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The Secret Reason Nobody’s Reading Your Blog

November 21, 2016 by Dennis Fischman Leave a Comment

There’s one reason people aren’t reading your blog that no one will tell you about. But I will.

blogging secrets

The blogging secret no one talks about

Sure, you can find all kinds of important tips to attract more attention.

  • You need to make it easier to find, use eye-catching subject lines, write for your audience and not for yourself.
  • You need to stop using white on black, or 8-point font, or anything else that makes it hard to read.
  • Above all, write on a topic and in a voice that will make readers want to read more.

But here’s the thing no one is telling you: blogging is different.

It’s not like writing for social media.

One good post or tweet and I might follow you on Facebook or Twitter…because hey, I won’t see everything you post anyway. It’s not a huge investment of time.

If I’m going to follow your blog, though, I’m planning on reading a fairly long-form post on a regular basis and giving each post enough thought to learn from it. When you blog, your writing has to be good enough and your content has to be substantive enough to convince me to make that commitment.

It’s not like writing for print.

Blogging may not be social media, but it is social. When you post a blog, you should think, “Who will find this useful, or informative, or entertaining?” Keep that audience in mind always. Don’t write anything for posterity: write for right now.

Even when you’re writing to work out an idea for yourself, do it “out loud,” so your readers can follow each step…and join in with you. And when they do, by commenting on your post, feel complimented and answer back. Every comment. Every time.

Blogging is different.

Blogging takes the skills of a writer and an editor, but also  a good interviewer’s interest in a guest, and the pleasure a hostess takes when she introduces her guests to one another.

If too few people are reading your blog,how can you make it better for the people who are? Share on X

Creating a great environment for a select group of people. That’s the secret. (Just between you and me.)

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TY Thursday: Why Your Nonprofit Should Do a Thank-a-thon

November 17, 2016 by Dennis Fischman Leave a Comment

gratitudeIt’s vital for your nonprofit to thank donors, and one of the very best ways to do it is to pick up the phone and call them. If you’re lucky, though, you have so many donors that the Executive Director and Development Director both put together would consider thanking donors a full-time job! What’s the solution? Hold a thank-a-thon.

What’s a Thank-a-thon?

A thank-a-thon is like a phone-a-thon. Only instead of dialing for dollars, you have a room full of people calling people who have already given…just to say thanks.

Abigail Harmon gives us the portrait of the classic thank-a-thon.

Armed with a list of donors – big and small alike – and a script, each board member makes calls to thank donors for their support over the past year…Historically, a phone bank was required so that everyone could sit in a room and make the calls…but it is often more feasible to have board members bring their cell phones and chargers (just in case) to a house where they can sit around and make the calls.

You will need a staff member to hand out the lists and scripts and answer questions that might arise. And you will want to provide some food and drink. Your callers will be friendlier if they are fed!

4 Reasons a Thank-a-thon is Worth It

Why would you spend the time and energy of your board members and volunteers for an activity that’s not going to raise any more money right away?

  1. To raise more money next year. If a donor gives you money in 2016 and you send a perfunctory thank-you letter, the chances you’ll see another gift in 2017 are less than 30%. You can double that with a hearty thank-you in a real human voice.
  2. To make your Board members proud. Do you have a Board member who says, “I’ll do anything for this organization–except ask for money”? Turn their fear of asking into their joy at saying thank-you to a person who cares about the same organization they do!
  3. To give non-Board members a way to get more involved. There is no rule that says only directors of the organization can call and say thanks. A call from a fellow donor may be equally meaningful…both to the caller and donor on the other end.
  4. To make it fun. Yes, you can farm out the calls for people to do on their own time, in the privacy of their own homes. But there’s a certain infectious energy that spreads around the room during a thank-a-thon. Try it and see!

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26 Ways Nonprofits Can Win Friends by Content Marketing

November 14, 2016 by Dennis Fischman Leave a Comment

boredIf you’re a nonprofit organization, blogging is the backbone of your content marketing.  You want people to seek you out–to look to you for expert knowledge and unique insights.  Your blog is where they find what they’re looking for.

 

But are you getting bored with your blog?

You can’t excite people if you’re feeling deadly dull.  If it’s a chore for you to write, it won’t be any fun for your readers to read.

Don’t stop blogging–but there are lots of other ways to do content marketing.

26 Ways to Share Content with Your Readers

Joe Pulizzi of the Content Marketing Institute lists:

  1. Social media–other than blogs
  2. Articles on your website
  3. E-newsletters
  4. In-person events
  5. Case studies
  6. Videos
  7. Articles on other people’s websites
  8. White papers
  9. Online presentations
  10. Webinars/webcasts
  11. Infographics
  12. Research reports
  13. Microsites
  14. Branded content tools
  15. Mobile content
  16. Print magazines
  17. E-Books
  18. Books
  19. Mobile apps
  20. Digital magazines
  21. Podcasts
  22. Licensed/syndicated content
  23. Virtual conferences
  24. Annual reports
  25. Print newsletters
  26. Games/gamification

If you’re tired of writing short, snappy pieces, then write a white paper or report.  If you’d rather talk than write, then the in-person appearances or the podcasts might be perfect for your personality.  Maybe you’d rather shoot photos–or make videos–or design a game.

Does that get your juices flowing?  I’ll bet you can even think of other content if you try. I thought of comics and graphic novels.  What would you add to the list?

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