Non-Profits: ‘Saving The World Isn’t Easy,’ But Content Marketing Can Help

We live in the information age. According to Google CEO Eric Schmidt, there were 5 exabytes of information created between the dawn of civilization through 2003, but that much information is now created every 2 days. Many have disputed the statement made by Schmidt back in 2011, but regardless of the accuracy there’s no doubt we’re producing and consuming more information now than ever before.

The fight for attention is on, and that’s precisely why content marketing is so effective. Creating content that informs, educates, and inspires action – content that truly resonates with your tribe – cuts through the noise and connects.

Nonprofits are keenly aware of this.

In fact, 92% of nonprofits surveyed in the first nonprofit content marketing report stated that they use content marketing as part of their marketing mix. Additionally, nearly 70% of those surveyed said they have someone in place to oversee their content marketing strategy. Both significantly high numbers considering that most nonprofits have a very small staff, limited resources and a laser like focus on using the funds they have to support their work – world-changing work!

Now, those numbers sound impressive, but don’t let them deceive you. Nonprofits haven’t figured it out as only 26% of those surveyed said they were effective at content marketing. The reason? “Content marketing for nonprofits is hard because the goals are complicated,” said Kivi Leroux Miller, author of Content Marketing for Nonprofits. “Saving the world isn’t easy!”

Joe Pulizzi, founder of the Content Marketing Institute is looking forward to nonprofits getting better at content marketing. “As more nonprofit professionals become better educated on content marketing, we hope to see more of them develop documented content strategies and grow in confidence with their effectiveness,” said Pullizzi.

What the data says.

Have a look at the rest of the nonprofit content marketing research to learn more about the ways nonprofits are using content to engage with their target audiences and change the world. Oh, and don’t forget to check out the interactive version of the below infographic.

Frank Barry, director of digital marketing at Blackbaud and blogger at npENGAGE, has been helping nonprofits for over 10 years use the Internet for digital communication, social media, and fundraising so they can focus on changing the world. He’s worked with a diverse group of organizations including LIVESTRONG, United Methodist Church, American Heart Association, Big Brothers Big Sisters, ChildFund Int’l, InTouch Ministries, Heifer Int’l, and the University of Notre Dame. Along with writing for industry publications likeMashable and Social Media Today, Frank speaks regularly and facilitates discussions for industry conferences such as AFP, NTC, SXSW and BBCon. When he’s out and about, he enjoys talking to interesting people about how they are changing the world – check out his interviews. Say Hi on Twitter or Google+. When Frank’s not navigating the interwebs, he loves spending time with his wife and triplet (yep, that’s 3) 2-year-old boys. Watching Sesame Street is among his greatest joys!

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