4 Tips to Create a Nonprofit Content Strategy for WordPress
When it comes to content management systems (CMS), WordPress is a stellar choice for a variety of organizations, including businesses and nonprofits. However, unlike business employees, nonprofit professionals may not have the time to devote to a website strategy or the capacity to spend time mastering a complex CMS.
Don’t despair—WordPress is well-known for its intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it well-suited for those unfamiliar with web design. With our guide, you’ll be well prepared to create a content strategy for your site, whether you’re migrating from a different CMS or starting from scratch. Regardless of how familiar you are with WordPress or web design, you’re sure to gain valuable insights with these top tips.
1. Determine your goals and audience.
The first step to creating a nonprofit content strategy for WordPress is to determine your goal and your audience. To help you figure out your goal and audience, answer the following questions:
- Why do you want to start a WordPress site?
- Who do you want to see and interact with your content?
- What actions do you want visitors to take on your site?
Usually, the main goal of nonprofit websites is to gain the support of web visitors. This overarching goal can be broken down into a few smaller goals, such as:
- Spread awareness about our cause
- Gain financial support through online donations
- Increase volunteer activity sign-ups
This information will serve as the guiding star of your WordPress content strategy. With it, you’ll shape the rest of your website to drive conversions
If your nonprofit is already well-established, you may be able to glean audience information from your constituent relationship management system (CRM). Assess your supporter data for general demographics, interests, and giving tendencies to get a better picture of the kinds of individuals who want to support your nonprofit. Keep that in mind as well as you continue to build your site.
2. Establish the content you’ll create.
After determining your goal and audience, begin building out your website with content that supports your goal. Begin with key landing pages, including your:
- Homepage. As the first page visitors see when they arrive on your WordPress site, it’s essential to strategically plan your homepage content. Make sure that it’s visually appealing and provides a summary of your nonprofit’s mission. You may also include links to stories about your nonprofit’s impact to show visitors that you’re trustworthy and successfully working toward your goals, as well as clear CTAs for whatever conversions you are trying to get from your visitors.
- About page. This page will contain more detailed information about your nonprofit, such as your values, history, and key members. This page is where visitors will go to learn more about your nonprofit as a whole and to reassure themselves that they are supporting a credible and professional organization.
- Donation page. Your donation page should be easy to use, with a straightforward donation form and integrated payment processing. Additionally, it’s a good idea to provide suggestions for donation amounts along with impact labels, so visitors know what their gift does for your nonprofit.
- Events page. If you have any upcoming events, whether fundraising or volunteer activities, feature them on a dedicated event page. This is a great strategy for marketing your nonprofit event and engaging your audience. Be sure to include a way for web visitors to RSVP to your activities on the page as well!
- Sponsorships page. For nonprofits that want to leverage corporate giving, a sponsorship page provides potential corporate partners with the information they need to start a relationship with you. On this page, let them know what you expect from your partners, your sponsorship tiers, and the benefits they receive from sponsoring your organization.
Building your WordPress site is a time-intensive process. Don’t be afraid to reference nonprofit WordPress guides to help, such as this one by Kanopi, as they’ll have useful advice for you. For example, Kanopi’s guide advises that you incorporate multimedia elements to break up text blocks and provide visitors with multiple ways to engage with your site.
3. Brand your site to your nonprofit.
Branding immediately creates an association between your nonprofit and your website, allowing visitors to feel at ease about interacting with your site. It also makes your organization seem more organized and professional, further cementing your reputation as a positive force for social good.
Incorporate your branding throughout your WordPress site. This includes visual elements such as your:
- Logo
- Brand color palette
- Typography
- Brand imagery
It also includes the verbal elements you use to share your brand story, such as your:
- Mission statement
- Values
- Tone
- Grammar
- Vocabulary
With both visual and verbal branding thoroughly integrated into your site, web visitors will know without a doubt that they have navigated to the right place.
If you’re not confident about your branding strategy, consider consulting with a nonprofit web design agency. They’ll bring their expertise to help you ensure that your WordPress website looks exactly the way you want it to while providing a professional and user-friendly experience for visitors.
4. Analyze your results.
After launching your nonprofit’s WordPress website, monitor it to ensure that it’s serving your purposes. If there’s room for improvement, fine-tune your site and make adjustments so that it better fulfills your goals.
Keep an eye on the following metrics for your site:
- Web traffic. This metric measures the overall visits to your site, helping you gauge the success of your outreach efforts. If you have low web traffic, then you may need to consider optimizing your site for search engines or promoting it more actively through your other communication channels.
- Traffic sources. This metric shows you where your visitors are coming from, whether a search engine results page, social media post, or email newsletter. Use this metric to determine where most of your visitors come from, strengthening your strategy for that channel and assessing issues on other channels.
- Bounce rate. This metric refers to the percentage of visitors who leave your WordPress site after only viewing one page. A high bounce rate may be indicative of user experience issues or unengaging content.
- Conversion rate. This metric refers to the percentage of visitors who take the action your nonprofit wants, whether that’s donating, signing up to volunteer, or something else. A high conversion rate means your calls-to-action (CTAs) are working well. A low conversion rate signals that your CTAs may not be the most effective, or that visitors are experiencing an issue when they try to complete the action.
As you fine-tune your WordPress website to meet your goals, stay on the lookout for other opportunities to boost your impact. For example, if you’re beginning to focus on search engine optimization (SEO), Getting Attention recommends that you also look into applying for the Google Ad Grant. This grant gives you $10,000 of credit to use toward Google search ads, helping you increase your website’s visibility and traffic.
Whether you want to spruce up your website for your next capital campaign or you’re starting a new WordPress site from scratch, these tips will help you refine your content strategy. As you create your site, don’t be afraid to seek out help, whether that’s through Google searches, WordPress support guides, or digital marketing agencies. Armed with their help and this knowledge, you’ll be well on your way to creating a site that works for your nonprofit’s unique needs!
