{"id":8760,"date":"2017-02-28T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-02-28T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/?p=8760"},"modified":"2024-05-08T20:49:07","modified_gmt":"2024-05-08T20:49:07","slug":"nonprofit-content-creation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.causevox.com\/blog\/nonprofit-content-creation\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Make Your Nonprofit’s Content Compelling"},"content":{"rendered":"

Imagine a supporter looking at your fundraising appeal. Is she immediately compelled to take action? If not, you\u2019ve got to make your content more compelling. With your 2017 fundraisers starting soon, there\u2019s no time to waste!<\/p>\n

See what I did there?<\/p>\n

I could have started this post with something like: \u201cCompelling content makes the difference between whether your fundraising appeal is skipped over or considered. Your content should be more than interesting, it should make people want to do things. There are some best practices for making your content compelling, which I\u2019ll explore now.\u201d<\/p>\n

“Imagine a supporter looking at your fundraising appeal. Is she immediately compelled to take action?”<\/em> <\/i>tweet this<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n

But then you probably wouldn\u2019t still be reading.<\/p>\n

Compelling The Brain To Action<\/h2>\n

Our brains are fascinating things. A lot of what drives us isn\u2019t exactly conscious. Some things make us take action more than others, which we call \u201chot triggers.\u201d Appealing to these triggers is \u201cneuromarketing,\u201d marketing to the brain<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When someone receives your fundraising appeal, online or in-person, they are making a lot of decisions very quickly. Will they open it? Will they read the whole thing? Will they make a gift? Will they make a gift right now, or wait?<\/p>\n

Making your content compelling makes it more likely your appeals will be opened, read, and responded to. Compelling content is also more shareable and memorable, both important factors in the year-end season, when your supporters are getting bombarded with messages from nonprofits.<\/p>\n

“Making your content compelling makes it more likely your appeals will be opened, read, and responded to.”<\/em> <\/i>tweet this<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n

Hold Up.\u201cMarketing To The Brain Sounds Creepy!\u201d<\/h2>\n

Okay, I\u2019ll admit that attempting to trigger a response in other people\u2019s brains seems a little like mad science.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not. If you were hoping for some kind of donation-inspiring mind control device (and really, who isn\u2019t?) I\u2019m sorry to tell you that neuromarketing isn\u2019t it.<\/p>\n

\"Compelling
“Boom! Now you’re a monthly donor!”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Appealing to hot triggers doesn\u2019t trick anybody, or make them do something they don\u2019t want to do. It just inspires action better than other things–it doesn\u2019t make the action happen. There\u2019s nothing sneaky going on.<\/p>\n

What neuromarketing does <\/em>do is make a quicker response more likely. It short-circuits procrastination. This is useful, because \u201cOh, yeah, I\u2019ll make a donation later tonight\/over the weekend\/in the vague future\u201d is the enemy of all fundraising appeals. Despite donors great intentions, a donation delayed is often no donation at all.<\/p>\n

Secrets To Compelling Content<\/h2>\n

So what are these triggers that brains love so much?<\/p>\n

Stories That Show Impact<\/h3>\n

At CauseVox, we keep talking<\/a> about storytelling<\/a> because we believe it\u2019s the heart of fundraising. Telling stories that demonstrate your impact is more engaging than anything else. Stories<\/a> activate more of the brain, promote better recall, and unleash empathy.<\/p>\n

CauseVox is an online fundraising tool<\/a> that is centered around people and fueled by storytelling. \u00a0To get the most out of a story, it should be emotional, with a central character, and show a change.<\/p>\n

Change for Kids<\/a> tells a story of change, empowerment, and excitement in elementary education. In their video below, students and adults who\u2019ve experienced their programs tell their own stories. I dare you not to tear up when the kids talk about how they used to feel reading in front of the class or trying to do math, and how they feel now. The impact is clear, my emotions are engaged, and my brain is paying attention.<\/p>\n