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My goodness, it frightens me to think what would have happened if I had not met Mike. He's worked with us for over half a year now writing whatever we need: a white paper, web copy, one-pagers, and customer surveys. The high caliber of his work has motivated us to bring more to the table as a team. If he'd let me, I'd put him on staff at the drop of a hat.
~ Andy Seo, Founder & Director of APEXtutors |
Longer stories(2 or more pages)
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Mid-sized stories(1 or 2 pages)
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Smaller stories(1 page or less)
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** Too much jargon? Read explanations in plain English below. **
Success Stories / Case Studies
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An extended testimonial
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Case studies, a.k.a. “client success stories” Everybody loves a testimonial. But case study guru Casey Hibbard argues that case studies are testimonials and a whole lot more. Like testimonials, a case study spotlights the success story of a single happy client—a single “case.” But they go further. Case studies dive deep into client experiences using a problem > solution > results style narrative to educate the reader about your solutions. Insight like this goes far beyond a simple testimonial. More than a single-use marketing tool, case studies can be repurposed to create all kinds of additional content. For example, they can be published in trade journals, edited for newsletters, grant applications, donor letters, press releases, one-pagers, capability statements, and more. |
White Papers
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A research-based report
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White paper. Now that’s a descriptive name! You might call ‘em persuasive essays, reports, in-depth articles, or even “objective sales brochures” (is that even possible?). But whatever you call ‘em, white papers highlight an organization’s solution to a specific problem. They persuade readers with interviews and academic or industry-based research presented in a problem > solution > results narrative. A white paper is somewhat formal and fits somewhere between a company’s sales brochure and an academic article. “That White Paper Guy,” Gordon Graham writes that white papers go deeper than the single “case” of a case study. Client experience may be part of the story, but the foundation of white papers is the research that they draw on to make a persuasive argument. That research adds a layer of credibility and objectivity that makes them unique. |
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Newsletters
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A unique opportunity
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News / letter. What’s more important, the news or the letter? If you had to choose one part of that word, which would it be? For content marketing mastermind Ann Handley, the “letter” is more important than the “news.” There’s no question that keeping clients up-to-date on developments in your organization is important. However, she points out the unique opportunity that a newsletter presents: one person, one inbox, private time together. Use that moment. It calls out for the personal touch of a letter. First, more than getting attention, a letter earns trust. Speak to people’s needs. Tell them you understand their problems and that you’re here to help. Second, in doing this, you build affinity. People want to be understood. Show them who you are, what you value, and why you care. If your personality comes through as an entrepreneur, a company, a brand, no one can copy that, Handley says. You’ll stand out. And that’s priceless. Check out her coolio video on news/letters here: Ann Handley’s newsletter |
Press Releases
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Re-thinking the Press Release
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Teaching an old dog new tricks I love the New York Times, but let’s be realistic, newspapers have lost much of their influence. Circulation is down, hundreds of local papers have closed. Nonprofit marketing maven Kivi Miller says if you have press connections, use them. But remember even if a journalist picks up your story, you lose control over your content. They may rewrite, or highlight things you wouldn’t. They may lock your story behind a pay wall. The answer? Your website. Web writing wonder woman Ginny Redish suggests publishing press releases under your “news” menu. But the key is to break out of the traditional press release form (which she compares to a “wall of words”) and rework them with web-friendly writing. Just like the rest of your website’s content, the new press release must be written for the web: compelling and “scannable” titles and subheadings, bullet lists, images, highlighted quotes, side bars, links to more information, and color for goodness sake! |
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“Mike’s work gets results. The press release he wrote for us played a pivotal role in getting the extensive news coverage we did. In addition, he brings unique ideas to the table which prompt discussion and fresh perspective. He fit seamlessly into our small group.
We were very fortunate to have Mike on our team." ~ Angela Azzolino. Executive Director, Get Women Cycling |
One Pagers
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An extended elevator pitch
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Yep, pitch your organization, with a single page The one page pitch. Think of it as the homepage of your website (if readers don’t get it right away, they’re leaving). Think of it like a first impression. You know how important those are. People print up one pagers for conferences, meetings, and include them in mailings or with annual reports. They’re great to hand out with a business card to help you deepen your pitch to potential clients or partners. They’re the perfect takeaway. One pagers put what might be a confusing mouthful onto one nice, neat, single page that lays out your organization’s mission in a simple problem > solution > results format. A solid one pager will often include a chart or table just to spice things up with data and strong visual appeal. |
Donor Letters
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Fund raising fundamentals 1
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Offer your donors a reward When’s the last time your nonprofit sent out a four page donor letter? Information overload is counterproductive. According to Katya Andresen, who was the first person to apply business marketing savvy to the nonprofit world, creating converts to your cause is not the point of fundraising.
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Donor Thank You Letters
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Fund raising fundamentals 2
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Donor relationships are like love I constantly tell my wife and daughter how grateful I am that they’re in my life. Honestly, I’d be bereft without them. What would your nonprofit be without donors? Think about it. When donors feel cherished and important, they are more likely to commit to a long-term relationship. Saying “thank you” is one of the basic steps in nurturing those relationships. If you’re not saying thank you, then you’ve got a one-sided thing going on that probably won’t last. I’ve given to plenty of nonprofits, do you know how many actually took the time to tell me I’m important to them—without asking for more? One. When you’re fighting for recognition and there are a million other nonprofits in the same blood sport, you need to stand out. You need to nurture those relationships. Tell donors they make a difference. Tell a story about the impact of their dollars; put a picture in the letter of someone who’s benefited from your services; let people see the good work they’re supporting. That will motivate them to keep giving. Show your donors some love. |
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