Your non-profit’s website is the heart of your online presence. But a website is only as good as the information on it. The articles, stories, videos, and resources you create are called your “content.” A content strategy is simply your plan for what you are going to say, who you are going to say it to, and why. It is the roadmap for all the content you create. Without a plan, you end up creating random posts and articles that do not work together. With a plan, you create a powerful library of content that builds on itself to attract new supporters and deepen your relationship with your current ones.

Creating a content strategy might sound like a big, complicated task, but it does not have to be. It is really just about answering a few simple questions in a thoughtful way. This guide will break down the process into 8 clear, manageable steps. We will walk you through how to create a simple, effective content plan that will make your non-profit marketing much more effective and a lot less stressful.

Step 1: Define Your Content Goals

Before you create any content, you need to know what you want it to do. Your content goals should be directly connected to your organization’s main goals. What is the purpose of your content?

Common content goals for non-profits include:

• Attracting New Supporters: Your goal might be to increase the number of new visitors to your website. This is the “Awareness” stage of your marketing funnel.
• Building Your Email List: Your goal could be to get more people to sign up for your newsletter. This is a key step in building your community.
• Increasing Donations: Your goal might be to inspire more people to make their first gift or to upgrade to a monthly donation.
• Establishing Your Authority: You might want to become the go-to source of information for your cause in your community.

Choose one or two primary goals to focus on. This will help you make sure that every piece of content you create has a clear purpose.

Step 2: Understand Your Audience

You cannot create great content if you do not know who you are creating it for. You need to have a deep understanding of your ideal supporter. What are they interested in? What are their biggest questions about your cause? What kind of content do they like to consume?

The best way to do this is to talk to your current supporters. You can also look at your website and social media analytics to see what kind of content they already engage with the most. This understanding is the foundation of all good non-profit storytelling.

Step 3: Find Your Key Topics (Keyword Research)

Your content should be the answer to your audience’s questions. Keyword research is the process of finding out what those questions are. By using free tools like the Google Keyword Planner, you can see the exact phrases people are typing into Google when they are looking for information about your cause.

This is a critical part of your SEO strategy. Your goal is to create a list of “content pillars.” These are the 3-5 main topics that your non-profit is an expert on. For an animal shelter, the pillars might be “pet adoption,” “animal care tips,” and “how to help animals.” For an environmental group, they might be “local conservation,” “reducing your carbon footprint,” and “protecting wildlife.” Every piece of content you create should fit into one of these main topic areas.

Step 4: Choose Your Content Formats

There are many different ways to tell your story. A good content strategy uses a mix of different formats to keep your audience engaged.

Step 5: Create a Content Calendar

A content calendar is a simple schedule that plans out what content you will publish and when. It is the most important tool for being consistent. It saves you from the stress of waking up every day and wondering what to post. Your calendar can be a simple spreadsheet.

For each piece of content, your calendar should include:

• The topic or title.
• The format (e.g., blog post, video).
• The date it will be published.
• Which staff member is responsible for creating it.
• The call to action you will include.

Start by planning your content one month at a time. This makes the process much more manageable.

Step 6: Create the Content (And Make it Great)

Now it is time to do the work of creating your content. The most important rule is to focus on quality over quantity. It is better to create one amazing, helpful piece of content than five mediocre ones. Every piece of content you create should be:

• Helpful: It should answer a real question or solve a real problem for your audience.
• Engaging: It should tell a good story and make an emotional connection.
• Easy to Read: Use simple language, short sentences, and clear headings.
• Branded: It should look and sound like it came from your non-profit, following the rules of your brand style guide.

Step 7: Promote Your Content

Creating great content is only half the battle. You also need to make sure people see it. Do not just publish a blog post and hope that people find it. You need a plan to promote every piece of content you create.

Step 8: Measure Your Results

The final step is to see if your content is actually working. You need to look at your data to see what is resonating with your audience and what is not. By looking at a few key numbers, you can learn what to do more of in the future. This is a key part of measuring what matters.

Look at your Google Analytics to see which blog posts are getting the most traffic. Look at your social media analytics to see which posts are getting the most engagement. This information will help you make your content strategy even smarter over time.

A good content strategy turns your website from a static brochure into a living, breathing resource that works for your mission every single day.

Conclusion: From Content to Connection

A content strategy is your plan for building relationships with your supporters. It is how you turn your expertise and your passion into valuable content that draws people to your cause. By taking the time to create a simple, thoughtful plan, you can stop the stressful cycle of “what do I post today?” and start building a library of content that will serve your mission for years to come. By following these 8 steps, you can create a content strategy that builds trust, inspires action, and turns your audience into a community.