Why Add a Blog to a Nonprofit Website?
Nonprofit Marketing at its Best When Nonprofit Execs Blog Regularly
Aug 22, 2009
Some nonprofit organizations may hesitate to consider adding a blog to their website because it's already difficult enough to keep current content fresh. Ironically, blogging can be much easier than updating standard website content.
What Does a Nonprofit Blog Add to the Communications Mix?
Contributing Editor to Blogher (a website supporting women bloggers) Britt Bravo offers a list of reasons nonprofits should consider blogging in her Feb. 20, 2009 blog post "8 Benefits of Having a Nonprofit Blog."
- Because blogs can be written in less than half an hour in most cases, it's possible for a nonprofit to consistently provide up-to-date information.
- Blog writing can actually increase productivity, because materials from blogs can be repurposed for use in newsletters, donor communications and so on.
- Blogs can end up reaching more people because they are shared within networks in a different way from electronic newsletter or standard website content. Blogs can be emailed and are often linked to from other blogs.
- Search engines are fond of websites that have fresh content. By blogging, a nonprofit can rank higher when someone does an internet search.
- Nonprofits can create their own "media coverage" when blogging- Bravo relates a story of an organization that blogged about a murder trial with important implications for their cause.
- A blog is by nature a personal and informal communication. Blogs can be a great way to reveal the "human side" of a nonprofit leader.
- Finally, adds Bravo, "Blogs can be fun!"
Tips for Starting a Nonprofit Blog
Don't make blogging harder than it has to be. Consider using a blog publishing program like Wordpress, Blogger or Typepad to set up a blog with minimal effort. "They've made it so easy that, once you've set up the blog, you can basically type in the content and press 'submit,'" says Ilona Bray in Effective Fundraising for Nonprofits: Real-World Strategies That Work (2008).
Have the nonprofit CEO or executive director write her own blogs. Blog entries can be written while on the road and saved for later uploading to the blog site. It doesn't take long and it's a huge opportunity for the leader to build relationships with the nonprofit's stakeholders- en masse. In many organizations, this might be the only way for nonprofit beneficiaries and donors to interact with the top exec.
Use photos and stories. Blogs are ideal vehicles for sharing success stories or stories of need (with the nonprofit organization positioned to provide the solution). Maximize the impact with photos -- even amateur shots taken on the fly while on a site visit, for example.
Be as transparent as possible. The Sierra Club's blogger Pat Joseph says in Bray's book, "You can set the program up so that you have a chance to approve comments before the public sees them, but that discourages people from commenting (they lose the satisfaction of seeing their posting right away), and it makes the blog seem less real." Instead, monitor comments and delete inappropriate posts as necessary. Leave room for healthy debate- the chance to counter an argument is a huge communications opportunity.
Nonprofit blogging is becoming more commonplace and will likely continue to do so. It does not need to take the place of existing communications, but can be a useful addition for many nonprofit organizations.
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