Nonprofits vie for constituents' attention online. Your messages compete with more than just cute goat videos and cat memes. How can your organization flourish in the Internet fray? The city of Austin will be our guide as we explore how to keep website content relevant and fresh. A BBCON 2015 session presented by Nyleva Corley and Ben Wong

1. KEEP YOUR CONTENT WEIRD,
RELEVANT AND FRESH
Presented By Nyleva Corley and Ben Wong
OCT. 26, 2015 ◦ 4-5:15 P.M. ◦ ROOM 10B

2. 2

3. 3www.laslatinitas.com

4. 2 #bbcon
By crafting quality stories in a
variety of formats, your content can
flourish in the Internet fray!
#KeepContentWeird #bbcon
4
Tweet this now

5. Nyleva Corley
5
Senior Information Architect
User Experience and Design
▪ Hometown: Austin, TX
▪ Specialties: Content Strategy and Usability
▪ At Blackbaud: 3½ years
▪ Facts:
▪ 12 years in digital strategy for The University of Texas of Austin
▪ Long-distance trail runner
▪ My first name is a made up name
@nyleva

6. Ben Wong
6
▪ Hometown: Bristol, UK
▪ Specialties: Web Strategy & Design, Storytelling
▪ At Blackbaud: 7 years
▪ Experience:
▪ Started career in the British music industry
▪ Joined Blackbaud as a web designer
▪ Co-Founder of Birthdays For All
Creative & Success Services Manager
@bunmun

7. 7Image Source: El Arroyo, Facebook

8. 8Image Source: Aquila Commercial

9. 9
Keep Austin
weird, y’all.

10. Why should we care about content?
10

11. 11

12. 12
Our rate of content consumption
is at an all time high
3,000,000,000
People are doing
Google search queries every day.

13. 13
Are we feeding our audience
JUNK CONTENT?
#bbcon #keepcontentweird

14. 14
65% of Americans say web content
is “hit or miss” or “unreliable”
- Colleen Jones: Content + Credibility Study

15. 15
Only 72% of constituents of cause-based
nonprofits perceived the website content
to be accurate
- Colleen Jones: ContentWRX Index

16. 16
“Nonprofits struggle for funding, volunteers,
and other resources because they are
unable to effectively communicate their
vision, purpose and value.”
- Liz Wainger, President Wainger Group Communications

17. 17
WORK HORSE
Your content has to be a

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Connect with the audience
Represent brand
Be accurate and up to date
Delight and entertain
Educate and inform
Be shareable and portable
CONTENTInspire action
Your Content Has To Be A Workhorse

19. 19
I HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY
BUT I HAVE NO TIME, RESOURCES OR BUDGET
TO CREATE TRULY EXCEPTIONAL CONTENT
Image Source: Dawson’s Creek, Sony Pictures

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CONTENT IS AN INVESTMENT
Increase conversions
Rally people around your mission
Build your brand

21. 21
What’s in your
CONTENT CLOSET?

22. 22
Questions for your content audit:
What is the purpose for the organization?
Who is the target audience?
What is the call to action? click here
Is it accurate and up to date?
Is the tone consistent with the brand?
Is it accessible on mobile devices?

23. 23
Content is your #1 digital asset.
It has the power to inspire your
constituents to take action.
#KeepContentWeird #bbcon
Tweet this now

24. 14 #bbcon
Keep Your Content Fresh & Relevant
24

25. 25
MAKE ME CRY

26. Storytelling is the oldest and most
powerful form of communication
Image Source: Matthew Cooper Photography

27. When you want to motivate,
persuade, or be remembered…
START WITH A STORY
It will capture people’s hearts by
first attracting their brains
Source: HBR.org Why Your Brain Loves Good Storytelling
- Dr. Paul Zak, Claremont Graduate University
#bbcon #keepcontentweird

28. Your stories make up your content
Not all content tells a story
Image Source: John Maffei, Uncommon Objects At Night
#bbcon #KeepContentWeird

29. 29
THE DRAMATIC STRUCTURE
BEGINNING MIDDLE END
INTRO CONFLICT RESOLUTIONCLIMAX

30. 30Image Source: Search Austin Homes, Iconic Austin: I love You Signs

31. 31
Example: Too Young to Wed
http://tooyoungtowed.org/

32. 32
Example: World Wildlife Fund
https://www.worldwildlife.org/places

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34. 34
Explaining the conflict
• Who is the antagonist?
• Why should anyone care?

35. 35
Some nonprofits have missions
that are easily communicated.
Don’t over do it!

36. 36
Other nonprofits need to work harder to
present the conflict in a way that is easy
for the audience to relate to.
Use simple language.
Avoid jargon at all costs.

37. 37
If the antagonist isn’t obvious,
make it larger than life.
#bbcon #keepcontentweird

38. 38
CLIMAX
The story reaches its peak.
The hero takes action to resolve the conflict.
Image Source: Randall Metting, Sensory Overload ACL

39. Who is the hero of your story?
• The organization?
• The beneficiary?
• The audience?
Image Source: The Neverending Story

40. 40
–Jeff Brooks, TrueSense Marketing
“Donors ask themselves, how do I matter? How am
I going to give back for all that I’ve received in life?
If your stories help them answer that question,
you’re really doing fundraising. ”

41. LET THE AUDIENCE BE THE HERO
• Invite the reader into the story
• Present a clear call to action
• Your story should be a ‘choose your own
adventure’ story
Image Source: The Neverending Story

42. 42
Use the word ‘YOU’
Let the user be the hero
State the goal
www.feedingamerica.org

43. 43http://planetary.org/
The Planetary Society

44. 44Image Source: Bruce Turner, Alamo Drafthouse Marquee

45. Everything you need to create and publish
great content is already in your pocket

46. 46
Pick the right tool for
the right size of story
S
M
L
#bbcon #keepcontentweird

47. 42 #bbcon
MAKE IT SHORT AND SWEET
47Image Source: www.franklinbarbecue.com

48. 48

49. 49https://www.cycleforsurvival.org/

50. 50
THE BRAIN PROCESSES VISUALS
60,000TIMES FASTER THAN TEXT

51. 51
Camera Snapseed Over
Capture Edit Add text overlay
Visual Storytelling Tools

52. 52
KEEP
SHORT
AND
STAY
SOCIAL

53. 53
Sources: https://www.facebook.com/humansofnewyork/posts/866023170138451:0
Mashable: With 50,000 donations, Humans of New York fundraiser sets Indiegogo record

54. 54
Instagram

55. 55
Micro-Videos

56. 56
SnapChatPeriscope
Temporary Videos

57. 57
When short
isn’t long
enough
MEDIUM FORMAT

58. 58
http://firstperson.oxfamamerica.org/2015/09/17-goals-that-can-actually-change-your-life-and-everyone-elses-too/

59. 59
Podcasts

60. 60
http://cbf.org/about-the-bay/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-bay

61. 61
IMMERSE YOURSELF
Image Source: Todd Dwyer, Barton Springs

62. 62http://www.dadaabstories.org/

63. 63http://getgoingtoday.org/sally/

64. 64
“Contrary to popular belief, long form stories have a
better chance of going viral than short posts, with the
optimal length being upwards of 2000 words.”
–– http://contently.com/strategist/2015/09/16/5-ways-content-goes-viral/

65. 65http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2012/snow-fall/#/?part=tunnel-creek

66. 66

67. 67
I feel empowered to tell my
@mynonprofit story!
#KeepContentWeird #bbcon
Tweet this now

68. 68
THANK YOU!

69. Resources for Learning + Doing
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70. 70
Resources for Learning + Doing
▪ Meghan Casey, @meghscase
The Content Strategy Toolkit
▪ Sara Wachter-Boettcher, @sara_ann_marie
Content Everywhere: Strategy and Structure for Future-Ready Content
▪ Colleen Jones, @leenjones
Clout: The Art and Science of Influential Web Content
▪ Margot Bloomstein, @mbloomstein
Content Strategy at Work
▪ Ginny Redish, @GinnyRedish
Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content That Works
▪ Jonathon Colman, @jcolman
The Epic List of Content Strategy Resources
▪ Paula Land, @content_insight

71. 71
More Resources for Learning + Doing
▪ Kristina Halvorson, @halvorson
Content Strategy for the Web
▪ Scott Abel, @scottabel
Rahel Anne Bailie, @rahelab
The Language of Content Strategy
▪ Erin Kissane, @kissane
The Elements of Content Strategy
▪ Karen McGrane, @karenmcgrane
Content Strategy for Mobile
▪ Gerry McGovern, @gerrymcgovern

72. 72
NYLEVA CORLEY
nyleva.corley@blackbaud.com
@nyleva
BEN WONG
ben.wong@blackbaud.com
@bunmun
STAY IN TOUCH
Please complete the session survey!
#BBCON
#KeepContentWeird