Creative

Top 5 Pitfalls of Content Marketing
October 28, 2013

Content marketing is the future of marketing. Indeed, marketers are rushing in droves to create content, while abandoning traditional marketing outlets like PR, radio, print and TV, and even Web search. But many are running into unexpected problems. If you’re involved in content marketing, you probably face difficulties yourself. Here are the five big problems content marketers face and how to overcome them.

9 Words That Will Strengthen Your Nonprofit Messaging
October 24, 2013

In "Content Marketing for Nonprofits," Kivi Leroux Miller mentions a language study by Jen Shang, a psychologist who studies philanthropic behavior and uncovered nine agitators Americans use to define a good person: kind, caring, compassionate, helpful, friendly, fair, hard-working, generous and honest.

Your community acts when emotions are triggered. Using the words listed above will increase the likelihood that they’ll do something, whether it’s donating, volunteering or simply sharing your campaign with their friends.

A Blast From the Past: Fundraising From Yourself (July 2010)
October 22, 2013

It takes a real self-abnegation to do fundraising right. It takes discipline and focus to put aside your own preferences instead of donors'. Fundraising from yourself is the easy, feel-good path. But it won't feel so good when the zombies of failure start gnawing on your revenue.

Urgent, Not Hysterical
October 21, 2013

Extreme, apocalyptic rhetoric gets attention. But is it good fundraising? The definitive answer is … not usually.

Are Your Creepy Pitches Spooking Your Supporters? Pitch Fail and How to Fix It!
October 21, 2013

Creepy is great for a Halloween costume but not so great for raising funds so you can change the world. Let’s look at what’s really going on here: You, like most people on a mission to make the world a better place, probably have a pitch. Singular. Only one. You lovingly refer to it as your "elevator pitch." Its job is to close a deal while you glide up and down in an elevator.

3 Lessons in Nonprofit Storytelling From Humans of New York (HONY)
October 21, 2013

Brandon Stanton, better known as Humans of New York (HONY), shares photos and stories of the individuals and visitors who populate Manhattan daily. HONY’s exquisite photography catches the eye … and then the emotional stories behind the photographs draw the viewer in.

What can fundraisers take away from Stanton’s success? The power of consistency. Stanton never lets a day go by without sharing a photograph and story. Find your medium — and stick to it, like glue.

7 Tips for Sharing Stories About Your Nonprofit Work
October 18, 2013

One of my "soap box" topics has always been share more stories about the impact of your work. A great story versus a so-so or ho-hum story can make the difference between keeping your donors and volunteers connected and losing them to the next good cause. Make sure to put a face on your work often. Here are seven rules about stories.

Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling
October 16, 2013

Back in 2011, former Pixar artist Emma Coats tweeted a series of rules for great storytelling that she'd picked up from her colleagues. Dinolgnacio has now painstakingly superimposed all 22 over images from Pixar's films as a means to remember them. They aren't all directly related to fundraising, but they make an important point — great storytelling is about getting an audience to root for your hero.

What Nonprofits Can Learn From Halloween's Top Costumes
October 15, 2013

Halloween costumes are a $28 million industry. Even if you haven’t bought yours yet, I bet you’re weighing your options. (After the Red Sox’s big win over the Detroit Tigers Sunday night I’m thinking of going as a bearded cop with his arms raised in victory!) Here’s something else you should be thinking about. The most popular costumes offer valuable insights for nonprofit marketers and fundraisers on what trends are real or an apparition.