Beyond Brochures & Bulletins: Practical Tips for Creating Shareable Content for Your Cause

Let's face it: most of us aren't full-time professional content creators. We're the ones writing grant proposals at 2 am, explaining complex issues to our board members, and somehow managing to keep the office plants alive. 

But here's the good news: you don't need a fancy degree or a marketing budget to create content that gets shared. This article will guide you to creating content that resonates with your audience—even if you're a one-person social media team.

But what exactly is "shareable content"? It's not just catchy slogans and pretty pictures. It's content that resonates with your audience emotionally, prompting them to connect, engage, and share your message. It's about storytelling, authenticity, and building relationships that go beyond the screen.

In today's digital world, attention is a precious commodity. Shareable content helps you cut through the noise and capture the hearts and minds of your target audience. 

Imagine this: you craft a heartfelt blog post about a volunteer's impact, and within hours, it's shared across social media, reaching thousands of new supporters. Or, a captivating video showcasing your work ignites a wave of donations, helping you fund a crucial program. 

This, my friend, is the magic of shareable content.

Ready to unlock the power of shareable content for your nonprofit? 

1. Focus on Stories

People connect with stories, not facts. Share impactful stories of individuals your work has helped, passionate volunteers, or inspiring moments. Use quotes, personal anecdotes, and genuine emotions.

Identify Your Story Heroes

• While highlighting beneficiaries is crucial, don't limit yourself. Feature passionate volunteers, dedicated staff members, or even unexpected heroes who've made a difference.

• Prioritize the personal stories of individuals impacted by your work. Include their quotes, anecdotes, and emotions to add authenticity and depth.

Find the Compelling Angle

• Showcase journeys of overcoming obstacles, achieving goals, or lives changed thanks to your organization.

• Highlight heartwarming interactions, acts of kindness, or surprising results that showcase your impact in action.

• Aim for stories that evoke empathy, hope, or inspiration, encouraging your audience to connect with your cause on a deeper level.

2. Go Visual

Images and videos are more likely to be shared than text alone. Use high-quality visuals that capture the essence of your story and evoke emotion. Consider using infographics or short, impactful videos.

Design Like a Pro Without Being a Pro

Limited design skills and budget? Don't worry! Here's your toolbox for creating eye-catching visuals even without fancy software:

Free Images & Video Platforms: Utilize royalty-free image and video resources like Unsplash, Pexels, and Pixabay. Many offer high-quality content relevant to various causes.

Canva for Nonprofits: Explore the free Canva plan, specifically designed for nonprofits. It provides user-friendly templates for social media posts, infographics, and presentations.

Mobile Storytelling Apps: Edit stunning videos on your phone with intuitive apps like InShot, Quik, or Adobe Spark Video. Add text overlays, music, and transitions for professional-looking results.

3. Highlight impact

Showcase the positive change you create. Use data, testimonials, and before-and-after visuals to demonstrate the difference you make. Don't be afraid to celebrate your achievements!

Tell Your Data Story

Go beyond numbers: Translate dry statistics into real-world impact. For example, instead of saying "increased literacy rate by 10%," say "helped 50 children read their first book."

Visualize your Impact: Use charts, graphs, and infographics to make data understandable and engaging. Pie charts are great for percentages, while line graphs show trends over time.

Personalize it: Use testimonials and case studies to put a human face on your data. Share stories of individuals whose lives have been changed by your work.

Showcase the Before and After

Use powerful visuals: Show the tangible difference you've made with before-and-after photos or videos. This could be a renovated community center, a child learning to read, or a restored habitat.

Highlight challenges overcome: Don't stop showing the challenges you faced and how you overcame them. This adds credibility and authenticity to your story.

Celebrate milestones, big and small: Don't wait for significant achievements. Track and share even small wins to show consistent progress and keep your audience engaged.

4. Collaborate with Others

Partner with other nonprofits, influencers, or community leaders to reach new audiences and amplify your message.

Identifying Potential Partners

Shared Mission & Values: Seek partners whose mission and values align with yours to ensure a natural synergy.

Complementary Audiences: Look for organizations with different demographics or communities to broaden your reach.

Mutual Benefits: Identify what each partner brings and ensure the benefits are reciprocal.

Collaboration Ideas

Co-host events or webinars: Partner on fundraising events, awareness campaigns, or educational webinars to reach new audiences.

Cross-promote each other's content: Share each other's content on your social media platforms and websites to expand reach.

5. Repurpose and Recycle

Forget the hamster wheel of content creation! Repurposing your existing content is a strategic and time-saving way to generate a steady stream of shareable content across different platforms. Here's how you can become a content recycling ninja:

Identify Your Content Gems

Past Blog Posts: Look for insightful, well-received blog posts with evergreen topics. They're ripe for repurposing!

Engaging Social Media Posts: Analyze which posts generated the most engagement (likes, comments, shares). These have proven potential.

Impactful Videos or Presentations: Consider repurposing powerful video content or presentations into bite-sized clips or infographics.

Choose Your Repurposing Playground

• Turn blog posts into Social media snippets, infographics, short videos, podcasts, or email newsletters.

• Transform infographics into Social media images, blog post visuals, or presentation slides.

• Repurpose videos into Short clips for different platforms, teasers for longer content, or animated explainers.

• Recycle presentations into Blog posts, articles, social media stories, or downloadable e-guides.

Unleash Your Inner Content Ninja 

Creating shareable content isn't about magic formulas or exorbitant budgets – it's about passion, authenticity, and connecting with your audience heart-to-heart. By incorporating these tips and embracing the power of storytelling, visuals, and collaboration, you can transform your content into shareable gems that spark conversations, ignite action, and amplify your mission's impact.

Join a growing community of non-profit leaders using Just Write Grants resources to tackle their goals. Learn from the best, save time, and achieve more – together!

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Meet the Author - Kristin Chute 

Kristin Chute is a freelance writer with a passion for helping nonprofits increase their reach and impact. She has written for companies offering SaaS solutions, nonprofits directly, and donor loyalty programs.

Kristin believes in the power of nonprofit organizations to change the world. With expertise stemming from her career and personal connection to volunteering at her childhood summer camp, she shares insights to help nonprofits increase their reach, engage supporters, and amplify fundraising efforts.