One of the biggest mistakes that marketing and PR people (or those who wear that hat) make for their organizations is pumping out website and social media content that I roughly define as content that “makes their organization look good” but isn’t necessarily interesting to readers.
One of the biggest challenges of social media is developing constant content that compels followers to come back for more.
Many education and non-profit organizations are challenged to come up with ideas of how to create this type of content, so, using some inspiration from a recent ragan.com article highlighting 20 content ideas readers love (you can read them here). I’ve narrowed down the list to just five content ideas that will resonate with your education and non-profit audiences:
1. Create lists.
In a world where people are time-crunched, lists of tips or things to do, such as “10 tips to help your child succeed in school” are the headlines people click on (this article caught your eye, didn’t it?). Breaking down content makes it easy to read and tells readers you aren’t wasting their time.
Examples: “10 ways you can make a difference with XYZ organization” “5 simple ways to connect with your school” “10 ways XYZ organization accomplishes its mission”
2. Go negative.
Much to our chagrin, people like to read and hear bad news, or things they should avoid. It’s sad, but true. Take the negative angle of a story—you’ll be surprised by the traffic.
Examples: “Homework Pitfalls: 10 mistakes to avoid” “Teenage Drinking: 5 signs that your teen has a problem” “Is it a learning disability? 5 things that parents overlook”
3. Share infographics.
Infographics present complex data and information as a combination of text and images. People share them on Pinterest and Twitter. Don’t know what infographics are? Basically, they’re a way to put data into a visual format–and they’re catching on quickly! View some examples of infographics.
Examples: “XYZ School District’s Budget Process: An infographic”; “How Your Donations Benefit ABC Organization’s Beneficiaries”
4. Provide how-to posts.
People LOVE simple, how-to instructions! Provide a how-to framework that makes a task easy to read, understand and implement. This is somewhat similar to the lists idea, except this can focus on one topic.
Examples: “How to resolve issues with your child’s school”; “How to meaningfully engage with XYZ organization”; “A no-tears approach to helping your child with homework”
5. List case studies.
Research is great, but real-world case studies are proof that it works. For school districts, this is a great way to highlight how academic intervention programs are working! For non-profit organizations, this is a great way to highlight how your organization is “walking the talk.” However, make sure these case studies are 2-3 page s, tops–these aren’t research papers, and remember your audiences (see “time crunched audience,” above). Better yet–make your case study into a compelling video!
Examples: “Case Study: XYZ School District Academic Intervention Programs Increase Student Achievement by 10%”; “Case Study: ABC Organization’s Elder Abuse Prevention Outreach Reduces Reports of Abuse”
For more tips and ideas about Social Media, be sure to check out Sounding Board’s Articles & Resources on Social Media and check out our Savvy Social Media Guide & Video.
About Heather McGowan
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