Article
3 Must-Have Digital Elements Every Social Impact Organization Needs
Your organization’s website will attract and maintain more supporters if it includes evergreen content, a digital media hub, and an action center. Learn how.
Published
Share
We use cookies to improve your browsing experience. .
Article
Published
Share
As you generate excitement and attention around your cause, you need to sustain and build on it however you can.
Yet in today’s digital-first world, it’s impossible to do that effectively unless you come at it with a strategic approach.
No longer does a quarterly newsletter or a weekly Tweet suffice for getting necessary information out to your audience. Nor is a callout on Facebook or inconsistent blogging enough to mobilize your community.
The key to conquering your digital marketing? Employing the three pillars of digital media content:
By breaking your content into these three categories, your organization will maximize the time, money, and energy you are already spending as you work to spread your message and effect change.
A modern social impact organization is most effective when its website has three synergistic elements of digital content.
As your audience learns more about your organization, your goal is to inform, inspire, educate and engage them. Each pillar does just that.
You likely already have this information on your website. This type of content isn’t topical nor does it need frequent updating.
Evergreen content is your:
Evergreen content gives your supporters the basic information they need to understand your organization. This content should answer a lot of commonly asked questions. Many organizations already have this basic information, but unfortunately, that’s where they ususally stop.
In today’s attention-and-algorithm economy, you need to produce enough content to outsmart the system and get in front of your audience. Your battle doesn’t stop there. Next, you must develop such scroll-stopping content that they want to come back for more — again and again.
Your website’s media hub is where you organize your:
Your supporters follow you because they support your cause, but also because you tell them what needs to be done to advance it. But they can’t get involved unless you tell them what they need to do — and give them an opportunity to go do it. This is where your action center comes in.
Your action center is the content area on your website for supporters to:
Altogether, your evergreen content, media hub, and action center is a lot of content. But look at it this way: Your evergreen content only needs to be touched once in a while. And your other content? It’s all central to the work you do. This means you should add the responsibilities of content production to the dedicated team members already focused on parallel day-to-day tasks.
If it isn’t inherently clear how to divide the workload based on content category (like volunteer information being produced by your volunteer coordinator, for example), then consider assigning “beats” like news outlets do with their journalists.
Each team member tasked with a beat is responsible for following, producing, and publishing content for that area. One person could produce thought leadership content and impact stories; another could head up fundraising updates and membership information.
Set a regular cadence for publishing content to make sure your organization is consistently putting new, engaging content onto your website. (Then promote it out into the world!)
Like a three-legged stool, your evergreen content, action center, and media hub need each other to support your organization’s digital presence. They all work together in a synergistic fashion to inform, educate, and inspire your website’s visitors and your steadfast supporters.
As your audience becomes aware of who you are and what your organization stands for, they will begin their journey up the engagement pyramid.
For example, one supporter may find out about you through their friend’s social media post. They may get some background information about your organization through reading your mission, vision, and purpose (evergreen content).
Then, they may read your blog post that gives background information on a recent policy change affecting your cause (media hub).
After that, they may feel motivated enough to join you in the fight for change by accessing your templated letter and contacting their legislator (action center).
Ideally, as your new supporter becomes more involved in your organization, they will return to your website for more information and updates. Perhaps they will become so galvanized that they want to join your board of directors one day.
It’s all connected. At each touchpoint along your supporter’s journey, your organization has important content to share that can encourage your just-curious browsers to evolve into all-out advocates of your cause.
You probably use email and social media to reach your supporters. Be sure to use your strategies holistically for each entity along with your website content. Otherwise, you’re only operating at 75% at best.
When it comes to social media, one of its key benefits is collaborating with influencers. If any popular social media users with a large following support your organization, partner with them and use their platform to reach a wider network. Get them to advocate on your behalf.
As for email, this is where a lot of action and education starts. But always make sure that whatever you’re sending to people’s inboxes drives them to your website to take action. Your donor management platform is a great tool for crafting email strategies that target certain followers and direct them to curated content on your website — or drive them to your action center to engage.
Your team works tirelessly to tackle your organization’s goals every day. Make the most of everyone’s time and effort by taking a three-pronged approach to your digital strategy. Your website will undoubtedly present as more streamlined, credible, and compelling — and in the process, it will pull more supporters and funders to your side.
Article
