I’ve been thinking a lot about content marketing lately, following the publication of the guide which Matt Collins and I put together, ‘Social Media for Charity Leaders.’ The launch, which coincided with our announcement of the top 30 charity CEOs on social media, reached 1.4 million people and many of you have been asking me what the secret of its success was. The truth is that I’m as surprised and thrilled as anyone that it did so well and I think it was largely due to having some good content from amazing contributors, and the support of lots of brilliant people who got behind it from the start. It just goes to show that you don’t need a big budget to have a wide reach. You just need to have something different, helpful and topical to say.
On that note, I’ve spotted two great new charity publications recently. The marvellous people at Social Misfits Media have launched a guide, ‘Something To Tweet About’, which offers insights into how to make the most out of content on social media. It includes contributions from Facebook, YouTube, Google+, JustGiving, and Movember amongst others. The guide shows how charities can engage stakeholders- from volunteers to donors- by using content, and demonstrates how they can do this regardless of their budget or size. If you’re getting started with content, or need a refresher, this guide is an excellent place to begin.
A case in point of great charity content is Girlguiding’s new report, ‘Equality for Girls.’ It’s an unsettling read for those of us with daughters as it reveals how girls believe that sexual harassment is commonplace, their appearances are judged and their abilities undermined. There are some worrying statistics including:
- More than a third of girls aged 7-21 (36 per cent) have been patronised or made to feel stupid because of their sex, rising sharply to 60 per cent of 16-21s.
- 87 per cent of girls aged 11-21 think women are judged more on their appearance than on their ability.
- 60 per cent of 11-21s have had comments about their appearance shouted at them at school, while 62 per cent have been shouted or whistled at in the street.
- Almost half of girls aged 11-21 worry that having children will negatively affect their career (46 per cent)
Girlguiding’s report is essential reading for any parent and has made me realise how important their guiding activities are for helping girls feel confident, have fun and discover their potential.
According to Facebook’s Karla Geci, ‘Good content is anything that encourages people to interact and share.’ That’s what great content does; it makes you think, and engage. And it should draw attention to your charity’s mission and vision. So before you put together your charity’s next piece of content, whether it’s a tweet, a report or a video, ask yourself this; what can you tell your audience right now that’s powerful, insightful, and reminds them why your charity is amazing?