PERSONAS challenges channels Non-profit content and Jeff Bacen © 2017 @jbacen

WHAT ARE PERSONAS? *not assumptions a persona is a composite sketch of a target market based on validated commonalities* that informs content strategy to drive productive engagement. *not assumptions Jeff Bacen © 2017 @jbacen

$$$ What is productive engagement? It’s not that simple for businesses Content is aimed at the IDEAL CUSTOMER For non-profits It’s not that simple Even the most routine content must engage multiple audiences Jeff Bacen © 2017 @jbacen

a mutually beneficial transactional relationship The common ground: For both businesses and non-profits, productive engagement is the conversion that occurs as the intended result of a specific call to action (CTA) from content to content consumer. In other words, a mutually beneficial transactional relationship Jeff Bacen © 2017 @jbacen

Even simple personas are a powerful tool for content strategy and Can help identify gaps in content Why personas? Primary reasons personas help you deliver relevant and useful content to your audience personas serve as a single version of truth for everybody creating content in your organization Jeff Bacen © 2017 @jbacen

Aren’t content personas are the same as demographic profiles? Jeff Bacen © 2017 @jbacen

NO Aren’t content personas are the same as demographic profiles? Jeff Bacen © 2017 @jbacen

Useful personas use other characteristics like What motivated her to access our content? Specific program information? Volunteering? Donating? Drive How and when does she access content? Are there particular formats she gravitates toward? Engagement Whose advice does she trust or seek most when engaging with content? Who might seek hers? Influence Jeff Bacen © 2017 @jbacen

Who consumes Non-profit Content? General Consideration: Who consumes Non-profit Content? Jeff Bacen © 2017 @jbacen

Non-profit content audiences include but are not limited to: Volunteers* Researchers (includes the press) Donors* Other nfp’s Partners* Gov’t entities (includes regulatory) & Community the Writ large *Actual or potential Jeff Bacen © 2017 @jbacen

“validated commonalities” getting to “validated commonalities” we want from a persona Jeff Bacen © 2017 @jbacen

Interview key stakeholders The truth is out there Interview key stakeholders To Get the intel, Conduct interviews to make sure that your messaging and value proposition are making an impact. consult multiple perspectives and talk with donors, volunteers, past members, new members, and long-time members. Jeff Bacen © 2017 @jbacen

Sanity check your data To check the intel, The truth is out there Sanity check your data To check the intel, The groups that opt into your organization are very different from the population as a whole. But how? answer this question is by cross-checking your data with industry publications and trend reports. take a look at the sector-specific reports that your donors and leadership team are already consulting. Jeff Bacen © 2017 @jbacen

challenges I.D. negative personas And ponder the The truth is out there I.D. negative personas To maximize the intel, Understand your ‘negative personas’ so that you can focus on more of the good ones. As a nonprofit, your teams have limited bandwidth. Make sure that you’re investing your efforts in the areas with the highest ROI. challenges And ponder the Jeff Bacen © 2017 @jbacen

Non-profit challenges Content must communicate to multiple groups Engage across multiple platforms Provide programmatic intelligence Share partner information Express various/compound calls to action Jeff Bacen © 2017 @jbacen

Content types Additional consideration: Words Audio Video Pictures data Content types It’s Not that Simple Jeff Bacen © 2017 @jbacen

Content channels Earned paid Shared owned publicity Converged content Media relations Partner relations Volunteer relations Donor relations Blogger relations Influencer relations Converged content high content authority Partnerships Tie-ins Community service Co-branding Earned Influencer engagement Traditional channel paid Response to detractors Detractors turned to loyalists Co-branding Advertising Sponsored posts Fan acquisition Lead generation Shared owned Incentive Affiliate Ambassadors Sponsored content Native advertising In-house Social media Website Webinars Videos Podcasts User generated content Facebook Twitter Google Linkedin Jeff Bacen © 2017 @jbacen

Let’s not forget great stories 1 Content that reminds us that life is short 2 Content that reminds us that dreams can come true 3 Content that gives us faith to believe in bigger things 4 Content that reminds us that we matter 5 Content that reminds us that life is short 6 Content that reminds us that dreams can come true 7 Content that gives us faith to believe in bigger things 8 Content that reminds us that we matter 9 Content that inspires us to action 10 Content that makes us laugh or smile 11 Content that makes us cry (joy or sadness) 12 Content that reveals secrets 13 Content that surprises us 14 Content that encourages us to never give up 15 Content that reminds us we are one-of-a-kind 16 Content that reminds us there is more 17 Content that confirms our assumptions 18 Content that challenges our assumptions 19 Content that educates while entertaining us 20 Content where David beats goliath 21 Content that gives a fresh point of view Jeff Bacen © 2017 @jbacen

Do like I did … For more information, best practices, Persona Forms, and ideas on this and other content marketing topics, consult the experts: https://blog.hubspot.com/ http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/ Jeff Bacen © 2017 @jbacen