In my last post, I gave you 10 content ideas for your nonprofit’s blog.
The final item on that list - and arguably the most important - is what I call cause-adjacent posts.
What are cause-adjacent posts?
These are posts that put your expertise to work for searchers on Google without being directly about your cause or issue.
So, for example, if your cause is getting books into the hands and the homes of poor children, a cause-adjacent post won’t be directly about that.
Instead, you’ll think of topics that are related to your work that match your expertise up with content that searchers are already looking for.
You might research and write the following blog posts for parents and teachers:
Best Picture Books of the Year
Helping Your Reluctant Reader Love Books
Diversify Your Classroom’s Library With These 12 titles
Teaching Reading Over Zoom: the Ultimate Guide
These posts connect your literacy expertise and passion with parents’ and teachers’ need for resources.
The 1 Type of Nonprofit Blog Post You NEED to Be Writing
jamiesmetcopy.com
Why write cause-adjacent posts?
BUT WHY?
Why would I do this? I hear you asking. Isn’t this a distraction from my work?
You are looking at a to-do list a million miles long without the time to write blog posts directly related to your topic. Why would you write posts that are adjacent?
Cause-adjacent posts have enormous potential for nonprofits looking to increase their organic web traffic and generate interest for their work with new audiences.
How often do you think someone goes to the Google homepage and searches directly for your cause or issue?
I am sorry to say probably not often.
In the event of a crisis related to your cause, you’ll certainly see a natural uptick in traffic to your site. But outside of a crisis, how often are people ending up at your site organically (through search)?
If you’d like to:
increase your organic traffic,
grow your influence and authority about your cause, and
reach new audiences outside of your current geographic and demographic following,
then you need to be blogging consistently and creating content that people are searching for.
Because this can be a challenging concept to wrap your head around (especially when you’re already knee-deep in to-dos!), here are 3 more examples.
Cause-adjacent posts
generate organic web traffic,
grow your influence,
and reach new audiences.
jamiesmetcopy.com
Examples:
Example 1:
The Cause: an animal rescue organization that matches foster pets with fur-ever families (see what I did there?)
Brainstorm: What related interests might people who are likely to be sympathetic to my cause have that I can capitalize on?
Possible cause-adjacent posts:
Are Your Kids Ready for a Puppy?
Best Breeds of Dog for Every Personality and Lifestyle
How to Choose a Vet for Your Pet
Best New Cat Products on the Market
Low-Maintenance Pets for Busy Families
With regular posts like these you’re bringing people who already love animals to your site. Once they’re there, you can direct them to other pages that describe the programs you offer and ways to donate to your work. Win/win!
Example 2:
The Cause: building and advocating for affordable, environmentally friendly housing for low-income families and individuals
Brainstorm: Your expertise is building housing affordably and with the environment in mind. What related topics might Google searchers be looking for?
Possible cause-adjacent posts:
Choosing a Contractor for Your Next Home Project
Building a Home: A Checklist With Estimated Costs
Buy or Build? The Ultimate Guide to Deciding
Low-Cost Ways to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient
Reaching these searchers allows you to give info they’re looking for while also sharing your perspective and stories about why everyone deserves an affordable home of their own. You have the potential of reaching and persuading a whole new audience.
Example 3:
The Cause: a local art museum in a mid-size U.S. city
Brainstorm: What art-related topics and expertise can you use to draw new visitors to your site?
Possible cause-adjacent posts:
a weekly series featuring a simple, creative art lessons for homeschool and virtual learning parents/teachers
10 Places to Visit in [city, state] After Your Stop at [Museum Name]
choose a piece of art in the museum and do a deep dive on the history/background/interpretation of the piece. Relate it to a current event.
Beginner’s Art History Course (a weekly series that you could eventually package and sell!)
People who love art or love your city or both will find these posts interesting and may be easily convinced to sign up for your emails. This gives you the chance to nurture an authentic relationship, which can lead to donations down the road.
Key Takeaways:
Cause-adjacent blog posts are ones that put your expertise to work for searchers on Google without being directly about your cause or issue.
These types of posts have enormous potential for nonprofits looking to:
increase their organic web traffic;
develop influence and authority around their topic;
and generate interest for their work with new audiences.
How can you connect your expertise about your cause/topic with what searchers are looking for?
You might also find these posts helpful:
SEO for nonprofits: a totally beginner’s guide to SEO and growing web traffic
Write better nonprofit emails: simple tips you can implement today.
Ready to tackle your content goals?
Let’s work together to get your cause the attention it deserves.
