Communicate!

Helping you win loyal friends through your communications

Navigation Bar

  • About
  • Services
  • What Clients Say
  • Contact

Goldilocks and the Three Nonprofits

March 7, 2016 by Dennis Fischman 4 Comments

just right

When are your communications just right?

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Goldilocks.  She liked to give away money.

One day Goldilocks went exploring the forest of letters, email, and online posts she received.  She found herself in the house of three nonprofits.  She sat down at their table and sampled what they were offering.

She tasted the first nonprofit.  “Oh, this is too hot!” she exclaimed.  The nonprofit was sending her something every day, and all of it was peppered with funding appeals.

She tasted the second nonprofit.  “This is far too cold,” she realized.  The nonprofit was communicating with her only when it was asking for money.  And by the time she received a thank-you letter, she’d reached the bottom of the bowl.  She had no appetite for any more donations.

Goldilocks tasted the third nonprofit.  “Ahhh,” she breathed.  “This is just right!” Here was the porridge she’d been looking for.  The main ingredient was content that pleased her palate, spiced with a healthy dash of humor and with nuggets of information to chew on.  The funding appeals had absorbed the flavor of the dish and went down smoothly.

“Someone’s been eating my porridge,” Goldilocks heard a voice say.  There was the Communications Director of the third nonprofit, smiling.  And behind her was the Development Director, asking “Would someone like to sit in my chair at my next event?”

 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

Is Your Audience Hungry? How to Produce Great Content

July 16, 2015 by Dennis Fischman 2 Comments

They like you.  They really like you.  Now what?

Let’s say you’ve worked patiently to attract an audience on your blog, Facebook page, Twitter feed, etc., and you’ve succeeded.  Congratulations.

Now, you’d like to keep on sharing great content with your followers.  That’s what brings them back, hungry for more.  But you have only so many hours in the day.  How do you feed them every day?

Here are some great resources on creating content that satisfies. Content can be:

  • Visual.  Small Screen Producer advises you on how to use photos and videos.
  • Curated.  You don’t have to create everything you post.  Content Marketing Institute points you toward 6 Strategies to Add Value With Your Own Commentary.
  • Generated by your followers.  Edelman Digital gives you Five Ways to Obtain Rich User-Generated Content.
  • Quick–if you’re prepared. ProBlogger tells you how to combine quantity and quality.
  • Translated from business for a nonprofit audience.  (That’s one of my specialties.  If you’d like to know more, look for the hashtage #ispeaknonprofit on Twitter.)

How do YOU sate your audience’s content craving?

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print

The Secret Reason People Aren’t Reading Your Blog

February 19, 2015 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. It 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

That’s the secret. (Just between you and me.)

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • Next Page »

Yes, I’d like weekly email from Communicate!

Get more advice

Yes! Please send me tips from Communicate! Consulting.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Copyright © 2025 · The 411 Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in