What Do Nonprofits Want from Content Marketing?

More than 60% of nonprofit professionals in North America polled in August 2014 by Content Marketing Institute (CMI) and Blackbaud said their organizations used content marketing. And they’re not doing it to raise money.

While fundraising ranked as the No. 1 content marketing goal among nonprofit professionals polled in August 2013, cited by 79%, it fell far down the list this year, topped by brand recognition and customer-focused goals. Nearly 90% of respondents said their organizations were most focused on brand awareness when executing content marketing, and 84% aimed to boost engagement. Around 80% also cited client and constituent retention and loyalty as well as acquisition as content goals.

The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge created waves across social media this summer, and nonprofits surveyed were taking the plunge into this world. Social media, cited by 93%, was the top content tactic nonprofit professionals used, leapfrogging second-place in-person events (89% of respondents) to take the No. 1 spot. E-newsletters, articles on their own websites, and illustrations and photos rounded out the top five tactics, while microsites and infographics each saw huge 22-percentage-point leaps in usage year over year.

Nonprofits that share content on social stand a chance at reaching their brand awareness and engagement goals. An August 2014 study conducted by Toluna for Cone found that 56% of US internet users would share social or environmental content with their social networks, while 60% would “like” or follow a nonprofit or company social or environmental program. However, content must be compelling, as just 21% and 29% had actually performed these actions in the past 12 months, respectively.

Courtesy of eMarketer