips, check out the full article on Firespring.org>>

The post How to Write for the Web appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

That’s partly why video marketing is so popular—it’s a highly effective engagement tool. According to Visually, a video on a landing page can increase conversions by 80% or more. And according to Brightcove, social video generates 1,200% more shares than text and images combined.

A well thought out video strategy can be an affordable yet highly useful way to communicate and engage with your audience, and you don’t need to hire a professional—you can create good quality videos with just your smartphone. If your nonprofit hasn’t dipped its toes into the world of video marketing, you’ve probably at least talked about it. And now that Google has announced it will include video ads in search results, it could be a smart time to take the plunge.

Here are eight video marketing tips to help you kick off your video strategy:

1. Use video to tell your stories. Testimonies from people who you’ve helped, as well as stories from volunteers and staff are unique to your nonprofit—they make for great original content that no other nonprofit can share. Instead of just writing about these stories, show them. Video is the perfect platform for creating an emotional hook with a story that tugs at the heart.

2. Capture people’s interest. If you know your audience well (and hopefully you do), you know what will pique their curiosity and interest. You can communicate touch points that are pertinent to your cause through video. Share the latest news, research and statistics about an issue that’s near and dear to your organization’s heart. Promote your latest fundraising event and make an ask for registrants or volunteers. Anything that’s relevant and interesting to your constituents could be a potential hot video topic.

3. Get social. More than 100 million people take some kind of action on YouTube (likes, shares, comments, etc.) every week. Encourage interaction such as commenting and sharing, and use platforms like Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to distribute and promote your videos.

4. Get personal. Video is the perfect opportunity to give donors a behind-the-scenes look at how your nonprofit works. You can introduce staff, feature a volunteer of the month, give a quick recap of your latest event or record what it’s like to prepare for an event. Just be authentic—that’s an endearing trait.

5. Keep it brief. With online videos, less is more. Three to four minutes (or less) is considered to be pretty ideal. With longer videos, viewer retention can drop below 50%. Shorter videos also produce higher brand recall than long videos, which means donors will be more likely to remember your message if you keep it succinct.

6. Educate about your cause. You may have plenty of information about your nonprofit’s mission and cause in written form on your website, but video provides another educational tool that may prove to be even more effective. Create a quick video to educate website visitors on the importance of your cause, the need for support and what’s in it for them. This is evergreen content that you can both share on social media and host on your site.

7. Remember mobile. Mobile video usage has been exploding. Last November, Facebook claimed 8 million video views every day with more than 75% of those happening on mobile devices. As mobile video grows, so will mobile video advertising. The ability to capture a constituent’s attention with a video and then redirect them to your website is playing a key role in this growth. Did you know that consumers spent more time engaging with their smartphones than watching TV last year? Engage these smartphone users with a quick video promoting your brand, and send them to your site for more information.

8. Include a call to action. What do you want your viewers to do once they’ve watched your video? Don’t make them guess—clearly tell them. Calls to action like “learn more” or “donate now” can lead to your website and drop visitors off on landing pages created specifically for conversion. The important thing is that you end the video by prompting the viewer to take a specific action.

Take a few minutes now to brainstorm: What are the specific uses for video that could benefit both your organization and constituents?

The post Eight Ways to Grow Your Mission with Videos appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

If you haven’t taken advantage of LinkedIn’s publishing platform, or even realized there is such a thing, it’s easy to get started. Go to your LinkedIn homepage and look toward the top. Do you see a pencil icon with the words “Publish a post?” Just click on that and start writing. It couldn’t get much simpler.

Any posts you publish on LinkedIn are tied to your professional profile and show up near the top of your profile, which means all your content is showcased when someone views your LinkedIn profile. As such, it makes sense to publish material that you’re proud of and reflects your best work.

Here are seven ways to make the most of your publishing efforts.

1. Create attractive content. Before you start posting, have a plan. What type of post would resonate with both your established audience (your connections) and potential followers? Once you determine a topic, you don’t have to write a book; in fact, LinkedIn recommends keeping posts between 400 and 600 words. Like other social networks, people want to consume information quickly.You also want your content to be scannable—people don’t necessarily read each word online. A few best practices include:

• Write a compelling headline.
• Include an eye-catching image at the top of your posts.
• Bold important text.
• Break up longer paragraphs.
• Use bullet points.When you’re ready to and find the publishing. This is where you create your post. It’s similar to the WordPress editor or Microsoft Word. You can type or paste your text into the editor and format it right there.

2. Be sure to include a bio. Your LinkedIn post doesn’t have a bio section, so you’ll need to create one at the end of each post. Your bio should include a sentence or two about who you are, what you do and a link to your website or blog. Before you hit publish, review your post and check it for grammar and spelling! But if you miss something, you can always go back and edit.
3. Build followers. An awesome feature of the LinkedIn Publishing Platform is the ability to earn followers. If you produce helpful, high-quality content, you can grow your visibility and reach withoutallowing just anyone into your LinkedIn network. It’s also smart to follow other successful publishers so you can see how they’re using the publishing platform to grow their influence.

For the rest of the tips, check out the full article on Firespring.org >>

The post Seven Tips for Using LinkedIn’s Publishing Platform appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

Why? Because content marketing is effective.

• It expands your donor base beyond local boundaries. You’re not limited to connecting with just those in your community.
• It can be less expensive than other forms of marketing. It doesn’t typically require extensive graphic design, and anyone associated with your organization (employees, board members, volunteers, etc.) can contribute.
• It can be repurposed. For example, white papers and blog posts can be adapted to grants, applications and annual reports.
• It helps establish you as a thought leader. Just like in the business world, the nonprofit organizations with the most intellectual authority generally attract the most followers.

Still wondering how this applies to your nonprofit? These five tips can help you determine what type of content would be most valuable for you to share on both social media and your website.

1. Have a purpose. Everything that your nonprofit posts on social networks should come with a reason. Whether it’s a picture of a kitten or a video of an event, always have a reason for posting it.
2. Create unique content that sets your nonprofit apart. Don’t just share content from other people—create your own. Engaging videos, interesting infographics and memorable images can help share the story of your nonprofit, plus you can stamp your brand on them.

For the rest of the tips, check out the full article on Firespring.org>>

The post How to Make Content Marketing Work for Your Nonprofit appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

The post Why Your Nonprofit Website Needs a Privacy Policy (And What to Include) appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

One of the best ways to drive traffic to your website is to publish fresh content on a regular basis. Your visitors will appreciate it, and search engines love it.

Your key to fresh website content: A blog.

A blog allows you to talk about your cause, tell stories about people you’ve helped and show your website some love in the form of new, original content. Publishing a new post once a week or so will help you create an engaging feel to your website, attract the likes of Google and Bing and get more people talking about you. It’s a win-win-win.

Before you bristle at the thought of churning out a new blog post every week, think about this: It doesn’t have to be you. In fact, the best approach to a blog for most nonprofits is a team approach with multiple writers, including guest bloggers.

Guest blogging is just what it sounds like—asking other people to write posts for your blog.  If you think about it for a minute, you probably have several potential guest authors including donors, volunteers, board members, recipients of your services, professionals and specialists in your field, event attendees and sponsors.

And on top of saving you time and brainpower, guest bloggers may also:

1. Attract new readers. When someone writes a guest post, they’re likely to share it with their community and social networks. If they don’t, you can nudge them. Once you publish a post written by a guest blogger, send the author a thank-you email with a link to the post and encourage them to share it.
2. Allow you to cover more topics. You have a lot of expertise, no doubt, but there may be issues related to your cause that other people know more about. Invite them to fill in any knowledge gaps you may have. This could provide an educational opportunity for both you and your readers.

For more tips on how guest bloggers can help your site, check out the full article on Firespring.org >>

The post Why You Should Use Guest Bloggers appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

In our November/December 2014 edition, we explored how to build your 2015 marketing plan. To reserve your free copy of our next issue, sign up today. 

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Studies show that more than 50% of charitable giving happens in December—but don’t wait till then to get your plan in place. That’s the month when donors will receive an onslaught of emails from nonprofits asking for year-end gifts, and you run the risk of getting lost in a crowded inbox.

Here are three ways to harness the power of the giving season right now and be even more strategic in your year-end fundraising.

1. Write your appeal letters now.

No need to wait till November to write your year-end appeal. Draft your letter now and consider sending a Thanksgiving-themed letter this year. Email, of course, is an easy and convenient way to send your appeals, but don’t forget about snail mail—people still love getting letters, and giving them something physical to hold can serve as a reminder.

2. Make plans to reinforce year-end letters with social media.

How will you integrate all your marketing channels when you send your year-end appeals out? Now’s a great time to strategize and put a plan in place. You can tweet a heads-up to your followers, telling them to look for a letter in their mailbox soon. Or post a link on Facebook, directing traffic to the landing page you created for year-end donations. Integrating your marketing efforts is always more effective than simply marketing via one channel alone. Plan now to use your social networks to boost the effectiveness of your email and direct mail pieces.

3. Tap into your brand evangelists for your year-end fundraising.

You probably have volunteers or constituents who naturally promote your organization simply because they’re passionate about your cause. Identify those people and ask them if they’ll help you with your year-end efforts. Maybe they could read your letters and give you feedback before you send them. Or ask them to recommend your organization and link to your website in their social media posts. Hearing a friend endorse a particular organization can be extremely effective.

The post Gear Up for Year-End Giving Way Before the Year’s End appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

In our November/December 2014 edition, we explored how to build your 2015 marketing plan. To reserve your free copy of our next issue, sign up today. 

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By now you know that content marketing is all the rage, and we promise you, it’s just going to become a bigger deal in the coming year. When planning your marketing strategy for 2015, you’ll want to give your content marketing efforts some serious consideration.

One way to get organized and more strategic is to use an editorial calendar. An editorial calendar provides you with a broad overview of your whole content marketing plan and outlines exactly what needs to be completed when. Plus, you’ll be able to better assign tasks, assignments and topics when you plan out your content for weeks or months at a time as opposed to just winging it day by day.

Here are six steps to getting your editorial calendar started.

1. Define your audience.

Before you even start planning the type of content you’re going to share, make sure you know who you want to reach. Has your organization developed personas? Visit us online (nonprofithub.org) to find out how to do that. Personas can give a face to your audience and help you picture a typical reader. When you write, it’s helpful to imagine writing to one individual—that’s how people read your content (as individuals, not groups) and it’ll make your voice more personable.

2. Decide where your content will live.

Do you have a blog? Are you posting to Facebook? Twitter? Instagram? A YouTube channel? Determine exactly where you’re going to share content and what type. This might involve some testing, so be patient. For example, you may establish a regular schedule of posting on Facebook and be met with the sound of crickets. That’s okay—if you don’t see much engagement there, maybe you’ll find more on Twitter. The type of engagement you’ll find on social networks can vary from one organization to the next, but we recommend that every nonprofit create and maintain a blog. It’s the easiest and most effective way to share content.

3. Determine how often you’ll post.

Depending on how many writers/photographers/video makers you have, be realistic. Content creation takes time and it’s important to choose a frequency that’s sustainable for your organization. It’s better to create a realistic plan and be consistent throughout the year than to barrel out of the gates at full throttle, posting every day, then burn out by the end of the month. Also, remember—your content creators don’t have to be just staff members. Your bloggers should have a connection to your NPO, yes. But they could be board members, volunteers or constituents. Anyone passionate about your cause who can write, basically.

4. Make your calendar shareable.

You can find several ways to do this online, from using Google Calendars to a simple spreadsheet. Whatever you choose, give every content creator access to it so that everyone is on the same page. Literally.

5. Plan special themes.

Many magazines highlight different themes each month. You can apply a similar approach to your content marketing. For example, maybe choose the top 12 biggest concerns or interests your target audience has and address a different topic each month. You can also tie some of your content into holidays or seasonal themes. This not only makes it easier for your regular content team to write and create, but it’s also helpful if you choose to use guest contributors.

6. Keep a bank of evergreen content.

This is content that’s not date-centric, seasonal or event-focused; it’s always relevant and useful for your readers. Creating a bank of evergreen content is important for a few reasons. One, it gives you something to fall back on when schedules get busy or people have to miss a deadline. It’s also great for SEO purposes, especially when it comes to blogging, because this is the type of content that readers will search for beyond a few weeks or months.

Creating an editorial calendar is the perfect way to be more strategic with your content marketing efforts and maximize its impact in the coming year.

The post Get Your Content Marketing on Track with an Editorial Calendar appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.