A glimpse at some of the best non-profit blogs, and a few take-aways.
As a first-time blogger (I’ve been doing this for about three months) I am constantly seeking inspiration online for content. I have also found it useful to read several other blogs to better understand techniques that draw followers and like-minded people to my page.
That being said, I stumbled upon an article on Businessesgrow.com by Mark Schaefer about the best corporate blogs in the world. There was a second article about the best non-profit blogs in the world.
A few that made the list: Feeding America, Salvation Army USA and Red Cross.
The great thing about blogging is that it is inexpensive and allows non-profits to connect directly with their target audiences: donors, volunteers, community members, etc. There are a few things I noticed that these blogs are doing well that can work for any blog.
- Newsworthy posts. The Feeding America blog does a great job of keeping up with new on hunger in America. A recent post highlighted the CBS Saturday evening news coverage of food insecurity, which means that someone does not know when their next meal will be eaten. The video click was great because it mentions Feeding America and serves as a fresh voice of insight on the blog. It also demonstrates that the non-profit is paying attention to what’s going on in the media.
- Proactive posts. Not every post can be about something that has taken place within the organization. Sometimes, posting about the bigger picture or about upcoming events can peek the audience’s interest in a seemingly static organization. For example, everyone knows what The Salvation Armyis and what they do, but everyone does not necessarily know about their involvement with National Hurricane Preparedness Week. Articles offering tips on how to prepare for dangerous weather is not necessarily a part of The Salvation Army’s mission, but it is something they can use to generate interest and engagement on their blog.
- Profiles. Bloggers want to interact with people, not organizations. What I love about the Red Cross blog is that they feature stories and posts from Red Cross employees and volunteers. The Baby(sitter) on Board posts takes us through a day-in-the-life of Red Cross babysitting course instructor, Cindy Weaver.
These are all effective tactics for a successful blog, that can be tweaked for any type of content. Comment and share your blogging tips!
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PR-Minded 
Hi Amanda! This is Gloria from the Red Cross. Thank you so much for highlighting our blog – we really appreciate it and are honored. 🙂 One small correction – I posted the blog post about babysitting but it was actually guest written by Cindy Weaver. Thank you again and best of luck to you.
Posted by Gloria Huang (@riaglo) | May 31, 2012, 2:35 PMHi Gloria, I am sorry for the error. Thank you for pointing it out to me! I really enjoyed reading through some posts on your blog. I am just beginning an internship at a non-profit so it’s helpful to get some inspiration for content from other organizations. 🙂
Posted by Amanda Smith | May 31, 2012, 2:51 PM